Water

park gets

support

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

SLEEPY EYE -- A vast majority of the 35 people at an informational meeting Wednesday night supported building a $2 million, 10,000-square foot water park in Sleepy Eye.

"What do we do next?" Dean Brinkman asked. "The time to do it was yesterday."

The next step would be to find 50 supporters for the project before the council would fund a feasibility study, said City Council President Wayne Novotny

City Manager Mark Kober wanted a mandate from citizens. If more than half the city's voters favored the project, he could rely on public financing to help pay for it.

"I think we can do this without busting the average property taxpayer," Kober said. "This is no crazy scheme with ulterior motives. People need to come forward and say they support it, more than are here tonight There is a lot of public relations to be done. The council needs a mandate."

Kober urged those at the meeting to talk to their friends, relatives and neighbors about the idea, then contact their city councilors. He said the park board can fashion a plan. A public referendum vote is one of the last things to be done.

A woman suggested putting a support sign-up sheet at the Sleepy Eye swimming pool.

Park and Recreation Director Daryl Bergs circulated a sign-up sheet after the meeting to create a list of supporters to be notified before the next meeting relating to the water park.

Sleepy Eye Public School Superintendent Jay Haugen liked the proposed project.

"This is what we need," Haugen said. "Hire a consultant to do a feasibility study until things take off. I wrote down six different ways to get financing. Let's get the ball in motion."

A water park could be operational as early as 2004 if construction began next year, Kober said.

One person at the meeting wasn't sold on the idea.

Former councilman Lester Reinarts questioned USAquatics Consultant Thomas R. Schaffer of Plymouth about whether or not the water park would generate enough revenue to pay for itself.

Bergs said the city's current pool and a water park would need to be subsidized by the city. He said the city subsidizes the current pool with about $30,000 per year and estimated that a water park would have to be subsidized at approximately the same amount.

Kober said that amount would be determined by how much public money was used on the project and admission fees.

Reinarts said the project would not fly simply with revenue bonds ­ that a public tax referendum vote would be needed.

Bergs said the city has several options -- spend no money on its current 30-year-old pool and it will cease to operate before long, spend about $500,000 to repair the pool, build a brand new one or build a water park.

Bergs said the park board tried to put together an indoor pool package together several years ago but it got nowhere.

"Many indoor pools are closing. They're money pits. Just ask the people in Fairmont," Schaffer said.

The Fairmont water park is often rented out in the evenings to senior citizen groups, wedding parties and other groups.