Council approves fundraising campaign for Blue Hole Nature Center, keeps $3M Hays County bond commitment

Wimberley City Council on April 17 approved staff’s fundraising campaign to develop the Blue Hole Nature Center, maintaining a $3,000,000 allocation from the Hays County Parks and Open Space bond as the project budget baseline.

Parks and Recreation Director Richard Shaver told the council the Parks Board unanimously recommended approval and that staff removed a previously proposed $1 million naming-rights option for the entire center. The board’s reasoning, Shaver said, was that because primary funding to date has come from the Hays County bond, the facility name should remain the Blue Hole Nature Center rather than being tied entirely to an individual donor.

Staff described recent site visits to several nature centers and conservation-minded facilities as part of design research and noted potential donor recognition opportunities (naming smaller elements or facilities). Shaver said the city will develop design specifications, donor recognition tiers, and partnership opportunities (including potential academic or conservation partnerships) as the project moves to design and fundraising phases. He also noted examples seen during the site visits, including rainwater capture systems, evaporative toilets, and low-impervious-footprint construction that staff is considering.

A council member moved to approve the campaign as presented, the motion was seconded, and the council approved it unanimously.