Parks & Recreation Board - Regular Meeting

That's Okay. We'll go ahead and call the meeting to order for the park parks and recreation board for 05/15/2025. Do you want to call the roll, please?

Alright. Derek Griblin? Yes. Griblin Lane?

Here.

Charles Hickman? Here. And all Peter Sheerhart is gonna be absent today. John Smedes? Here. Amanda Fox? Benjamin Heck? Here. Cherry, you have a forum.

Okay. Hi, Jordan. Thanks for joining.

Yeah. Of course.

Okay. So if I can go to item number one, which is our minutes, do we have a a motion to approve last month's minutes? A motion to approve it. K. A motion from Ben. And I'll second. Second from Charlie.

I guess Call the roll on that, please. Benjamin Pat?

Yes.

John Tomides? Aye. Derek Griblin? Aye. Jordan Lane? Aye. Charles Hickman? Aye. Motion passed.

So cheery. That was a good issue.

Okay. So before we jump into item two, colleagues, you may notice that the agenda's slightly shorter. We had a discussion with miss Case about the process of the meeting. And if it's okay with you, we're gonna try, endeavor to keep our meetings to an hour, if possible. If that's alright with everybody, I think the way that we have the agenda set up, it's a little bit more specific, but still gives all the latitude to question pretty much anything that you want.

But I'll just, you know, try to keep us around the hour mark. That's good with everything. Unless we have, obviously, the long, you know, presentations like we had with the Vines Club and stuff. But other than that, we'll go right ahead to item two. Could you read that caption?

Yes. So receive a staff update and full discussion regarding paid parking implementation at City Park. We are on schedule to go live July 1 with paid parking. We're just finalizing some little tech stuff with the flow bird vendor. We will begin public education June 1.

So our communications department has put together their strategy, and they're working on we're working with them on getting the marketing materials and all of that jazz together to go out. Jessica and Christine Merlo have put scheduled in person times. I think there's five. There's four. Four.

I think okay. Yeah. I can I can double check? Think it's actually I think it's actually my hand. So we have we have five in person opportunities that where we'll be either at on June 2, we'll be out at Quail for the rescheduled, open house that we had to move ins inside because of the weather. So we're doing that, and then we'll also have the opportunity to register folks there too. And then we'll be at the activity center at varying times, varying days, including a weekend so that we can get folks in person registered. And then we wanna do something during the day. We have people that are there. Yeah.

We have one, like, during the lunch hour, like, from twelve to two on a Monday. It was a game day for people. Some people call. Yeah. Really trying to get the seniors that are there. And then we have what's after 05:30 from, like, 05:30 to seven times to accommodate our working groups.

But June 2 is the next one?

Yes, sir. That's that's our that's going to be our next open house for the park plans and also the paid parking registration.

And both?

Both of those. Yes, sir. Yeah. Both out of both out of the we'll be there.

So Yeah. Might as well.

Yeah. Yeah.

We figured might as well capitalize on getting people out and be out of. So Okay.

And I apologize if it's in the agenda. I didn't see it. Is there a when's the next one after that? So I

The next open house? Yeah. That is the that's it. We've had two.

Oh. Yeah. That's the that's the third class.

Yeah. So I'm doing smaller, like, in person ones with I'm meeting with the park the equity cabinet that was formed by the city council. It's a group appointed and collaborating with Texas State University. So I'm meeting with the equity cabinet at Synthro on Thursday, the twenty second, and then we're doing university through it's kind of like the Citizens Civic Academy, very similar to what we used to have, but they call it Univerciti. So we have our session there at the activity center, so we'll be engaging those folks as well.

And then our online surveys are are do are performing well since we opened up. So I haven't got a number as of today. But as of Monday, we've had 80 on riverfront parks, and I think it was a little above 60 on the Coil Creek on the East Side Regional Park. So Thank you. Last round, we had 557 on the riverfront, and I think it's, like, five twenty three on the East Side Regional Park. So Right. Don't know if we'll get that high, but we we are hope so. We've had a good turnout in person. 26, the first one, and forty six, the second. Yeah.

Our second one was really popular. Lots of posts taped at the second. Sure. Getting lots of good feedback. Just pausing. Lots of comments, which we really appreciate. And then you guys will I guess we can talk more about that whenever we get to the next time if that's okay. So I'm a little bit off topic. But on pig parking, this is just city park. This is not anything. So just city park.

And is the the public meeting content, is it just to give them an overview of what's to be done, or is that, like, a feedback session also?

The for unpaid parking? Yeah. No. This is just to register it. Oh, okay. Yeah. Just to register. Yeah. Sure. We'll have extra computers. Okay. Know, because it's a new it's a new process. It's a platform that nobody's ever seen. And so we just wanna be there to help people through the process. Yeah. Mean, anybody that experiences kind of that digital divide Yeah. More or less. Obviously, we're there to help, you know, guide them through it. Or if it's just questions. Yeah. And we are also be able to assist people over the phone as well, so we expect a lot of phone calls.

What's the date that he goes live online?

July 1 is when paid parking will go live in that parking lot.

