Carbon County Commissioners are looking at ways to help lifeguards get certified.

During the county commissioners' meeting on Thursday, Commissioner Thomas J. Gerhard said the board is looking at ways to help solve the issue of a lack of lifeguards at Mauch Chunk Lake Park.One way the county is looking at is partnering with area community pools to hold lifeguard training courses at a reduced cost, or reimbursing the cost for training.Currently, the lifeguards must cover the $300 fee for certification and the $125 biennial recertification fee."We didn't realize how much the training costs were," Commissioner Wayne Nothstein, chairman, said. "It is a financial strain and burden on our college and high school students and their families to put out that kind of money for the training."Gerhard said David Horvath, director of Mauch Chunk Lake Park, spoke with representatives from the Hazleton YMCA about holding a course for the lake's lifeguards, as well as area community pools, at the facility for next year's season.Part of the challenge though is finding a time that will work for both high school and college students.The problem of the lack of lifeguards arose last week when the commissioners explained that in the beginning of the season total money collected through admissions was down because if an adequate number of lifeguards is not available that day, the park cannot charge an admission fee.The county currently has about half of the 10 positions."We're thankful for the guards working with us," Commissioner William O'Gurek said last week.Gerhard said the county raised the hourly wage this year and will look at possibly raising it again for the future.In other matters, the commissioners acted on the following items:• Approve the renewal agreement with Trinity Services Group Inc. of Oldsmar, Florida, for food service at the Carbon County Correctional Facility for an additional one-year period. The cost per meal will increase from $1.325 to $1.365 as per the original bid. The term of the contract shall be from Aug. 5, 2014, through Aug. 4, 2015, and is the first of two renewals.• Accept the proposal from the Person Agency Inc. for the appraisal of the Cunfer Farm in Lehighton at the quoted rate of $1,500. This is a requirement for the farm to be included in the farmland preservation program.• Designate the Wildoner Insurance Agency of Jim Thorpe as the broker of record for the county's workers' compensation insurance.• Adopt the resolution adopting a policy protecting people engaged in nonviolent civil rights demonstrations, as required by the Community Development Block Grant program. It prohibits the county from using excessive force in the case of a nonviolent civil rights demonstration.• Approve the employment separation of Sandra L. Miller of Lehighton as a 911 operator at the Communications Center, effective July 25.• Accept the resignation of John D. Gallagher of Weatherly as programs coordinator for the office of Planning and Development, effective Aug. 1.