Parks commission adopts Regner Beach 2024 budget as county subsidy declines

The West Bend Parks and Recreation Commission on Tuesday approved the Regner Beach 2024 operating budget, which staff projected at $152,917.42 in expenses and $129,586.44 in revenues, leaving a projected net loss of about $23,330.

Recreation supervisor Ryan told the commission that rising wage costs and additional lifeguard hires were the main drivers of the increase. "As you can see, beach house attendance, a slight increase," Ryan said, then outlined staffing and pay assumptions: staff expect roughly 32 lifeguards this year (up from about 24 last year) and used an $18.25 hourly projection while saying returning guards will be paid about $18.50.

Ryan said the department trimmed hire-on bonuses but maintained retention bonuses (about $2.50 for guards who work the whole summer) and introduced a referral bonus to ease recruiting. He also proposed increasing supervisory coverage to three lifeguard supervisors instead of two to avoid gaps when supervisors are absent.

To boost revenue, staff plan to add a Regner inflatable zone with a $4 per-use fee; Ryan modeled revenue scenarios at 10%, 15% and 20% user-capture rates and used a 15% growth assumption in the packet. He also presented county subsidy calculations: staff estimated the Washington County contribution at $4.88 per lifeguard hour and $2.25 per beach house attendant hour, a projection that yields an estimated $47,921.72 in county support for 2024.

Commissioner Mike praised staff work and framed the swim pond as "a quality of life thing," emphasizing that the facility historically does not generate net revenue. He and other commissioners noted special events and concessions—such as a planned beer garden and the mud run—are important revenue drivers for the department’s enterprise account.

The commission moved and seconded approval of the budget; the motion carried by voice vote.

What happens next: staff will proceed with the inflatable amenity and continued recruitment; commissioners said they will monitor revenue performance as county support declines and the commission plans to revisit capital and operating options in future budget cycles.