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The start date for a new seasonal managed access fee for out-of-town visitors to Rio Vista Park, approved by the San Marcos City Council on April 7, has been delayed until late June.
The overview
The city will implement a $5 daily access fee for nonresident visitors looking to enter Rio Vista Park on weekends and holidays this summer, according to previous Community Impact reporting.
Community members residing within at least one of the following areas will be exempt from the fee:
The city originally intended to require the fee on 36 designated days this summer, beginning May 22. The start date was pushed back to June 20, leaving 27 designated days of fee collection, according to a San Marcos news release.
The managed access fee was instituted to create a revenue source for the city, according to agenda documents. Funds collected through the fee are intended to offset $508,568.72 in summer operations costs currently covered by the city’s General Fund.
Visitors can pay the fee online or in person at designated Parks and Recreation facilities, according to the news release.
Diving deeper
Local area participants living in one of the three fee-exempt areas can register with the city online to receive a Resident River Pass, according to previous Community Impact reporting. The pass will be available digitally, as a printed copy or as a reusable wristband.
Wristbands must be requested online and picked up in person at the Parks and Recreation office, located at 401 E. Hopkins St., San Marcos.
While the bands will come at no cost to residents with a maximum number of five per household, the city will charge $5 for replacement bands, according to the news release.
Residents must provide proof of access fee exemption eligibility. Valid forms of proof include:
Also of note
In addition to the managed-access fee for out-of-town visitors, the city of San Marcos has installed fencing at Rio Vista Park along CM Allen Parkway to assist in management efforts, according to a San Marcos social media post.