It's a pay to register your vehicle and everything?

It would be June June 1.

June 1.

Yeah. Well, I guess, technically, June 2.

You'll be able to do that online?

Yes, sir. Mhmm. Yes, sir. Yeah. You don't have to come to the registration event to get registered. Yeah. We just wanna serve as an extra resource for people who might need the extra help.

And I'm assuming that they're gonna drive the registration the registrants to the website. Correct?

Yes, sir. Yeah. It has its own link that takes you directly to to the platform. K. And you register. It's it's relatively simple. Mean, it's it's not difficult. We were all able to test it. Yeah. We we've already tested it. We're just waiting on the access to, like, the back end of the process. Access We to that just yet. They're still building it out. Because once people register, we'll still have to confirm that they qualify, that they're residents. As a resident. Yeah. So that's how we we need access to the back end to be able to check each person.

So the sooner, the better if they're gonna be parking there in the summertime.

Right. Yeah. There's gonna be I don't know how long we said. Like, how much time between when they register and when we're I think that we I mean, it's, like, twenty four business hours. Yeah. So if someone applies on a Sunday, it's not gonna be immediate, but we'll be able to verify it and get it active on Monday as soon as we're back. But it's gonna be multiple people there. Public Works is actually bringing in a temp employee just specifically to help with this. So that's solely what they're gonna is approving all of those applications.

So the the public can register. They don't have to approve they don't have to submit a utility bill or anything like that?

They they can submit a variety of documents to verify. Probably. Yeah. Their address. And so driver's license is sufficient. If they have a student ID and, like, a lease, for example, then that would prove address. Similarly, if they have, like, the expanded library card and, like, utility bill or a lease or, you know, any any other thing that we just we would just need if it's not a driver's license, we would just need two forms or a government issued ID, I guess, I should say.

They can do that

online with that. Yes, sir. Yeah. Yeah.

Is that Charles Campbell and us review all that?

So it's a mixture of all of us. Yeah. So Charles is, but they're bringing on that temp employee to help Charles. Yes. Yeah. Because he's one person. But it's going to be, like, Charles, this temp, me, Jessica. I mean, it's gonna be a number of Tina for Yeah. This quarter, you got Charles to your point as one person. So yeah. Yeah. You know, he's been he's been invaluable to bringing this. Well, I I he's the parking professional that I appreciate his guidance throughout all this for sure. Couldn't have done it without it because I am not a parking professional.

Just out of

curiosity, there's not a

app out there, an AI app where you submit those and it's instant approval. Not through their platform. It's not. No. They don't offer that. Every everything that's not something they their platform currently offers. It would be great if it did, but it does not currently. And we're not you you did ask Derek about the QR code situation. We're not doing QR codes out there at all because you you referenced that, and a number of cities have seen an uptick in stamps because of that. And so we were able to, you know, mention, hey.

We're not wanting to put a QR code science in our parks. So appreciate bringing that up to make sure that we were thinking about that. So we did. Sends the QR code, and it is truly like a text, you know, thing. It's not a scan. I mean, either a text or call to get your license plate. So there's two ways to pay. There's either at the kiosk or you can do the text to pay. So there's two different options for visitors.

Not to pull this off subject, but real quickly, yeah, I know that there was discussion of putting those QR codes in our actual parks, like hiking trails.

And I

know that

Are we not gonna

So I know that SMGA is is doing that, and I've you know, I guess the way that they're doing it, it's I mean, they you basically have said, hey. Several years ago, I was kind of apprehensive to do that because of that reason. I'm not as concerned about this because it's not asking you for personal information.

I see.

So it brings up a map as opposed to asking you to enter your personal and payment information. So it is a little Consider that and figure out a new way to create engraved almost Yeah.

Yeah. They

they're It's gonna yeah. It's not just gonna be a sticker. So it's hard to put Right.

It's gonna be, like gonna

be scammers. They're putting a sticker over a sign Right. With their own QR code. But I think it's I think SMG has really considered that Yeah. And figured out a way to get it engraved somehow onto some material. I'm not really sure.

Yeah. Okay.

I remember us talking to about that. Yeah. We we definitely talked about that before.

It's It's actually gonna be chiseled in the stuff.

I think it's gonna be in in wood, I think.

Yeah. Yeah. I think it's like and it's, yeah, it's, like, engraved. I don't

I just wanna make sure that everybody was on the same page.

Yes. Yeah. Yeah. We we spoke definitely on the forefront of our minds. Yeah. Yeah. For sure.

Jordan, did you have any questions?

No. None at this time. No. Okay. Thank you.

Anybody else on on this item? Well, thank you. I know this is a long time coming, and it's been a lot of work. So is it Charles? Is that what you the guy's name?

Charles Campbell. Yes.

So is this really his program, or

is it yours? So it's a little bit of a mixed bag. Because it's going into a park, it's like, I'm the project manager on it. But over time, because it's paved parking, it will live under the parking Okay. Manager. But, yeah, right now, it's the first one that we've done. And so it's just, you know, I've had to drive the drive the train, and Charles was just kind of brought along for the ride. K. But yes.

