Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks Recreation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Regner Beach aqua park draws record crowds, posts large operating surplus
Summary
West Bend’s first-year Westbury Bank Aqua Park drove attendance and revenue at Regner Beach in summer 2025; staff reported increased staffing needs next year and described a single major medical incident handled under the emergency action plan.
Ryan, a parks staff member, told the West Bend City Park and Recreation Commission on Sept. 23 that the new Westbury Bank Aqua Park at Regner Beach created a significant uptick in attendance and revenue during the 2025 season. The aqua park opened June 6 and the swimming season closed Aug. 17; staff reported the facility was open on 66 of 73 dates this year and recorded 494.5 hours of operation.
The increase in visitors was large: commission materials and Ryan’s presentation put total users at 31,800 in 2025, up 117% from 14,659 in 2024. Of those, 25,527 were paying aqua park customers, well above an earlier breakeven target of 18,200. Ryan said the single busiest day was Saturday, June 21, when 1,393 paying users attended.
The financial picture improved substantially. Ryan reported gross receipts of $295,375, total expenses of $158,530 and operating income of $136,845 for 2025 — roughly a $200,000 swing in operating income compared with 2024. Washington County’s Safe Summer Swim Grant program reimbursed 50% of certain personnel bonuses and hourly rates; Ryan said the county payment for this year will be $23,290 and projected about $12,000 in county support for 2026.
Staffing and operations: Ryan said staffing for 2025 included three supervisor lifeguards, 26 lifeguards and 13 beach-house attendants, with plans to return to similar levels for 2026 and to recruit more first-year lifeguards and additional attendants. Commission members asked about recruitment; Ryan replied that the department did not post openings last year and expected to fill roughly 20 lifeguard vacancies for 2026 through scheduled training sessions.
Water quality and safety: Ryan said weekly water samples were submitted to the Village of Jackson’s water department and all samples met Wisconsin public‑beach standards (reported as fewer than 235 CFUs of E. coli per 100 milliliters). The department completed an early-season goose‑abatement effort with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Staff reported routine minor incidents (bloody noses, small cuts, bee stings) and “a handful of lifeguard assists,” plus one major medical incident in which an individual had a seizure in the general swim zone; Ryan said staff followed the emergency action plan and the situation was handled.
Operational lessons and 2026 recommendations included adding life jackets in additional sizes to meet demand during high‑attendance changeovers, planning multiple days for disassembly and storage of the aqua‑park equipment in the off‑season, and continuing targeted lifeguard training. Ryan also said Wisconsin Lake and Pond Resources continued pond treatments during the season.
Why it matters: Commissioners and staff framed the aqua park as a regional draw that materially altered Regner Beach’s usage and finances in 2025, with implications for staffing, maintenance and future budgeting. Ryan said ticket sales, pass sales and external tourism data (zip codes captured from about half of online transactions) indicate the site attracted visitors from a broad area, and staff plan to expand programming and training for 2026.
