Ashley Kontnier
WIMBERLEY — At its regular meeting, held Thursday, Oct. 15, Wimberley City Council heard annual reports from the Tourism and Parks directors.
Tourism
Tourism director Michele Woods began her presentation by going over numbers from fiscal year 2025-26, which included a total net revenue of $854,000, an increase of approximately $157,000, or 23%, from the previous year.
“What’s really interesting and kind of complex about that is that that reflects not only some increased tourism performance, but there was also some really intentional work that we were doing all year long kind of behind the scenes to improve how we’re both collecting that revenue and then, also retaining it,” Woods explained.
At the beginning of 2026, she continued, the department set out to look at the city’s hotel occupancy tax (HOT) accounts to understand each one, identify which ones were behind and figure out how to help them come into compliance.
As a result of those efforts, approximately $40,000 in back taxes were collected, while an additional $100,000 has been tagged as outstanding. They are working with the city attorney on the collections for the overdue accounts.
A renegotiation of the department’s contract with HdL Companies netted a decrease from approximately $144,000 last year to about $56,000 this year, for which council congratulated them.
On the marketing side, Tourism’s Stars, Stripes and Wimberley Nights program led the net HOT revenue for both July and August to increase approximately 27%.
Building onto the traditions built from the past few years is the goal for the upcoming Hometown Holidays, said Woods. Some additions to the event are the Great Wimberley Reindeer Trail, which will include 13 different 6- to 7-foot lighted deer spread around town and have a scavenger hunt with it, and Ben the Longhorn, who will join Texan Santa downtown Saturday, Dec. 19.
Finally, they will be bringing back the New Year’s Eve ball drop, following its success last year.
“We will still have the ball; we’re not going to have a boot to drop yet, but that is in the plans,” she stated.
In 2027, priorities include:
Implementing Placer.ai
Improving visitor experience
Increasing HOT compliance
“Before I wrap up, I do want to take a second and just recognize [visitors services coordinator Gabrielle Snyder.] Our office, especially in looking back at this, has been able to get a lot done this year and there’s no doubt it could not have been done without her,” Woods concluded. “So, I just want to thank you.”
Parks
Parks director Erica Flocke shared the department’s annual report, citing 145 acres of parkland managed, an average of 65,000 swimmers per year and more than 60 annual programs and events under its purview.
There are eight locations with public parkland in the city limits, including:
Blue Hole Regional Park
Cypress Creek Nature Preserve
Martha Knies Community Park
Oak Park & Welcome Center
Old Baldy Park
Patsy Glenn Refuge
Sunrise Park
Wimberley Community Center
Parks staff is broken down among four managers: Isabella St. John, operations; Rachel Littleton, programs; Bryce Burkhalter, maintenance/natural resources; and Samantha Engemoen, community center. In addition to managers, there are 10 year-round employees and 21 seasonal employees.
“I can’t talk about anything in this department without talking about the people that run it because I’m just one face in this department and these are the people that are running everything in this department,” said Flocke.
In regard to actual park operations, while the total number of half-day passes sold was down 1% from FY 2025, income generated from those passes increased 39.6% to a total of $851,442, due to a price increase on them.
Additionally, 402 seasonal passes were sold, generating $46,244, and merchandise sales garnered $45,729. Currently, merchandise is only available in person, however the department has seen an increase in requests for online availability, which Flocke said she is looking into.
Another positive change over the previous season is that there were only 10 swim slots cancelled, due to weather, and there were no closures related to water level.
While the majority of visitors to Blue Hole Regional Park come from South Austin, the park saw visitors from at least 47 different countries during the fiscal year.
For programs and events, the department had nearly 4,000 total program participant bookings for the year. This includes everyone who signed up for an event on the website; however, some events, such as BOO! Hole Halloween, do not require signup, so those numbers are not included.
Enrollment was down at both the Blue Hole Nature Camp and Wimberley Summer Camp, at 86% full and 47% full, respectively. The Spring Break Camp was 100% full, but only served 20 children.
With only three employees, the maintenance/natural spaces department was spread thin, but still managed to complete numerous projects over the course of the year, including, but not limited to:
Repaired Old Baldy steps
Designed, built and installed more than 50 trail signs
Installed stage at Oak Park
Replaced drinking fountains at Blue Hole
Conducted E. coli testing and monitored water levels at Blue Hole throughout summer
Removed playground at Martha Knies Community Park in preparation for new playground
There were also numerous upgrades and repairs made at the Wimberley Community Center, including: senior lounge kitchen renovation, restroom plumbing repairs, baby-changing stations added, fire system repairs, HVAC repairs and more.
Revenue for the parks department came in higher than expected, at $1,167,625, while expenses came in lower than anticipated, at $841,115.
While expenses for the community center itself came in slightly under budget,at $238,759, so did the revenue, at $72,731, rather than the $85,000 budgeted. The $166,000 loss was made up by the parks budget.
The department is not without its challenges, some of which include operational challenges, such as limited revenue generation, competition with free public spaces and aging infrastructure at the community center. Additionally, high visitation at parks is resulting in maintenance, restrooms and infrastructure struggles, said Flocke, especially on busy weekends with limited staff.
Looking ahead to FY 2027, Flocke anticipates suggestions from a recently-created Community Center Evaluation Committee, which has been tasked with deciding how to improve revenue and what the future of the facility should look like. She is also anticipating the completion of the Aquatics Feasibility Study, which will soon come back to council, and the new playground at Martha Knies Community Park in November.
No action was taken, as both reports were intended to only provide updates to council.
Wimberley City Council will meet next Thursday, Nov. 5.