Well, that's good to know. Alright. Well, if there's nothing else on this item, I guess we can move on to number three.

Yes. Receive a staff update and hold discussion regarding current parks and recreation projects. I'll go over the big ones. We've had our kickoff meeting with on the Kate Stan project. So we're currently continuing to get them all of the documents and information that they've requested from us.

Our city park playground contract is scheduled to go to council on June 3. Construction would be mid to late August, maybe. Pushing for later August. Not just they would just start kind of removing the old stuff and not really doing a lot because I told Penny, like, we need to wait till after Labor Day to start tearing things up.

Which project?

That is the city park playground improvements. Next big ones, obviously, you guys are we've already kinda spoken about the Eastside Regional Park and the Riverfront Parks plan. Those surveys are open. So we do have, you know, some information on our Facebook page that y'all are welcome to share as well to help get help us get the word out about those surveys. Yeah. From June 8. Yeah. June 8. They opened on May 8. The children's park security playground, the electrical is done, and we're just waiting on Michael Maddox to we're waiting on the air cards.

The air cards were coming from Great Britain. So, yeah, we I don't know why. But they're coming from Great Britain, and that's all we're missing. So once we get those air cards, then those cameras will be ready to rock and roll. Dumbart Park restrooms, if y'all driven by Dumbart or gone over there, you've seen some construction.

We have completed the sidewalk improvements. Some of most some of the flatwork, not all the flatwork, but the building is scheduled to arrive at the June. So that June right now is when it's scheduled to arrive, and it would be installed. So we had some wastewater water line pickups a few weeks ago, but we got all that worked out with our own departments. We didn't have to bring somebody else in, so that was great. We were worried about gravity flow and lack thereof. So we're worried we're gonna

have

to order a pump and all those things. So, thankfully, we were able to avoid all of that, and all of that infrastructure is good to go. We also were able to get that done before the mill and overlay of the street so we're not having to tear the street up to do it again. Yeah. So we we coordinate with Sunwoodworks to make sure that we were all in alignment with all of our projects so that we weren't having to go back and and fix a freaking street that just Right.

Yeah. Done. Victory Gardens Park and Swift Park, that construction on both of those will start kind of intermittently June 6 and then probably the week after. But both of those are community development block grant projects that we have to have done by June. So we'll have we'll be able to meet the federal deadlines easy peasy. Our contractor's ready to rock and roll. They're super swift. Quit the 10. Yeah. We yeah.

We've already everything's ready to rock and roll. They were actually wanting to possibly start, They're finishing up something at Hayes ISD right now or Hayes CISD, and then they'll we're wanting to start a little early. So I think they might even start maybe even next week. I don't know. But which would be great too.

And what what is the big change at Victor Gardens?

So with Victor Gardens, we're doing adding some additional shade structures, resurfacing the basketball court. Turf, we're adding the play turf. We're redoing that. Doing some ADA connections coming off of the parking lot and then doing ADA connections within the park to, like, play features and stuff. The playground equipment itself really isn't in it's not very old, so we're not really we're not replacing any playground equipment yet, but we are adding additional shade and water fountain and all of that, Jess.

Okay. Now all of our water fountains should be in this week. I haven't talked to Bert to see if they arrive today or not, but priority I told him was getting them into the riverfront parks, especially Rio. So, you know

Are they drinking water fountains?

Drinking water fountains. Yeah. Well, they're I mean, bottle fillers, but, yes, the

Oh, the bottle fillers.

Yeah. Bottle fillers, but, obviously, you can

drink ferment too.

But, yes, we we have been we ordered those probably six months ago. It's been a long And a lot of them. Yeah. We ordered one for a lot of parks, but I told him, let's get Riverfront Parks first and then take care of the bus because we need to replace others. Oh, he heard me. Here he is. Mr. Straumann, would you like to give an update on the water fountains?

Water fountains should be in Friday. Friday afternoon. And, Lauren?

I have a question on the water fountains.

Yes, sir.

Who changes the filters?

We do. Just about every six months.

Six months?

Yes, sir. They have filters? Yes.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah. Or when the freeze breaks them.

Yeah. Well, that's

We we we try to drain them to prevent the freeze from breaking, but sometimes they still have enough So

they have a shutoff on the drain.

Yes.

Thank you. Gonna ask a question, Darren?

I was just in technical what issue the bore had to on those shades, those brand new ones over there It's very nice. But has some it goes some little bit past well. Ain't a whole lot of shade left there. And I was just wondering if maybe we can orientate those, the ead a little bit, you know, more southeast, west, and maybe put a western side on them. It's just something just being there in all the forest.

That west side gets a little hot till that sun goes down. But it was a way to maybe Add more trees. A little bit. More trees or whatever. But, I mean so A little strategic landscape.

In in Swift Park, we took into consideration there's a active tree line that really provides a whole bunch of shade. So we were, you know, trying to get the best locations for shade structures that actually provide shade versus battling again having a shade structure that the that the trees were already providing shade for that. But we also know that those trees aren't gonna last forever, so we're probably gonna have to go back and add some more shade down the road when when those trees are are no longer there. But, you know, we're also trying to make best use of funds. So Anything?

