San Marcos City Council Holds Discussion Regarding Mermaid Parade In-Kind Funding

By, Terra Rivers, Managing Editor

The San Marcos City Council held a discussion and provided direction to staff regarding mermaid parade in-kind funding options.

City Manager Bert Lumbreras broke down the information in the memo he provided to council members regarding the potential in-kind costs the city council consider.

A breakdown of the costs is listed below:

• Waive use of city space or site such as hanging street banners
  • Value = $1,200
• City provide barricades and allot one supervisor with overtime costs to help supervise/manage volunteers
  • Value = $2,000

A breakdown of the costs the city will waive is listed below:

• Waive City Permit Fees
  • Value = $40
• COSM Police
  • Value = $3,000

Lumbreras noted that the $15,000 projection for barricades rental and placement was the mermaid parade organizer’s estimated cost of hiring a contractor to place the barricades as well as renting them.

Lumbreras said the city did allow organizers to put up their own barricades a few years ago for several events, but the arrangement “did not work very well. I don’t think it was in the city’s or the public’s best interest to continue to allow something that would not go without supervision to ensure it got done.”

Council Member Melissa Derrick said she had asked to put the item on the agenda because the city had started to discuss establishing a policy for city-sponsored events in town after the last mermaid parade and aqua festival.

“The problem was that our agendas were so busy that we just didn’t get around to doing it,” Derrick said. “The [mermaid parade] was the catalyst for us even doing it, and it took us so long to do it that it didn’t allow for the mermaid parade to apply for that in-kind funding. I really felt that the parade that paved the way for it really shouldn’t be left out of it this year.”

Council directed staff to move forward with the in-kind funding for the mermaid parade as outlined in the city manager’s memo.