San Marcos staff propose managed‑access test at Rio Vista; council OKs temporary fencing and asks for fee analysis

San Marcos staff recommended a temporary managed‑access pilot at Rio Vista this summer to reduce crowding, traffic and safety problems and to improve compliance with the city’s single‑use beverage container ordinance. Council gave consensus to install temporary fencing and staffed access points as a test; staff will return with ordinance language and implementation details if council wants to adopt an access fee for out‑of‑town visitors.

Assistant City Manager Rodney Gonzales summarized the city’s summer‑season staffing and costs and recapped lessons from 2024, when the marshal’s office recorded more than 8,000 interactions with park patrons, 7,600 verbal education contacts, 329 ejections, two arrests and 69 medical incidents. Gonzales told council the city’s seasonal costs for managing the riverfront are about $728,000, comprised of an estimated $452,000 for the marshals office, $138,000 for park ambassadors, $118,000 for contracted…