Aa
Swimming Pool Season
I am a manager of my community pool in my Homes Association. Normally these pools do not have a life guard on duty but have rules posted saying "No children under 12 allowed without an adult swimmer, 18 or older). Other rules for safey are posted too: No food, alchohol, glass, animals in pool area. No running etc. You've all seen them if you have been in these pools.
This is my first year as the manager and only day 4. We have 214 units in our HOA with about 25% of these now being rentals of absentee landlords. Most of these rentals turn over every year or two bring new families.
Just in the past 4 days I have seen very few adults at the pool with their children who are under 12. Trying to enforce this rule is almost impossible.
Please parents: Do not let you kids go to any pool without proper supervision. Do not depend on other people to watch your kids. We have tried issuing keys, but these kids are smart--they just open the gates from the inside. We did try a pool watcher but they don't show up. Don't let your kids be the ones responsible for shutting down great summertime entertainment for the whole area. Remind your kids that alcohol & swimming do not go good together.
Thanks for reading this.
This is my first year as the manager and only day 4. We have 214 units in our HOA with about 25% of these now being rentals of absentee landlords. Most of these rentals turn over every year or two bring new families.
Just in the past 4 days I have seen very few adults at the pool with their children who are under 12. Trying to enforce this rule is almost impossible.
Please parents: Do not let you kids go to any pool without proper supervision. Do not depend on other people to watch your kids. We have tried issuing keys, but these kids are smart--they just open the gates from the inside. We did try a pool watcher but they don't show up. Don't let your kids be the ones responsible for shutting down great summertime entertainment for the whole area. Remind your kids that alcohol & swimming do not go good together.
Thanks for reading this.
Thanks for your comment.
We have written very strong worded rules and sent to the residents. Even had a lawyer write a note. Part of our problem is 25% of our area is now rental property. The absantee landlords do not really tell their tenants the rules. And sometimes we do not know who the tenants are because of the transiency of renters. These landlords entice potential renters with the pool but are unwilling to do much more. We can't even get the landlords to tell us who their new tenants are nor to give them keys to the locked pool. All the kids know each other and when one gets in that fenced in pool area, they let them all in.
We have signs with rules posted, visible in all areas of the pool. People just don't care about anyone anymore.
I am sure your son could write a book on what he had to do in this job.
We have tried certified lifeguards before but we had trouble with these also. They would let their friends in or just not show up.
Our city has told us as long as we post a sign saying "No Lifeguard- swim at your own risk- and post signs and warnings about children not under the age of 12- then we are not responsible and cannot be sued.
Ironic thing here too: We have this pool as an incentive to live here for owners who pay the dues. Our last annual board meeting, we had people actually say to close the pool permanently. How sad this is when the people who own their property and keep everything up may now lose the pool because of absantee landlords. The reason I say this, is because tonight, of the 35 people that were there, only 2 of them were from houses that they owned. The rest were renters. I am not saying all renters do not take care of things (I rented for 6 years and always kept up my place).
I am not really the pool manager. I am the person who checks the chemicals and keeps up the appearance of the pool and pool area.
We have written very strong worded rules and sent to the residents. Even had a lawyer write a note. Part of our problem is 25% of our area is now rental property. The absantee landlords do not really tell their tenants the rules. And sometimes we do not know who the tenants are because of the transiency of renters. These landlords entice potential renters with the pool but are unwilling to do much more. We can't even get the landlords to tell us who their new tenants are nor to give them keys to the locked pool. All the kids know each other and when one gets in that fenced in pool area, they let them all in.
We have signs with rules posted, visible in all areas of the pool. People just don't care about anyone anymore.
I am sure your son could write a book on what he had to do in this job.
We have tried certified lifeguards before but we had trouble with these also. They would let their friends in or just not show up.
Our city has told us as long as we post a sign saying "No Lifeguard- swim at your own risk- and post signs and warnings about children not under the age of 12- then we are not responsible and cannot be sued.
Ironic thing here too: We have this pool as an incentive to live here for owners who pay the dues. Our last annual board meeting, we had people actually say to close the pool permanently. How sad this is when the people who own their property and keep everything up may now lose the pool because of absantee landlords. The reason I say this, is because tonight, of the 35 people that were there, only 2 of them were from houses that they owned. The rest were renters. I am not saying all renters do not take care of things (I rented for 6 years and always kept up my place).
I am not really the pool manager. I am the person who checks the chemicals and keeps up the appearance of the pool and pool area.
No, enforcing the rules is very simple. My son is a lifeguard, and with a big city behind him, they have rules and they aren't kidding about the rules. They are enforced, and no, you can't just drop kids off and let them drown.
As manager, are you a paid manager? If you are, then you can spare some hours to police. If you're not, the neighborhood officers need to step up and offer their time to police the pool.
Come by the pool several times a day, and anyone who looks under 12 needs to identify themselves by name, and state their grade in school. Really, you go to what school? Who is your math teacher?
If they aren't 12 and up, they are pulled immediately out of the pool and forced to sit on the side of the pool until an adult picks them up. Second violation, police are called.
You need to precipitate this with a VERY strongly worded letter to all households in your neighborhood, that you are afraid of drownings in the pool, and when children are sent to the pool who aren't old enough to be unsupervised, police will be called on the parents.
This is how children drown and neighborhood associations are sued into bankruptcy.
*sorry to rant, my son had to corral babies in diapers who were dropped off while parents sped away for the entire time span the pool was open*
As manager, are you a paid manager? If you are, then you can spare some hours to police. If you're not, the neighborhood officers need to step up and offer their time to police the pool.
Come by the pool several times a day, and anyone who looks under 12 needs to identify themselves by name, and state their grade in school. Really, you go to what school? Who is your math teacher?
If they aren't 12 and up, they are pulled immediately out of the pool and forced to sit on the side of the pool until an adult picks them up. Second violation, police are called.
You need to precipitate this with a VERY strongly worded letter to all households in your neighborhood, that you are afraid of drownings in the pool, and when children are sent to the pool who aren't old enough to be unsupervised, police will be called on the parents.
This is how children drown and neighborhood associations are sued into bankruptcy.
*sorry to rant, my son had to corral babies in diapers who were dropped off while parents sped away for the entire time span the pool was open*
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