MOUNT VERNON — The Hiawatha Water Park/Pool caters to more than 2,000 people, and offers picnic areas, umbrella tables and three changing rooms for guests. It offers two large pools, one with three water slides; the other is an Olympic-style pool with diving boards. But there is a cost to run, maintain and establish this aquatic oasis.
Receipts for the 2008 season were $292,043. This compares with the 2007 season, the year the pool reopened, which had receipts of $270,960. Expenses for 2008 and 2007 were $314, 202 and $303,089, respectively.
“Between those two sets of numbers, if you take your income and subtract your expenses, in 2008 we had a deficiency of $22,159 and 2007 we had a deficiency of $32,129,” explained Terry Scott, Mount Vernon city auditor.
In 2008, $64,792 was paid toward the loan used, in part, to build the aquatic center.
“We know that our memberships were relatively level, so they were just about the same between the two years,” said Scott. “But what we saw was an increase of daily walk-ins for 2008 than we had for 2007.”
According to Scott, at the start of the 2007 season the computers were not online for accounting of the opening rush of guests, so the numbers as compared to 2008 could not be obtained.
“We are still confident that we had a significantly more people than the 2007 year,” he said.
In 2008, the visitor total was estimated at about 45,000; Scott said projections for last year were roughly 5,000 less.
“Our concession [sales] were down about $5,000 [from last year],” said Scott.
The water park does allow outside food and drink to be brought into the park. Scott said that due to economic turmoil, it is estimated that the increase in outside food contributed to the decline in concessions.
“They probably, because of economic conditions, perhaps people could pull enough resources to come for their daily walk-in, but they purchased their other stuff outside the water park and brought it in,” said Scott.
The water park also accommodates party reservations and company outings
“We thought that maybe this year we would have more large corporations that would want to do something,” said Scott. “And we had the accommodations to do it this year. We did some improvements out there; they gave us more green space and we added three more big umbrellas.”
Although some large groups did use the facility, there were not as many as city officials expected.
Scott hopes to see more large groups visit next year. Large parties and corporations wishing to use the park are asked to make arrangements in advance.
Staffing need for the park did not increase in 2008, and actually decreased compared to last year.
“I know our numbers on expenditures for wages did reduce itself from last year,” said Scott. “But I think we probably met the challenges just like all other water parks in and around the central Ohio area, and that is trying to obtain and retain sufficient amount of guards.”
This winter, Scott hopes to hold a training program for those interested in becoming a lifeguard, in order to prepare early for next season.
A big concern this year has been the economy, as budgeting becomes a larger issue for the community than in previous years.
“The water park is like any other extracurricular activity or entertainment,” said Scott. “When the resources have to go to the needs of the family, these types of things get scaled back.”
