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Parks director: $250,000 received so far from $3M Hays County allocation; Blue Hole Nature Center design moves forward, construction delayed to 2027
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Summary
Parks Director Erica Flockey told the council the city has received $250,000 of a $3 million Hays County allocation and $750,000 from TPWD for the Blue Hole Nature Center; she said the city will pursue a $1.5 million grant (May–August window) and pushed the construction start to 2027 to secure additional funding.
Erica Flockey, Wimberley's parks director, updated the council on March 19 on parks revenue, ongoing projects and funding for the Blue Hole Nature Center.
Flockey said the city has a $3,000,000 allocation from Hays County, of which $250,000 has been received to date, and that the city has also received $750,000 through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) to advance the Blue Hole Nature Center project. She said the city is pursuing an additional indoor‑facility grant of $1,500,000; that grant opens May 1 and closes in August, with awards expected the following January.
"We've received $250,000 of that so far," Flockey said of the Hays County allocation, and she later confirmed the $1,500,000 grant amount discussed for the indoor component of the project.
Flockey said the Nature Center moved from public input into design development after the committee reworked plans to meet budgetary constraints. She said the construction start date was pushed to 2027 to allow the city to pursue the additional TPWD grant funds and to avoid exhausting design dollars without confirmed construction funding.
Other projects reported included selection of a contractor for the Martinese Playground, approval and vendor selection for an Aquatics Feasibility Study, completion and activation of the Oak Park stage with vendor booths and live music, trail wayfinding sign installation (about one‑third complete), and conversion work on a spray field to restore native prairie.
Flockey detailed near‑term revenue and operational considerations: swim passes went on sale March 1 and were nearly halfway sold at the time of the report; parks revenue without capital projects was reported around $73,000 year to date and the parks budget anticipates most revenue in May–August. She also noted aging infrastructure at the community center (roughly 20 years old), recent AC failures and a shift of the community center deficit into the parks budget.
In Q&A, council members asked about the TPWD grant deadline and water testing for the swim season. Flockey said the grant application period is May through August and that weekly E. coli tests begin when swim opens, with samples taken to a Texas State lab once a week. She also mentioned an LCRA workday grant that will supply labor to replace and paint community center parking stops.
Flockey warned that ongoing drought and high visitation have stressed infrastructure at Blue Hole and other sites and that the city will continue to monitor water availability as the project advances.
The council asked follow‑up questions during the report; staff will continue design development and pursue grant opportunities before returning with additional updates.
