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Council weighs discounted ice‑rink contract, ticket increases and sponsorship help for Western Wonderland
Summary
Parks staff recommended a discounted $171,385 contract for the seasonal ice rink at Dripping Springs Ranch Park and proposed modest ticket price increases and external sponsorship help to improve cost recovery; council asked staff to explore sponsorship options and return in two weeks.
Emily Nelson, assistant director of parks and community services, presented the Western Wonderland ice rink results and a contract proposal at the June 16 meeting, saying the seasonal attraction continues to draw regional visitors but still operates below full cost recovery.
Nelson said DataFi estimates showed more than 22,000 visitor trips to Dripping Springs Ranch Park during the event season, a nearly 30% increase over the previous year, with Saturdays averaging about 1,000 visits and high repeat visitation. She cautioned that DataFi’s anonymized mobile‑device method does not count children under 16, so the figures reflect trips rather than exact head counts.
Nelson told the council the vendor offered a $16,500 discount because of prior equipment issues, reducing the contract from $179,955 to a discounted $171,385 for the coming season. To improve cost recovery, she outlined a modest pricing adjustment that would raise a single ticket from $15 to $16, a 10‑ticket punch pass from $100 to $120, and group pricing from $10 to $12; those changes, combined with the discount and current assumptions, would increase projected cost recovery to about 81.2% if attendance matched 2025 levels.
Council members questioned the sponsorship strategy, noting the city’s small local sponsor pool and competition with other events. Nelson said she would contact a sponsorship consultant who has worked in other markets to see if she could take on the city this year; council requested staff to check availability and run more granular ticketing and sponsorship scenarios. One council member urged staff to return in two weeks with answers about sponsorship availability and revised financial projections.
Council did not take formal action on the contract at the June 16 meeting; staff said the vendor was aware of timing and that Nelson expected to report back after checking the consultant’s availability and running additional financial scenarios.
What’s next: staff will contact the sponsorship consultant, provide detailed ticketing breakdowns (punch pass versus single ticket sales) and return to council at the next meeting with refined cost‑recovery estimates and a recommendation.
