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Council weighs $600,000 DSRP roof repair and HOT fund priorities amid tight budget
Summary
Park manager and finance staff outlined DSRP needs including a $600,000 roof/coating project, with staff proposing a $300,000 HOT fund transfer and noting a recent $60,000–$70,000 revenue uptick; council debated deferring wayfinding signage to prioritize repairs and requested clearer estimates before final budget adoption.
City staff and Dripping Springs Ranch Park (DSRP) managers brought detailed supplemental requests to the council’s budget workshop, highlighting a prioritized roof repair and related mechanical upgrades the park manager said have limited bookings.
Lily Sellers, DSRP manager, said the facility’s roof and related systems have deteriorated and described the proposed roof repair and coating as the largest single item at about $600,000, an amount staff included in a draft that showed how the project could be fully funded by a mix of grant and hotel occupancy tax (HOT) transfers. Finance staff Sean Cobb told council an unexpected $60,000–$70,000 in HOT revenue arrived in August and that staff added $300,000 in HOT funding in the packet to demonstrate a fully funded roof scenario.
Council members questioned the timing of adding major items late in the budget process and asked for more granular bids before firming up wayfinding and monument signage spending. Several members said they would prefer to hold wayfinding signage until final bid pricing and better coordination with TxDOT on monument sign locations. Others advocated prioritizing repairs that directly affect facility bookings and public safety, such as exterior lighting and HVAC controls, over aesthetic wayfinding signage.
Staff said the full budget and tax‑rate public hearing will continue at the council’s Sept. 16 meeting, and that staff will provide updated presentation materials and refined cost estimates for the council and the public to review. The council requested staff look for ways to plug critical DSRP priorities into the proposed budget before final adoption.
