LEON VALLEY, Texas – The San Antonio Aquarium parking lot was empty for a second day in a row Thursday after being shut down for four separate violations by the city of Leon Valley.
The violations ranged from propane tanks heaters in unvented enclosures to hazardous electrical wiring.
The aquarium administration meeting with city officials Thursday morning showed that employees are working on fixing those problems.
“We are waiting on their inspectors. We’ve got all of our contractors out ready to get on this stuff so we can get open as soon as possible,” said Jen Spellman, general manager of the San Antonio Aquarium.
Spellman said only a limited amount of employees are allowed in the building at a time because their biggest priority is taking care of the animals and feeding them.
The general manager said she feels like there had been some miscommunication that ultimately led to the shutdown.
“For some of the issues, it’s a lot of little stuff that adds up,” Spellman said. “I know we’ve had some issues and we’re trying to work with them, but it is what it is as of right now.”
Leon Valley City Manager Kelly Kuenstler disagrees.
“I definitely don’t think there was confusion,” Kuenstler said. “They were told three times that the propane heaters were not to be covered with tarp. And, finally, on the fourth time, they were shut down.”
Spellman said the shutdown has hurt the aquarium financially. Workers hope they can open by Friday or Saturday the latest to get their bookings back on track.
“The biggest blow for us is really not being able to do some of field trips and some of the outreaches we’d normally be doing, so we don’t get the chance to go out and educate these students,” Spellman said.