Gearing up a public water park for visitors requires a lot more than just starting the hoses and turning on the lights.

For Eilien Ramirez, pool season begins well before Memorial Day and well after Labor Day. The Parks and Recreation Department's recreation facility manager has begun the renovation and hiring process in anticipation of Aquaport's opening on May 28.

"People think, 'What do you do in the off-season?'" Ramirez said. "But it never really stops."

Located at 2344 McKelvey Rd., the facility includes a variety of water slides, a lazy river, a kids' area and, of course, the massive, 8,000-square-foot pool.

Each year, Ramirez and other staff members conduct a fall walk-through once the season ends to determine what areas could use some work. In previous years, Aquaport management determined that landscaping bricks should be placed around mulch to prevent a sloppy runoff after each summer rainstorm.

Inspections before last year's season resulted in Aquaport refinishing the interiors of the green-and-pink water slides, marking the first time since the park opened in 1998 that a slide had received such a thorough polishing.

"The slides are fading so bad," Ramirez said. "It's kind of like a car, with routine maintenance every so often...They're already starting to not be as fast."

This year, in addition to adding some new tables in the concessions area and new caulk in the concrete patio, the exterior of the green slide will be refinished, as will the inside and outside of the adjacent blue slide.

The folks at parks and recreation department have also brought in an expert from Patio Furniture Repair, LLC to restrap pool chairs. Scott Wiesehan of Troy, IL has mastered the art of wrapping bright, new vinyl straps on the metal chair frames.

The first step, Wiesehan said, is finding the distance from one end of the frame to the other with a tape measure. Afterward, he deducts 20 percent and cuts a length from a spool of vinyl. He then submerges the cut vinyl strap in a pot of simmering water, dips the ends of the strap in a bowl of baby powder and quickly stretches the strap over the frame, double-wrapping each end. Plastic rivets plug into holes in the frame to secure the strap.

With daily passes for Maryland Heights residents priced at $4 for youth ages 4 to 15, $5 for adults and no charge for children 3 and younger, a trip to Aquaport makes for an affordable alternative to big-ticket summer fun at Six Flags or Cardinals games.

"I think it's cheap for residents," Ramirez said. "It's clean, it's safe. You can stay cool on a hot summer day. Honestly, our resident season pass prices are so much less than other municipalities."

The resident prices apply for those carrying Maryland Heights resident discount cards, which can be obtained at the Maryland Heights Centre. Potential cardholders must prove their residence with a photo ID and an unpaid utility bill.

Ramirez compared the $140 resident family pass at Aquaport to the public water park in Manchester, where she lives. At that Aquatic Center, Manchester resident families of three can purchase a season pass for $155, and each additional family member costs an additional $20.

Aquaport offers reciprocal agreements with Creve Coeur and Bridgeton to offer residents of those municipalities the Maryland Heights resident price, Ramirez said.

Opening day kicks off at 11 a.m.

Aquaport also invites locals to come out for Resident Night on May 27, when Maryland Heights residents can enjoy the facilities free from 6 to 8 p.m. Free hot dogs, soda and North Star ice cream will also be available, and a few lucky winners will receive door prizes.