City Plans To Have Both Public Pools Open This Summer

Dubuque’s public pools may fully reopen this summer, but city officials first must not see a lifeguard shortage. Staff with the city’s Leisure Services Department intend to operate Flora Park Swimming Pool and Sutton Swimming Pool at their regular hours this year, after being forced to limit hours at the two pools last summer due to staffing shortages. However, whether the pools reopen fully or maintain limited hours depends entirely on whether the city can hire enough summer staff amid an ongoing worker shortage. Dubuque pools were closed for the entirety of 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pools reopened in 2021, but city staff only were able to keep one pool fully open at a time on an alternating schedule due to staffing shortages.