Anybody else?

Thank you, Barry. You're welcome.

Oh, the the Sorry. The mods over there at Children's Park looks real good. Is this Yep. The I've seen about 14 kids testing out that new merry-go-round the other day. So Well Yeah.

We should we should be having the rest of the the zipline components to that coming in soon. We were expecting them last week, but they're delayed.

So We're getting zipline?

Well, we have it's a it's a it's like a zipline. Kids zipline.

Yeah. You sit on it.

Jump on it.

Of course, the adults like to sit on it too. Think that's why that's why we've been waiting for a new one. Yes.

Well, there's no weight limit on it. I'm not gonna lie. I've rode the heck out of that thing. I've bought it a bunch of them.

You know? Right. There is a

It's there's a sticker that says five to 12.

Alright. Derek's like, at heart at all.

At heart. I would know who to send the

bill to send. Alrighty. Thank you.

They can have it.

Exactly. Yeah. Terry,

we could leave that. Alright.

The Mill Street improvements, we're gonna submit that for the next round of CDBG community development block grant funding. We're finalizing that design, and we'll be bringing that to the board for y'all to review and, you know, ultimately have approved for us. Let us know if we need to make any modifications. Y'all have done that for us in the past, and it's been a while since we've brought any improvement projects to the board, so that'll be your next one. Then we will see I don't know if you'll see it in June or not.

It's a high probability. I think that that is pretty much oh, the Cottonwood Creek National Area Trail, our trail crew started flagging out there Tuesday, I think. I think they started flagging out there Tuesday. And they sent out an email to all of the folks that attended our community meeting with the neighborhood and as well as the HOA management so that they're all aware of the bills that they see flags and let us know if they have any questions or concerns kind of as we move that process along. So we will do that.

And we got our money approved for the activity center audio visual system. That money will become available to us in June. That's So a capital improvement project. Jessica's been working through the vendor evaluation process. She's met with a couple of vendors to make sure we're getting the best price and all of that. I think she's and you picked Do you wanna go Well, we're we're waiting on one of them to send the pricing. Okay. So we're still awaiting that. Regardless, we'll be ready to rock and roll once we get our CID stuff. Yep.

We started early enough for it. Once we get our funds, that way we're able to process those contracts, get them on council's agenda, get the equipment ordered, and hopefully have that installed in the fall. And so, obviously, if you've ever been to an event or meeting at the activity center, it's woah woahfully oh, were you there today?

No. The the debates.

Yeah. It's it's woahfully sad on the audio visual side. It's gonna be nice. So it's gonna be we bring have to bring in, you know, screens and actual project old projectors, you know, that sit on table tabletop projectors. And so it'll be much better. So we're excited to get those. I just need them. Hold on a little longer. Yeah. Yeah. We're we're technically, we're operating on a, like, frequency with with FCC. Like that, Adam. Yeah. Yeah. Well, it it's already in a published report Yeah. That we got from a design specialist. We we found that out we found that out a couple years ago. Yeah. We were unaware of it. That's what bumped it to the top of the list.

Yeah. So other than that, I'm happy to answer any questions. Or

Date on the zombie dogs out there?

Oh, the fox? That thing's Oh, that's so funny. Deceased. We haven't been able to the animal protection officers have gone out there pretty much every day. They cannot find hide nor hair of it.

TBWD has gone out there a couple of times, and they said that it from the time that it actually made contact with the hikers on Sunday evening, that from that moment that due to how it was described to them, they gave it probably seventy two hours from being killed by the disease, but one of the hikers was wearing steel toe boots and actually managed to connect with its head and had blood on their boot. So he has had blunt force trauma to his head.

Where was this?

Out of purgatory. Lower purgatory between where Beatrix runs into Dante. So I guess it's kind of like well, I guess, technically, it's closer to, like, Nimrod. So it was kind of that weird intersection where they all kind of converge, like, Beatrix, Rufeus, Don Stautus.

When did this happen?

It happened on Sunday. Wait. Why are you being? It's been in the news.

Sorry, dude. And then Monday morning was off. I I It

was a little

loop out there. Like, hey. Where was that at? A

a rabid fox attacked about four hikers, a mother and her son, and then a couple of other individuals that I don't know. But some of them were just scratched because they were trying to fend fight it off. Some were bitten. All have started rabies vaccinations. They started them immediately that evening. There was a Facebook post that said that there were seven or eight people. So our animal shelter manager has been trying to run down to make sure that nobody was not being treated if they made contact with the fox.

And you didn't find the fox?

We were not able to they looked everywhere.

There's a dead fox in my backyard.

Gotcha. So Where do you live?

Spring Lake Hills.

Well, it's not over there.

No. Here's what I was gonna say. Easter, I had a fox come at me.

Uh-huh. Right

after the Easter egg hunt, there was one that come at me, come about 10 feet. We ended up shooting it because it stayed right there, and it was

Oh, okay.

Next to the kids and

everything. Yeah.

