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San Marcos reports $156,000 early revenue from City Park paid parking; council presses staff on residency exemptions and enforcement
Summary
City staff said the City Park paid‑parking pilot launched July 1 and had more than 3,500 resident permits and $156,000 in revenue through Sept. 29; council asked staff to analyze exemptions for San Marcos address/ISD residents, enforcement details, and the feasibility of season permits and validation methods and asked for an evening workshop to expand public input.
Staff updated the council on the City Park paid‑parking pilot, reporting more than 3,500 active resident permits and roughly $156,000 in revenue as of Sept. 29; staff said citation issuance for nonpayment will begin soon after ongoing outreach and auditing.
Jessica Ramos, assistant director of parks and recreation, said the program went live on July 1 and that staff have focused on outreach and enrollment; she said staff will begin issuing civil citations for unpaid parking once operational checks are complete and that each citation is reviewed by staff before mailing.
Council members pressed staff on who should be eligible for free or reduced permits. Several members asked staff to evaluate options to treat people with San Marcos mailing addresses — including those who live in the unincorporated ETJ — or families with children enrolled in San Marcos ISD as residents or eligible for a reduced rate. Staff said verification would require an application and documentation (photo ID, lease, utility bill, library card or school enrollment proof) and that they would look at digital and in‑person registration options modeled on the city’s prior parking permit and activity‑center systems.
Council also discussed operational details: permit linkage to vehicle license plates (citations are mailed to the vehicle registration address), appeals and administrative review (staff and municipal court review citations), signage that clarifies paid‑parking rules and restricted uses (e.g., “students no parking for class”), and how a parking benefit district would define where revenue can be spent (staff said funds would be dedicated to riverfront parks if council so directs).
Members asked staff to return with feasibility analyses, counts of affected households, revenue projections under different exemption models, and draft permit processes that reduce barriers for neighbors without conventional proofs of residence. Council asked staff to schedule an evening workshop to allow more public input and requested that the staff fold the pilot’s annual review into the fall/early‑winter calendar so a decision can be made in time for the next season.
What’s next: staff will bring back options on residency categories (San Marcos mailing address vs. San Marcos ISD vs. corporate limits), a proposed benefit‑district boundary for parking revenue, enforcement protocols and estimated revenue impacts of exemptions or season‑pass options.
