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Major changes are coming to San Marcos, Buda and Kyle after city councils voted on a new tourist fee, major development project and community assistance program.
Catch up on three government updates from the cities.
1. What to know about Rio Vista Park’s new seasonal access fee
Out-of-town visitors hoping to use Rio Vista Park for kayaking, swimming, sunbathing or tubing this summer will be required to pay a managed access fee after the San Marcos City Council approved an ordinance April 7.
What you need to know
From Memorial Day through Labor Day, on weekends and holidays, non-local area participants will pay a $5 daily fee for access to Rio Vista Park.
Those exempt from the fee include individuals residing within at least one of the following areas:
Locals can register with the city to receive a Resident River Pass for free river access.
2. Buda grants $10.29M contract for new sewer pipeline
Buda approved a project that will increase access to the capabilities of the wastewater treatment plant. The City Council granted a $10.29 million contract for the construction of an effluent force main to a new water discharge point at a March 24 meeting.
The project will complement a 2022 wastewater treatment plant expansion.
The snapshot
The Sunfield Effluent Force Main Project features the construction of an approximately 18,000-linear-foot-long gravity sewer pipeline from the wastewater treatment plant to a discharge location in the Sunfield Municipal Utility District.
MA Smith Contracting Co. Construction is expected to begin work in May and finish sometime between March 2027 and May 2027.
3. Kyle approves $30K financial assistance pilot program for utilities
Kyle residents experiencing financial struggles may soon be able to receive relief for utility costs from the city. The City Council approved a Utility Customer Assistance Program—a six-month pilot program—on April 7.
What’s happening?
The UCAP provides active residential city of Kyle utility customers with targeted, temporary financial support for essential water, wastewater, solid waste and storm drainage services, according to agenda documents.
The program is not a citywide rate-reduction program. UCAP assistance is applied as capped bill credits rather than uncapped bill forgiveness.
The pilot program will be funded by the city’s Water and Wastewater Fund and capped at $30,000 for total assistance.