And so we ended up shooting that one. There's another one and two more that have been found dead out there by Lime Kiln. Mhmm. And and you said you got a dead one?

Haven't seen it. My wife just called me today and told me about it.

Yeah. There's so apparently,

there's a

wildlife biologist that I spoke to. Apparently, Hays County is having a problem with rabid foxes Yeah. If rabies is spreading through fox communities. So they are I'm sorry? Weberly too. Yeah. Like, Hays County. Yeah. So what they said was that they're working with, I guess, some some other division of TPWD to actually do, like, a vaccination drop across Hays County. So I don't know what all that entails. But You

have kids out there just keep an eye on Don't let them

Yeah. Move too far away. Yeah. Would

you wanna have someone come get that one?

We you we can. Yeah.

If you

wanna test it or whatever.

Yeah. For sure. If you'll give me you don't have to give it on the air, obviously. But if you give me your address, I will text the animal shelter manager so that they can come and grab it.

Yeah.

I mean, it would be backyard, front yard. Do you know?

I've got green space back there. I mean, I haven't seen it. My wife just told me about it today, and

I don't know

if there's any left because it looks like the the birds got to it.

Oh, I see. But Okay.

I haven't checked it out.

They I think they really just send their head off. Yeah. They just send their head off. But the good news also, apparently, vultures have, just in case anybody's curious, I found this out too because I was worried. Apparently, vultures cannot contract rabies from eating a rabbit animal. They have some sort of intestinal digestive

For avian cockroaches. Yeah.

Yes, sir. Yes, sir. But I I asked because we were having, you know, avian flu go around with some vultures here in San Marcos, and so I was concerned about are we now gonna have rabid vultures? And they were like, no. That's not how it works. So was like, okay. Thank you for making rabid vultures. Sounds like a

you have a show on

that. Yeah.

Rabid vultures. That's that's something

And zombie dogs with In

10 episodes. Zombie dogs.

You're

right. Yeah. So so as far as we know, though, there's no more danger, at least to that particular fox. Obviously, we can't we don't know if there's any other rabid foxes out there. There's a fox that comes and visits our house, but he comes into us pretty swiftly. He seems happy and healthy. So anyway. But TBWD was also Yeah. Monitoring to see if they had any if they could identify any fox burrows around that area too because they were looking to see if they've had any kits. Yeah.

So

Zannette, is that they haven't found so they don't really know if that particular fox had rabies. The news

It's presumed that they is reporting that it has it. Correct. Yeah. They're presumed

I mean, that's the headline that's grabbed everything.

Correct. 100%. And the word that TPWD and our team were using was presumed rabbit because we obviously don't have a confirmed case until they test it. So they were hoping they were gonna find it, but they never did.

But they kinda said that the the behavior was consistent with

Yeah. They said that it was first, the wildlife biologist said, well, if there it was a a burrow near where they were walking and she had kits there that she could be it could be a protective behavior. So they met the people that were out there hiking out there. They showed them where they were. They examined the area, and so they were able to kind of remove that from the scenario because they didn't find any fox stems within that radius. So whenever they they kinda concluded it was presumed rabbit because it charged it chased them. So it's not

It's gonna say, considering you hardly ever see a fox in those being four dead in the last few weeks around here, that's pretty good sign that some are well five with yours.

Yeah. It's concerning. Yeah. For sure. Yeah. So, hopefully, TPWD is gonna get, you know, with Hays County and our local animal folks to do some sort of rabies drop or something, whatever that entails. Because, obviously, the last thing we need is more rabid animals.

Yeah. And I've seen that I've seen that guy. That was legit that morning. Mhmm. I've seen the zombie response vehicle Monday morning.

That was hilarious.

He said he said Zombie response vehicle. No kidding. Right next to me on 35 in Rent World Wonder World. And I was like or was it Tuesday morning?

Anyway. Anyway. Yeah.

And I was like, yeah. Right. Right. Rabies. So I was like, zombie dogs.

Tuesday morning, you said that. Funny.

Trying to tell everybody rabies. Zombie dog. Anyway, the control entry.

Yep. Well, we per so we were supposed to go to council on managed access on May 6. That got pushed to next Tuesday. So right now, our plan is that we are moving forward as if we have directions. So if this is if obviously, if city council changes their former direction, which was they were kind of okay with it back in September, If they change direction on Tuesday, then we will not be installing fences. If they are supportive of us moving forward with this kind of test, because that's essentially what it is. It's not it's not gonna be perfect. It is a Temporary? Temporary fences.

What are their concerns? Councils? Yeah. Did they voice any

They haven't really voiced any concerns yet. So they really didn't voice any concerns back in September that I can recall. Obviously, Optics is always gonna be probably one of those names, but I think that they were supportive of just trying to manage what people are bringing into the park and educating. The primary purpose of the whole exercise is to educate people before they enter the park to make sure that they don't have the charcoal, the glass, the Styrofoam Right. The alcohol, and they're not publicly displaying or consuming alcohol. Obviously, if they have alcohol in one of these, we we won't know about it.

Right.

