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 needs, and cover rising operating costs without further increasing residents' taxes.

What staff found and recommended - Staffing and partners: staff credited multiple teams for the summer's results, including parks maintenance crews, additional park ambassadors, contract trash crews (ESPI, formerly Easterseals), conservation crews working from kayaks and litter boats, contract parking technicians and contract officers. Case said park ambassadors served as "additional sets of eyes" and helped educate visitors at entry points. - Litter and cleanup: staff presented year-over-year figures showing a reduction in litter-collection volumes compared with 2024; September 2025 figures were not yet finalized at the presentation. - Safety: staff reported one public-intoxication arrest and several serious injuries requiring hospital transport; park rangers and marshals handled many minor injuries on site, reducing fire/EMS call volume. - Fencing: the temporary fence allowed staff to regulate entry points and keep emergency lanes clear; staff presented an option for a more aesthetically pleasing temporary fence and noted a vendor purchase quote of about $75,000. Staff said the fence used in 2025 was acquired within existing budget and that renting comparable fencing in 2025 cost roughly $15,000 when combined with portable-toilet rental.

Staff also proposed a draft fee structure for consideration: residents would remain free with a resident river pass; nonresidents could be charged either a group fee (example: $25 per group up to 10 people) or per-person fees (example staff figures shown to council: $5 for individuals 12'259, $2 for children 3'11; season-pass examples discussed included $100 for adults and $75 for children/seniors/military). Case said the draft fee would apply only during managed-access days (weekends and holidays between Memorial Day and Labor Day) and that further work was needed on enforcement and residency verification.

Public comments and volunteer perspective Residents and volunteer leaders who addressed council during public comment largely supported managed access or a nonresident fee tied to maintenance. Andrew McNair, a long-term resident, urged exploring models that let nonresidents exchange volunteer cleanup or local-business patronage for access rather than pay a straight fee: "I was here today interested in talking about the possibility of, charging entry for the river," he said, and described alternative validation ideas such as returning a bag of trash as a form of entry validation.

David Zambrano, outreach coordinator for Eyes of the San Marcos River, reported that Monday cleanups and the temporary fencing "worked" and that volunteers found less trash than in 2024, while cautioning council to fully use existing fines and enforcement before adding new measures.

Laura Wilde, a frequent swimmer and kayaker, told council the fence reduced crowds and helped "protect the riparian area near Cheetham Street from being degraded," and urged more trash receptacles and extending paid parking to riverfront lots so nonresidents help fund upkeep.

Council response and next steps Council members voiced a mix of support and concerns: several members supported continuing managed access while refining operational details, fencing aesthetics and staffing; others raised philosophical objections to charging nonresidents for access to a public river and asked for more data on visitor origin and local spending patterns. Council directed staff to: - Return with clearer residency-verification options (digital or physical passes and acceptable documentation), including feasibility studies for an annual or seasonal resident pass; - Provide more detailed revenue projections under several fee structures and estimates of staffing and kiosk costs needed to implement collection and enforcement; and - Evaluate fence placement and additional access points near the tennis courts for 2026, contingent on sustainable staffing plans.

Staff agreed to return with options and recommended scheduling an evening workshop to allow broader public participation; council accepted that recommendation.

What staff did not decide Council did not adopt a final fee or pass structure on Oct. 8. Staff said they will research visitor-origin and spending data, residency-verification methods used by peer cities and technical options for kiosk/payment collection and bring a set of options back for council consideration ahead of the next season.

Attributions: Quotes and attributed reporting in this article come from the Oct. 8 work session transcript and the following speakers: Jamie Lee Case, Tiffany Williams, Andrew McNair, David Zambrano and Laura Wilde.

Ending note: Staff emphasized the pilot's testing purpose and asked council for flexibility to refine entry points, staffing and fencing before making permanent capital or policy commitments.