San Marcos moves ahead with ‘can ban’ for river, parks
San Marcos is moving ahead with a ban on single-use beverage containers in the San Marcos River and riverfront parks, set to take effect May 1.
The San Marcos City Council this week gave preliminary approval to an ordinance that will also limit the size of coolers in the San Marcos River and create zones where the containers are and are not allowed in certain parks.
The city will ban only disposable beverage containers — such as cans, bottles and cups — but will allow other single-use containers, such as plastic bags or food packages. Alcoholic beverages with a volume of five fluid ounces or less, such as Jello shots, will also be banned in both the waterway and parks, although alcohol is already prohibited in the parks.
San Marcos, which has 120 acres of riverfront parks, will erect signs to mark areas where containers are not allowed, or “no zones.” If there are no signs in an area, it will be considered a “go zone” with no restrictions. Areas closest to the river will be designated “no zones,” in an effort to create a buffer and prevent litter from entering the waterway,
while areas with picnic tables, pavilions and other gathering places are likely to be “go zones,” according to the city.
The council’s decision follows discussion over how to ensure families can continue to use the parks for picnics and parties. Some council members have emphasized that parks are among the only free spaces for people to hold gatherings, and they said a
broader ordinance banning all single-use containers would take away that option.
Parks and Recreation Director Jamie Lee Case said Children’s Park, a popular gathering spot for school groups visiting San Marcos, will be entirely a “go zone,” as will Ramon Lucio Park, which has baseball and softball fields and a concession stand. Other areas exempt from the ban will
likely include much of Plaza Park, where the city hosts events and summer concerts, and parts of City Park with picnic tables and basketball courts.
Cooler sizes will be limited to 30 quarts or less “on or in the portions of the public waterway that lie within city park property.” There will be no limits on the size of coolers in the parks.
The council voted 6-0, with member Mark Gleason absent, to approve the ordinance on first reading. The council will have to approve it again on a second reading for it to take effect, and several said they expect to have some amendments to the measure before final approval.
Mayor Jane Hughson asked staff to modify language to ensure that people participating in a river cleanup aren’t cited for violations.
Case said there will be an “education period” for the first year. From May 1 through next April, there will be no citations issued for violations of the ordinance.
The move brings San Marcos closer to matching New Braunfels’ single-use container ban, though the Hays County city’s proposal is less stringent than the rules in place on the Comal and Guadalupe rivers. The Comal County city bans all disposable containers on the rivers within city limits.
San Marcos’ decision to tighten the rules comes as the city is seeing bigger crowds in its parks and with that, more litter. Case previously told council members that conservation crews removed more than 1,500 cubic feet of trash from the river just in July, along with 288 cubic feet of trash from the parks. She said the city is spending $191,000 on litter abatement during the summer.