Sandusky: Water park not paying water bills

SANDUSKY -- County officials will supply enough water to keep the fire sprinklers operating at a failed indoor water park in Sandusky.

Erie County continues to threaten to cut off most other water service to the failed park, which owes about $23,000 for water and sewer service.

Maui Sands Resort also owes the county about $59,000 in unpaid property taxes.

County sanitary engineer Jack Meyers has given the resort until Jan. 28 to pay the remaining water bills or face a complete water shut off.

The Maui Sands owner, E. Scott Emerson, closed the attraction on Thanksgiving Day and announced plans to file for bankruptcy. The company owes approximately $30 million to Charter One Bank.

An Erie County Common Pleas Judge has appointed Thomas Pratt as the "receiver" in the foreclosure litigation. As a work crew made repairs inside the empty pool building, Pratt told Channel 3's Mike O'Mara, "all I can tell you is that Maui Sands is closed indefinately".

Unfortunately, the Maui Sands web site is still inviting tourists to come back later in 2009. The resort site still lists a special phone number for potential guests to call for reservations. With the staff terminated, there is no one to answer the phones.

A court notice posted on the front door for case number 2008CV0894 advised interested parties to contact: 1.216. 658.0941. A hearing is scheduled for January 7th in the Erie County Common Pleas Courthouse.

At the nearby Lake Erie Shores & Islands visitor center, Public Relations Coordinator, Jill Bauer, said that the Sandusky area is still proud of the other three major water parks.

Bauer said, "it was pretty clear that Maui Sands opened before they should have opened. They weren't finished with construction and there were many parts of the park that weren't finished".

She pointed out that Maui Sands had fierce competition from nearby waterparks like the big Great Wolf Lodge and the huge Kalahari Resort.

The Green family had just checked in to the Kalahari Resort for the fourth year in a row this afternoon. With 884 suites, the water park complex has more than 2,000 visitors every day.

"We come here and it's suddenly 80 degrees and it's close to our home in Cleveland", said Greta Green. "It's wonderful and the children love it".

Kalahari Resorts Director of Sales, Maris Brenner, said, "we never want anybody to have a bad reputation that's in our industry because it affects us. It affects all water parks".

Brenner added, "we like good competition because it brings even more people to the Sandusky area. This area can sustain all the water parks if they offer quality".