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Council approves closing lake parks on major summer holiday weekends citing safety, resource strain
Summary
The City Council voted to close designated lake parks during upcoming holiday weekends to reduce safety risks and limit overtime costs; staff estimated savings and council discussed longer-term resident-access options.
The Waxahachie City Council voted Monday to close several city lake parks during specified summer holiday weekends, citing safety concerns, heavy out‑of‑town attendance and the strain on city resources.
Parks staff requested closures for Memorial Day weekend, the Fourth of July weekend and Labor Day weekend; staff estimated closing the parks would save about $19,500 in overtime costs for those events. Council approved the action by voice vote.
"This is just during the holiday weekends," Parks staff said, clarifying that private lakefront property owners with direct access would still be able to use the water. Council members and staff noted there had been drownings and a shooting associated with large holiday crowds in recent years. A parks staff member said the city experienced one confirmed drowning last year and another serious incident in recent years.
Council and staff described prior attempts to limit access by checking residency and using staff to enforce access; they said those efforts were labor-intensive and still required substantial police response. Council members discussed possible alternatives for the future, including resident-registration systems (text-to-pay or permit systems), on-site enforcement or paid officers during peak weekends, and a longer-term review by the parks board.
A council member noted regional visitor numbers and drive-time populations presented a broader pressure on the lake. One council member quoted staff-provided study figures: 667,728 people within 30 minutes of Waxahachie, 6,200,000 within one hour and 8,700,000 within 90 minutes, figures that were cited during the discussion to illustrate the potential regional draw.
The council moved the closures by motion; staff were directed to implement the holiday closures and to consider bringing options for resident access, enforcement staffing and pay/permit systems back to a future parks-board or council agenda for further planning and budgeting.
