San Marcos staff recommend keeping managed access at Rio Vista and pursue nonresident river-access fees

San Marcos City staff reported to the City Council on Oct. 8 that the city's managed-access test at Rio Vista Recreation Area and other riverfront parks produced a measurable decline in weekend litter and helped reduce life-safety incidents during the 2025 summer season, and recommended continuing managed access while staff develops a resident river pass and a fee for out-of-town visitors.

The Parks and Recreation director, Jamie Lee Case, told council that the managed-access pilot ran from Memorial Day through Labor Day and that the temporary chain-link fence "was nothing more than to bring organization to what had previously been chaos," allowing staff to concentrate entry at staffed access points and to move those points during the test. Case said the fence went up May 21, the day after the council authorized the test.

"I can tell you initially when I got there, I did find the fence was ugly," Case said, describing early public resistance. "However, as we went through the summer and it was explained that this was nothing more than to bring organization to what had previously been chaos...folks understood the purpose." City Marshal Tiffany Williams said the city reintroduced EMT-based park rangers this year and staffed three rangers for medical response; Williams noted that fewer intoxication-related life-safety incidents required arrest or hospital transport than in 2024.

Why it matters: Rio Vista and the riverfront parks are high-use public amenities. City staff framed the proposal as a way to prevent erosion and protect riparian infrastructure, meet increased trash and restroom maintenance…