But if they have cans and that kind of stuff, we're educating them on where those alcohol access points are, which there's only one inn over at City Park and the exit's out at Vista. So they have to go and take their alcohol there. They can float and then out at Rio. But right now, what the plan is for Memorial Day is that we will have those fences installed on Thursday, the twenty second. We have all of our park ambassadors went through training this week.

They did a fantastic training exercise. Shout out to the marshals, I mean, I left. To train them properly and make sure that they have proper deescalation training and that they feel empowered in being able to tell people no in situations. You know? I'm sorry. You can't have that. So we will make

Remember last year, we had a problem with our tongs that we've been

That has been remedied. If you you were over here, I don't know if you saw. We have bunch of radios. So we've worked with marshals to make sure that everybody's able to communicate. Additionally, everybody will have working city issued cell phones as well.

So if for some reason they aren't able to get back over here to get a new battery for their radio, their battery dies, they're able to utilize a cell phone to call a colleague who has a working radio. Worst case scenario, if they can't do that, they can call dispatch, nonemergency, get it dispatched that way too. So that that all has been remedied. We have new radios that have been ordered, so we have loaners right now from LCRA, which I was very grateful for. So we'll have those until our new ones get here and then long ago. So

So question. So this is we're talking about fencing for Memorial Day. Mhmm. You're making a presentation, or is it a a direction? Or

The assistant city manager, Rodney Gonzalez, is making the presentation.

Okay.

We are asking council for a couple of directions like, hey. Are y'all okay with us proceeding with the plan?

They talked about this before?

City council? Yeah. No, sir. Not since September.

Right.

They talked about it in September.

It was after which was around the time that we talked about it. Correct. End of season.

Correct. Yeah. They've received the

Rodney was here.

Yes. Same end of season report.

Is this an action discussion?

It'll be a presentation, and we'll be getting direction from council. So no no, like, no voting.

No formal action required.

Right. They can provide the city manager direction, and then the city manager directs us. So

So for the record, this this didn't I wouldn't say it didn't originate. I mean, we've talked about it, obviously. Yes. I managed access, but this discussion is it's not like we were it's not like we came up with a

formal recommendation. Right. Right. Right. Yeah. I mean, they y'all mentioned it when with the Rio Vista parking.

Right.

So it was part of that recommendation, which is why we kind of started to continue that conversation.

Managed parking

and managed access. Right. Absolutely.

What are we dispensing?

So it will be along Cheatham's I'm sorry. Centimeters Allen. We have that little dirt lot. I don't know if I can actually bring up the it's like let me see it right now. If there is a I can actually access it up. I can show you that.

A few.

Yeah. Just a little bit. Okay. Okay. So this is so this is obviously an old presentation.

Rodney has reworked this, so this is not what counsel is giving. I need to preface that. Let me go back and share my screen so that Jordan's able to see it. Okay. So this is the what we are proposing where we will have the flood control gates.

I don't know if y'all seen, like, the permanent flood control gates that have been installed at the ends of Cheatham. We needed them there anyway for flood events, but we're actually gonna be utilizing those to actually restrict vehicular access with the exception of ADA parking, specifically on holiday weekends. That is our current direction. I'm hoping that we might be able to extend that to weekends, but it will right now, our direction is for holiday weekends only as far as restricting the vehicular flow on Cheatham Street.

Do mean entirely?

Entirely. With the exception of, like I said, if someone's eight heads an ADA placard, they would be able to park over in this area. For this, this is gonna be something new. It will be put staff and public safety lot here only. Previously, it has been open to to everyone, but we actually had a great past us did future us a really good favor and actually reserved this pavilion out and blocked it out for any holiday weekend.

So no one except for city personnel will be accessing that pavilion with the exception of Juneteenth, I think. But, actually, on Juneteenth. It's not, like, that weekend. It is that Saturday. Okay. Well, we're not planning on doing that right now. That's not our direction. That wasn't on the list anymore. Yeah. So, anyhoo, so we won't have anyone, say, needing to get down here to set up for any parties or anything.

So this would be this is gonna be controlled by a park ambassador staff. Obviously, if it's staff, they have to show, you know, their badge or whatever. Our Easterseals contractor and then all of our public safety personnel will be in here. This will be the cue point. Obviously, there's gonna be multiple entry points. You see one over here. This is not fenced up here. This will just be personnel staged here to educate people as they're walking into the park. Same with anyone that's maybe has parked down at Raymond Lucio and have decided to walk up this direction. We'll have, you know, someone here to educate.

The red thing that you see is the fence. On holiday weekends, this area will be exit only from the river because this is a no zone, but it does get heavily congregated and trashed. So trying to limit just the amount of litter that we have there.

Excuse me. So when you say when you say no no go no zone

Yes, sir.

Nobody will be allowed in that area?

Well, the no zones are what were established as part of that single use beverage container. Okay. So you're not supposed to have your coolers and your tents and your single use beverages. Well, whenever we've gone down there to clean up on holiday weekends, it's packed full of water bottles, beer cans, Capri Suns, all the all the single use Still burning. Whole yeah. I mean, anything and everything.

