Commission reviews draft operational policies for Westbury Bank Aqua Park ahead of 2025 season

Park and Recreation staff presented a first draft of operating policies for the Westbury Bank Aqua Park at the Park and Recreation Commission meeting on Feb. 27, 2025. The commission was told the city’s common council has approved a seven-year naming-rights agreement with Westbury Bank that will begin for the 2025 season.

The draft policy lays out operational details staff say they intend to use for the 2025 season. Ryan, a Parks, Recreation and Forestry staff member, told the commission users must be age 6 or older, all Aqua Park users must wear a City of West Bend–issued personal flotation device (PFD) and private PFDs will not be permitted, and minors ages 6 through 17 must have waivers signed by a parent or guardian. Ryan said waivers completed online for tickets purchased through the city’s registration software will be kept on file for the season.

Staff described session structure and ticketing. The typical day will include four two-hour sessions with a maximum capacity of 140 people in the Aqua Park at once. Staff proposed that half of those tickets (70) be sold online and the remaining 70 be held for walk-ups; online sales would close at 10 a.m. Central on the day of the session. Staff also explained on high-attendance dates—e.g., July 4 and the mud run—the department may elect to sell all tickets online and not offer in-person sales.

The draft outlines weather, closure and refund procedures. The department reserves the right to close or not open the Aqua Park if the projected temperature is less than or equal to 70 degrees Fahrenheit; staff said the threshold was drawn from attendance patterns and would be applied case-by-case. For lightning, the department will remove patrons and wait 30 minutes from the last lightning sighting or thunder before reopening. If the Aqua Park does not open for an entire day due to weather, prepaid online passes will be fully refunded; if a session is cancelled within the first 60 minutes, staff proposed a partial refund (the draft cites a $4 refund per ticket as an example and a 50% adjustment for large groups, with the full dollar amounts to be edited before finalization). No refunds were proposed for sessions cancelled after the first 60 minutes.

Staff reviewed ticket methods: online purchases issued barcoded tickets that can be scanned from printouts or PDFs on phones; in-person purchases would use the concession window with on-site waivers completed as needed. Punch passes sold before the season will be available only for in-person use, and volume discounts were proposed for groups of 10 or more ($1 off per ticket) and 20 or more ($2 off per ticket), with online purchases eligible only when all tickets in a volume purchase are made for a single date.

Commissioners asked for clarifications about language and permanence in the policy—suggesting the draft avoid naming specific payment vendors (for example, Square) or hard-coded dollar amounts so the policy does not need frequent updates when vendors or rates change. Commissioners also asked about enforcement of the requirement to use city-issued PFDs; Ryan said most disputes have been civil and staff prefers city-certified vests for liability reasons. The draft’s safety provisions were described as having been reviewed by the city attorney.

Nut graf: The draft is intended as a working policy staff will return to the commission to refine; it sets operational guardrails and consumer-facing rules intended to streamline admission, improve safety, and reduce cash handling for the 2025 season.

Staff signaled the commission will likely see a revised draft after additional edits; Ryan asked commissioners and members of the public to send further feedback to him directly. The department plans to implement the Aqua Park policies when the facility opens for summer 2025 and to revisit them after the first season for any necessary adjustments.

Ending: Commissioners offered procedural suggestions—clarify group-reservation steps, remove vendor names from policy text, and tighten refund language—then moved on to the evening’s next agenda items.