What To Watch For During Tonight’s San Marcos City Council Meeting

One item on the list of rules also mentions that the board would like the city council to put forth a citywide ban on Styrofoam from all San Marcos restaurants and food distributors.

Below are four items from tonight’s council meeting agenda to watch, along with a list of spending items included below.

• Watch List Consent Agenda Item 5

Agenda Item 5 covers the new rules the San Marcos Parks & Rec Board are recommending to city council tonight.

There have been rumors and talk about what the San Marcos Parks & Rec Board will recommend to council and what the council will pass.

During the last year, the Parks & Rec Board has mentioned in several meetings instituting parking fees and San Marcos River user fees, and during the parks board power point they presented to council on the February 21 city council meeting (view the council meeting video HERE), the power point mentioned both of these new fees.

In the power point, the parking fees were listed under short-term items and the user fees were under long-term items.

Additionally, several city council members have come out and stated they would not vote for “user fees for residents.”

One item on the list of rules also mentions that the board would like the city council to put forth a citywide ban on Styrofoam from all San Marcos restaurants and food distributors.

The full list of 21 recommended park rules are listed below.

• Watch List Non-Consent Agenda Items 17, 22 and 23

Item 17 consists of the city council requesting the firm they hired, Strategic Government Resources, to recruit candidates for the vacated city manager position, to hire an interim city manager until council can fill this position permanently.

The meeting packet states the city will be hiring an Interim City Manager (not a current city employee) from Strategic Government Sources at a cost of $5,626.80 per week.

According to information from the Austin Statesman, recent City Manager Jared Miller was earning $190,274 per year or $3659.11 per week. (Additional information on this item under Tonight’s Spending below.)

Item 22 was requested by Council Member’s Hughson and Mihalkanin to discuss the city’s current Alcohol CUPs (Conditional Use Permits).

This item also floats the idea on creating a new sub-committee for Alcohol CUPs.

Currently, the Planning & Zoning commission handles the approval process for these Conditional Use Permits. This item does not have additional information or background in the meeting packet.

Item 23 was also requested by Council Member’s Hughson and Mihalkanin to discuss “contracted service of program and support for entrepreneurs and local small businesses,” which we are not sure what programs they are referring to.

As with Item 22, this item does not have additional information or background in the meeting packet.

• Official Language, details and additional information on the Items listed above

Below you will find the new park rules for tonight’s meeting and the agenda language for the Watch Items 5, 17, 22, and 23 and the full list and total amount of spending discussed in tonight’s meeting.

Agenda Item 5: New Park Rules

1. Disruptive Conduct: Added the 30 feet rule on Noise
2. Motor Vehicles: No parking on grass and prohibiting semi truck parking
3. Alcohol: This removes the mandatory warning provision.
4. Glass: Bans all glass containers, not just beverage containers.
5. Smoking and Chewing Tobacco: Modifies rule to include “Smokeless Tobacco” on any playground or athletic field.
6. Animals: Prohibit animals from the playgrounds, athletic fields and cemetery.
7. Grills: Prohibits Charcoal grills and smokers, except by event permit.
8. Styrofoam: Modifies current ban of all Styrofoam, to just coolers, ice chests and dock supports and it now would include Blanco River.
9. Styrofoam Citywide Ban: The Styrofoam ban should originate against the retailers who sell food and beverages who distributes their products in Styrofoam citywide.
10. Littering: Adds a rule for littering.
11. Skateboards: Allows enforcement of the current signage, “skate boards prohibited” in certain areas.
12. Recycling Theft: Removing items from an approved recycling container creates theft from the city.
13. Spears Fishing: Clean up the language in this section.
14. Park Speed Limit: Establishes a maximum speed on park roads and lots to 15mph.
15. Lids on Containers: This section is intended to prevent spillage of items contained in tubes, kayaks, paddle boards and canoes in the event they tip or flip over.
16. Weapons: This section is completely overhauled. The original section banned most guns and now that subject is covered by state.
17. Curfew: All events inside park buildings end at the existing park curfew of 11PM.
18. Authority: Updates the authority of the Rangers to enforce laws and codes.
19. Paid parking for non-residents: Year round metered or kiosk paid parking on perimeter space such as CM Allen and Cheatham.
20. Miscellaneous: Several changes to clarify the existing rules and to add several that will protect the park resources and infrastructure.
21. Prohibited Items:

• One shade tent per picnic table.
• One propane only grill per picnic table.
• No hammocks, tents, shelters, tables or grills between the sidewalk or path and the river. No hammocks, tents, tarps, shelters, table or grills in the river bottom.
• Loading and unloading only in designated areas.

Item 17: Consider approval of Resolution 2017-52R, approving an agreement with Strategic Government Resources for the provision of an Interim City Manager in accordance with the attached agreement; authorizing the Mayor to execute the agreement with Strategic Government Resources; appointing an Interim City Manager; and declaring an effective date.

Item 22: Hold discussion regarding Alcohol Conditional Use Permit’s (CUPs), including but not limited to, the creation of a subcommittee, and provide direction to Staff. Brought by Mayor Pro Tem Hughson and Council Member Mihalkanin

Item 23: Hold discussion regarding contracted service of program and support for entrepreneurs and local small businesses, and provide direction to Staff. Brought by Mayor Pro Tem Hughson and Council Member Mihalkanin.

A list of spending totals and explanation of those items.

Consent Agenda Spending

• Item 7: $900 – New Parking Rule Signage
• Item 8: $900 – New Parking Rule Signage
• Item 9: $700,000 – Street Overlay (Maintenance Contract for the purchase of asphalt to overlay selected streets determined by an as needed Ride Matrix.)
• Item 10: $56,705 – Mini Excavator Purchase (for Public Services & Transportation Department)
• Item 11: $12,500 WIC (Women, Infants and Children)
• Item 12: $145,200 – Cemetery Maintenance Contract
• Item 13: $40,980 – Rodent Resistant Trash and Recycling Containers
• Item 14: 16,582 – Grant request from Office of the Governor, Criminal Justice Division (not included in total)
• Item 14: $5,000 – Donation; Matching Funds for Grant, from the Lion’s Club (not included in total)

Consent Agenda Total Spending :  $957,185

Non-Consent Agenda Spending

• Item 15: $275,000 – United Healthcare Stop-Loss Coverage for employee healthcare
• Item 17: $5,626.80 Per Week – Hiring New Interim City Manager *Estimated Total Cost of   $37,386

*Note: For Item 17, the estimation of cost for the Interim City Manager, we used the cost difference between the last city manager and the expected duration to recruit and hire. The amount of weeks used equal the national average of 19 weeks plus time for contract negotiation and relocation of the individual. As a result, the estimated additional cost will be $37,386.

Non-Consent Agenda Spending Total:  $312,386

Tonight’s Consent & Non-Consent Agenda Spending Total: $1,269,571

To read the tonight’s full agenda click here, and to read the meeting packet click here.