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Interim parks director: Swim season saw 68,000 visitors, multiple holiday closures and a major E. coli spike
Summary
Wimberley’s interim parks director reported 68,000 swim bookings and 132 swim days this season, noted more than $100,000 in refunds tied to weather and closures, and described a June 12 E. coli spike that closed Blue Hole for six days.
Erica, the city’s interim parks director, told the Parks Board that the 2025 swim season ran from May 1 to Sept. 28 with 132 swim days and about 68,000 visitors booked to swim at Blue Hole.
The presentation highlighted staffing and safety outcomes: five seasonal park supervisors and five seasonal attendants worked roughly 4,885 hours, emergency medical services were called three times this summer (down from nine last year), and there were zero vehicle break‑ins after signage and outreach. Erica said merchandise revenue exceeded $58,000 and that retail sales helped offset lower ticket gross receipts.
Board members pressed staff on revenues and refunds. Erica said gross receipts declined from $678,474 last year to $628,999 this year (a difference of about $49,475) and that the city processed more than $100,000 in refunds, largely for days the city canceled because of weather or water‑quality concerns. The board discussed adjusting the cancellation window and fee policy; currently the city offers a 75% refund up to seven days before a booked swim day and a 100% refund when the city cancels an event.
The presentation included water‑quality data captured by staff. Erica described a major E. coli spike on June 12 that produced readings well above the swim cutoff, forcing a six‑day closure: "That was our first big closure... it looked like chocolate milk," she said, and staff kept the swim lawn closed until E. coli tests by the natural resource manager showed it was safe to reopen. Board members noted the region’s unusual weather and sediment runoff as likely contributors and asked staff to plan for longer recovery windows after heavy storms.
Board members and staff also discussed customer communications and booking policies, including the practice of attempting to rebook customers before issuing refunds and the potential to change transaction‑fee policy to reduce net revenue losses. Erica said staff will review refund and rebooking practices ahead of the next swim season.
The board did not take formal action on policy changes during the meeting; members asked staff for follow‑up comparisons of net revenue and suggested reconsidering cancellation and fee language before next season.