So

That's nice because it will give you that opportunity to bounce back.

Correct. Yeah. I mean, all obviously, only on holiday weekends, so it'll be

We've had this set down for last year's holiday. Correct?

But not this. Yeah. Did. It's It's gonna take a big But we did have the Cheetah Street locked down. Yes, sir.

Yeah. We had our specifically fourth of July, we had our traffic personnel working barricades. Traffic personnel will be working these access gates for us for Memorial Day weekend. Then park ambassadors will be stationed everywhere else. And up up here at Children's Park, we'll have that closed off as well for access because what ends up happening is that once that those, like, 10 spots fill up, it is just an utter it's not safe because there's people walking, and the marshals asked us if we could just restrict vehicular access to it altogether because there was a bunch of there was a couple of pretty close calls last holiday weekends.

And they did pull that gate out to where people can't turn in and get stuck halfway on that driveway.

Is that a floodgate also?

Yes, sir. Yeah. There's already an existing floodgate there, but it was actually set now it was set further back here right before the creek sense anyway. So what would happen is during those heavy rain and this creek flood event, the water would already be in the road, and so, you know, traffic or our park crews were already waiting in water to even close it. So It needed to be moved.

To be clear real quick, for the most part, those red lines are where we're talk where the conversation is being had about putting a fence.

That is correct. Yes, sir. A temporary fence. It's a temporary chain link fence.

To try this out.

Yes, sir.

Explore this.

Yes, sir. That's correct. Double gates. Yeah. Those big swinging gates will be the the entry points.

Because there's already a fence going down

Yeah.

Parking.

Right. Yeah. There's UP Yeah. Already has a fence that goes along right here.

How many how many parking places are down there, brother?

They're not really established parking. Yeah. It's just people just it depends on how people park. It could be I mean, probably 20 maybe. It just depends on how how many people park there. It is. But we have a lot of staff that'll be working the parks too. So we hire we have a total of 20 park ambassadors now. City manager's office did allow us to hire 10 more specifically for this effort. Jessica and Eric Weeks, our discovery center managers, fired these people screaming fast. We got word on, like, a Thursday. They already had interviews set up that Friday. We had We have them set up that Friday. Afternoon.

How many of them are by

I don't A few. A few. A few. Yeah. A few. They equip them with key phrases, you know, on a piece of paper that they access. Yeah. But what we've what we've learned is that it's not always just Spanish that they're needing Correct. Yeah. There's all kinds of Or slangs. It could be. Yeah. Yeah. It's I mean, even our own fluent folks are having a hard time with the different dialects that they're having conversations with just because, you know, South American Spanish is kind of, I guess, is different.

And the if I can, the Riverside neighborhood, they Yes. Obviously, they're law law enforcement's gonna be aware of people parking there and all

that stuff. Sir. What what street what section of the streets did y'all have success with on that petition?

Well, it'd be all of the 900 blocks at Cheonfield and Sycamore. Okay. But that's not going to council yet.

Oh, it hasn't yet? Okay. So there's a part a portion of of Riverside that has gone to council for the Permit. Permit program. And then so Charlie's neighborhood is Rio Vista, and that's actually how we met. He came to one of our public meetings about the issues with the parking and overflow going to the Rio Vista and East Water. Okay.

So but, anyway, there's they're aware

of Yes, sir. Yeah. Yeah. And as a reminder, we're not hosting any baseball tournaments. So the parking on on holiday weekends has all been blacked out. So that parking will be available for Which it wasn't last year.

Right.

So but there was baseball tournaments on on both holiday weekends. So July 4. Was it just Yeah. We weren't able to blackout the event.

Okay.

Yes.

Is there any other questions about the fencing and this plan?

I won't. Will there be any temporary staff to support the marshals actually doing enforcement for people that don't listen to the ambassadors?

Yeah. So as far as I know, they did put out a contract or a solicitation for contract officers. There were no responses. So but what that allowed them to do was to open it up to our off duty personnel. My understanding is that there are members of SMPD and our fire marshals that have signed up to work off duty.

It does benefit us because they are our own staff. They are familiar with our community. They're familiar with our rules as opposed to bringing someone in from Bexar County that has no idea what San Marcos is like. So this does benefit us a lot. I have a meeting scheduled to find out more, so I'll update you because I know that's definitely something of interest. Because I I haven't been provided an update on exactly how many we're gonna have. Sure. Well, mean, this Yes, sir. That's what I'm hearing. And did it have they told you anymore about how the parking enforcement are they going to be out on some more? Yeah. Yes. Right. Yes. Yeah.

Park parking enforcement so parking enforce with having the parking enforcement personnel out, that would that allows the other law enforcement personnel to divert away from parking enforcement issues. So they can focus on. So they can focus on The areas. On the areas that we need.

We get our other board member back. That's

Gotcha. Yeah. I I can

see him.

Any other questions on this item?

