City of Storm Lake officials and local residents are again asking for clarity on what constitutes a family for passes at the King’s Pointe waterpark.
The discussion at Monday’s city council meeting stemmed from an incident last week that City Manager Keri Navratil said arose due to parents that have joint custody of children which led to complications in trying to get a family waterpark pass.
Storm Lake resident Sabrina Martinez spoke at the meeting…
Martinez urged the city to make it a simpler process to obtain a family pass, and limit the passes to any five people.
Mayor Mike Porsch said they’ve been trying to simplify it as much as possible over the years, and said joint custody should be considered a family. King’s Pointe currently requires that all family members be present at one time to get pictures taken to be on a family pass.
Council member Maggie Martinez reiterated a point that she made in the past…
Council member Meg McKeon said co-parenting is hard enough, and the city doesn’t need to make it harder to put barriers in place for youth and families who want to enjoy recreation. McKeon said passes should be able to be purchased by anyone, not just those who get a hotel room at the resort.
King’s Pointe General Manager Amy Von Bank said other amusement and waterparks in the state no longer offer family passes. She said current family pass language has led to a lot of issues at the front desk.
Von Bank said 51 family waterpark passes have been sold this year, and at least 35 tried to add additional people who don’t necessarily qualify.
Mayor Mike Porsch suggested they have Arnold’s Park representatives come before next season to help explain what might make the process easier. In the meantime, McKeon said Von Bank should be given discretion in certain situations.
The King’s Pointe outdoor waterpark acts as Storm Lake’s municipal pool.
