San Marcos recently proposed a new fee for parts of the river to keep it clean during the summer.
SAN MARCOS, Texas — As summer nears, the city of San Marcos is looking to make some changes to protect the river and keep it clean.
This past Memorial Day weekend, Rio Vista Park was lined with fencing detailing what’s allowed and what’s prohibited in the park. The fences are part of a city initiative to preemptively educate visitors about river rules before they enter the grounds.
“Last year, we did see a lot of charcoal, glass, alcohol come into the parks,” said Jamie Lee Case, the director of San Marcos’ Parks and Recreation Department. “Then what happens is they might have a negative interaction later on, just because they’re having to take it back to their vehicle while they’re already set up.”
Park ambassadors will be managing entry points at the fences and reminding visitors of the rules every weekend and holiday during the summer. The fences will remain open to locals Monday through Thursday.
Case said the city also wanted to put the fences up as a reminder for all the out-of-town visitors from Houston and Dallas, who might not be familiar with the rules.
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Last year, the San Marcos City Council adopted a single-use canned beverage ordinance, which prohibits cans, water bottles and single-use drink containers on the river.
“One of the things that we were hearing, especially from our neighbors further down river, was that a lot of the trash that was coming, placed here, was actually going down to them,” Case said. “So just trying to be good neighbors and also good stewards of our environment and our beautiful natural resource.”
Those containers are also not allowed in any “no zones,” areas along the river where certain items are prohibited. Prohibited items also include glass, Styrofoam, alcohol and charcoal.
The city said its approach is to “educate first” and “enforce second.” But if you violate the rules, you could wind up with a fine of up to $500.
Memorial Day weekend results
The city installed the fences on the Thursday before Memorial Day weekend. Case said some people were surprised to see them, but generally had positive reactions.
After the education efforts, the city was proud to see that crews noticed significantly less trash in the river than they normally do this time of year.
“Last year, our 40-yard roll-off dumpsters were overflowing,” Case said. “This year, it wasn’t nearly as bad.”
Potential new fee for out-of-town visitors
Another major change that could be coming to Rio Vista Park is adding a fee for non-local visitors to enter. During the San Marcos City Council’s last meeting, the Parks and Recreation Department proposed this idea to put more money toward keep the parks clean.
Under the proposed plan, anyone living within the San Marcos city limits would get free entry with proof of address, like an ID, Resident River Pass, lease agreement, etc. Out-of-town visitors would have to pay $25 for a group of up to 10 people, $5 for individuals and children 6 years and under would get in free.
But the Parks and Recreation Department didn’t forget about the college students who come from out of state. Case said they would be considered locals, as long as they provide proof of address.
Case said the city would be doing something similar to what the city of New Braunfels does with their Resident River Pass. All locals have to do is submit proof of their residence and they receive a card to enter. She said the idea would be the same in San Marcos, but with a digitized version of the card.
The whole goal of adding these fees is to offset the significant cost of park maintenance and litter cleanup, which usually falls on local taxpayers.
“If we’re able to increase our revenues in another way, we’re able to offset those general fund expenditure and be able to spend them on other things that our community needs, versus having to spend money on constant litter pick-ups,” Case said.
What’s next?
The San Marcos City Council will discuss the proposed entry fee during its first work session in July. If the council decides to move forward with it, the ordinance would still require two readings before it can take effect. Even if it is approved this summer, the fees wouldn’t be implemented until the next summer season.
In the meantime, the fences and educational efforts will remain in place through Labor Day. The city is also exploring more permanent, aesthetically-pleasing solutions if this approach remains effective.