I would just a recommendation. I would all this is to, you know, limit access and and educate. I would say that because I I noticed this quite a bit, but the and having those games on the weekends, that is a a positive at the river. That is never a negative, and those are those are

This is just holiday weekends.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

And those are

So what I'm saying is We should we should support that and even put a gate at that parking lot and make it where, hey. If you're coming to play baseball, we keep we reserve this for the baseball families. And and then as well as as you know, that would There it is. Like I said, that would that would

You just got some

promote that because, you know, I've been hearing a lot of you know, about this, and everybody talks about we need activities for kids in San Marcos. You go by Raymond Lucio almost every single night of the week, and there are kids out there playing ball. Like, it is probably, if not the number one activity for kids around here. It's very, very close. And for every night of the week, I mean, I go by there, lights are on, kids are playing ball.

Well, and and holiday weekends, those our season's over. So that the the tournaments are trouble. It's not our local kids. And, I mean, I could get with Scott to get data, but it's not gonna be they're coming from out of town.

Okay.

Five tools coming from San Antonio. They're coming from Dallas. They're coming it's not gonna be the majority of our local kids. My my kids don't play there at all during the summer. I mean, all stars, but they're practicing and they're playing the tournaments around other places. So the holiday weekends aren't

Saying though the the people that come to play baseball are are not the ones that are leaving the trash. They're not the ones doing their drugs. They're not the ones Yeah. Stabbing people. They're not the ones that are the problems in Rio Vista. So we should support the the youth sports instead of sandbagging them and putting the other people giving them more room. That's all I'm saying.

Yeah. I hear

I hear comments, oh, good. We're not playing baseball. Oh, good. We're taking another weekend away from

the teams. Well, I think we're talking, what, three three weekends this summer. Right? Memorial, July 4, and Labor Day.

Correct. But

I I I think your point's well taken, and I I I don't know of any way that we could say that San Marcos is not supportive of youth sports. I mean

Right.

But that being said

Well and and I'm saying that that wasn't an inter I

think we all agree that not

direction from city manager. The office direction from city managers on public safety Yeah. Because of the vast amount of people that it's

It was too much last year. Yeah. Just too much. Alright. Well, that's interesting. Thank you for the update. I think we'll probably put an agenda item for a recap after

this holiday our

next meeting.

I will be providing y'all an update on, obviously, Memorial Day weekend.

Yeah. You kept this updated last year.

I appreciate that.

Yeah. Just so everyone's aware of what how we survived.

I got one silly question quickly, and I don't wanna belabor it. And I and I ask it respectfully. Is there a process not to name a park after a person, but is there a process to just change the name of a park? Yes.

Yes. There there there is. So the the same policy, whether it's the name of a person or some general name, like, you know, Encanto Rio or something. Yeah. There is a process. So anyone, including staff, boards, you know, citizens Okay. Submit a letter to the city manager. The city manager then sends it to the board responsible for that facility or park, obviously, that would be this board, for review and recommendation. That recommendation would then, once vetted, would go to city council, and city council is also

So it has to start at the city manager's office?

That's per the policy. It's a written request that's sent to the city manager, and it's disseminated down for staff to send to the board.

That's to rename a current park.

That's to rename a current park. Name a yeah. Yes. To rename a current park facility whenever we did the Pauline Espinosa Community Hall renaming was actually a little different because it was a direction from city council to staff to do. So we opened it up to the community to actually accept those nominations, then we brought it to the board. Anyway, so so, yes, I can send out that policy.

Yeah. I mean You

need it.

It's just a it's a thought for a future discussion, but not person's name.

Sure.

I'm going there.

Did have one quick question about some projects listed. Okay? Yes, Never go there.

The

there's the east side plan and reverse park design plan. That's both the master planning effort. Right?

That's correct. Yes, sir.

So it says running concurrent. So was that being done is it one deliverable, or is it two separate?

Two different deliverables. But one firm doing Correct.

Yes, sir. Same schedule?

Correct. Yes, Yeah. The reason being that in the Riverfront Parks plan, whenever we started this effort back in '22 and even in our master plan, there were comments received in the master plan that were called that people rose to the top to relocate specific amenities out of the riverfront parks. Whenever we finish this, the majority of that first round of well, all of the public engagement in '22, we have a draft plan, and all of those things rose to the top in '22. And I have I didn't wanna bring it to the council because I had no recommendations on where we could go.

We started acquiring Quill Creek about that same time. I appreciate that. You you kinda gave me that understanding last time. Yeah.

Could you would you be

able to share a copy of them and address

any questions I have?

Of course. Yeah.

That's what the scope of work

is. Sure. Thank you.

Well, Jordan, did you have anything to finish up on?

No. I don't have I don't have anything. Nope.

Thank you. Thank you for sticking through the whole meeting. Well, I hope this worked out well, I I guess, in an effort to kinda

To make it.

Stay right around our deadline by the now.

Boom. If it's okay.

Hopefully, everybody got their questions. And if there's any more, I'm sure this case will be more than happy to to address it, or we can put it on the agenda again for the for the following meeting. So with that, if it's okay, I'll move to our final item, which is questions and answers with press and public. Seeing no press or public, I will go ahead and declare us adjourned.

You're adjourned? Mister Chance.

Okay. Thank you, guys. Yeah. Thank you all.