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Rowlett council reviews Wet Zone concession upgrades and proposed cooler fee; members lean toward resident discount
Summary
City staff detailed a recent $15,000-plus upgrade to the Wet Zone concession stand, said concession operations have been losing money, and recommended a cooler fee to help offset costs. Council members signaled support for a resident/nonresident fee split and companion season-pass options.
City staff briefed the Rowlett City Council May 5 on recent work at the Wet Zone concession stand, ongoing operational losses and a proposal to charge a fee for coolers brought into the water park to help offset costs.
Britney Farr, presenting on behalf of parks operations, said the concession stand needed substantial repairs and upgrades and that the city spent roughly $15,000 on facility and technology improvements; she also reported product purchases of around $40,000 annually by the city’s vendors and small operating losses in recent fiscal years.
“We’re proposing a fee of $10 per cooler per day with a 48-quart maximum,” Farr said, explaining the proposal would help “offset the lack of revenue that we’re not getting by people bringing in their own food” and to recover a portion of the recent investment.
Farr told council that concession product costs over the last two years totaled about $40,000 per year and that the concession operation lost roughly $4,000 in FY2022 and about $3,000 in FY2023 (figures exclude labor). She listed operational improvements planned for the season, including operating both concession windows, adding an additional point-of-sale system and kitchen printers, and relocating security cameras.
Council members discussed fee design and enforcement. One council member suggested a resident/nonresident differential, proposing $5 for residents and $10 for nonresidents; another said the city should avoid preventing families from bringing small snacks or birthday treats. Council members asked staff to define “cooler” in an FAQ and to exempt baby food and similar items.
Council and staff also discussed season passes. Staff described existing day-pass and season-pass pricing ranges for the park and proposed a season-pass companion that would include cooler entry; council members discussed season-pass pricing equivalent to four to five day visits (staff gave illustrative figures of about $25 for a resident season cooler companion and roughly $45–$50 for nonresidents as examples).
On enforcement, staff said an attendant would inspect coolers at entry and that the allowable items and size limits would be defined in park FAQs. Farr said the fee would be set by council resolution if council directs staff to pursue it; staff noted municipal ordinance/resolution is required for any fee changes.
No formal vote was taken May 5; council expressed a sense of consensus for a resident/nonresident fee split and asked staff to return with a draft resolution and clearer operational definitions, pricing options and projected revenues. Staff also said they will collect baseline data this season to evaluate the fee’s impact and adjust next year if needed.
Ending: Council did not adopt an ordinance or resolution at the May 5 work session; staff will return with pricing options, definitions, and data to inform a future council resolution.
