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Parks report: Blue Hole revenue, programs and facility costs highlight FY2025
Summary
Parks staff presented the FY2025 Parks & Recreation report showing strong visitor and program activity at Blue Hole, substantial event revenue, a community center operating gap, and multiple planned capital projects and RFPs for 2026.
City parks staff presented the fiscal year 2025 Parks & Recreation annual report at the Nov. 20 council meeting, highlighting visitor metrics, program growth, revenue sources and several capital projects that will shape park operations in 2026.
Erica Flocky (introduced to the council as the parks presenter) said the Blue Hole Nature Center received $3,000,000 from the 2020 Hays County Parks Bond and that the parks website recorded about 4,100,000 interaction events and 273,000 unique active users in the year’s analytics. Flocky reported sales of roughly 68,000 half‑day passes generating $628,999 in gross revenue, 402 season passes adding about $45,000 and more than $58,000 in merchandise sales.
Flocky also walked council through costs at the community center: reported revenue of about $74,000 against expenses of $254,000, producing an approximate operating gap the packet treated as a community asset subsidized by parks revenues. She noted a $271,929 Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) grant reimbursement posted in the fiscal year that made the parks revenue look higher than operating receipts from 2025 activity alone.
Staff reviewed programs and attendance (more than 10,000 program, event and camp attendees; a 45% uptick over 2024), seasonal staffing counts (about 10 seasonal employees plus four year‑round staff) and ongoing projects including Martha Neese Playground replacement (RFP closes Jan. 8; award Feb. 5), an Aquatic Feasibility Study RFP, Oak Park stage and vendor stalls, and master‑plan implementation work such as trail wayfinding. Flocky encouraged council to contact staff with questions and said the parks team will publish more details and press releases as visible work begins.
Council asked several operational questions about customer counters, fee structures and accessibility. Flocky said Wimberley resident pricing is determined by ZIP code (78676) rather than strict city limits to keep cashiering simple, and that nonresident fees were increased this year to help offset operating shortfalls. She acknowledged concerns about accessibility and said Wimberley Nights remained $2 per resident and staff prepared talking points for summer pricing conversations.
Flocky recommended service updates, continued grant pursuits, and listed planned procurements. The council thanked staff for the report and suggested public outreach for upcoming projects.
