by Logan Gruber
operations@thenewsleaders.com
St. Joseph Council member and Water Amenity Committee member Matt Killam updated the rest of the council, sans Mayor Rick Schultz, on the status of the water-amenity planning process at Monday’s city council meeting. Killam said the planning is entering its final stages.
“We’re looking over finances,” he stated. “Some of it could be privately financed.”
Killam said the committee is working on how much it will cost to build and maintain the water amenity, and what it might cost to use it.
At a Feb. 23 meeting, U.S. Aquatics, the company the committee is working with to plan the amenity, presented the current plan to the council and other members of the public. Included in the concept was a multi-use pool with a one- and three-meter diving board; grass lounge areas; a lazy river; three water slides; rental tents; water geysers and an aqua fort on a splash pad; a covered seating area; changing rooms; a concession stand; and shade structures. The facility would be projected to be used between Memorial Day and Labor Day, and the design includes heated water. Possible locations have been discussed but have not been made public yet.
The next step for the committee is to bring the plan to the city council for a vote, which is scheduled for the April 6 meeting.
This is the possible design for the aquatics amenity, drawn up by U.S. Aquatics and presented at the Feb. 23 joint meeting.
