Communication, traffic, parks top Marble Falls priorities in 2023-24
Mayor Dave Rhodes listed his priorities for the city during a workshop for the Marble Falls City Council and city employees on June 20. Staff photo by Nathan Bush
Better communication with the public is a top goal for the city of Marble Falls in 2023-24, along with improving traffic connectivity, investing in the city’s parks system, and managing growth and development. The City Council discussed key priorities during a workshop on Tuesday, June 20, before its regular meeting.
Ensuring residents are in the know at all stages is important, Mayor Dave Rhodes said.
“The only time people get a handle on what we do is after we did it,” he said. “The more we can get in front of those kinds of things, the better.”
Rhodes said the most difficult priority might be traffic — “We all know that’s a challenge” — while sidewalks would be a worthy investment.
“When we put them in, they get utilized tremendously,” he said. “Our hike-and-bike trails and Mormon Mill Road are two great examples of that.”
The city will also continue to invest in its parks system after years of improvements to its green spaces and the establishment of new recreational leagues and kids’ camps.
“We’ve called out the (Parks and Recreation Department) folks on a couple of occasions because it’s phenomenal what they do,” Rhodes said. “I have three grandsons. I am directly connected to it. I see it, I watch it, I listen to the parents, and they are nothing but complimentary about what (parks employees) do.”
The city hopes to expand its leisure offerings by using one of its largest resources: Lake Marble Falls.
“It’s probably the most un-utilized asset that we have,” Rhodes said. “It’s sitting here, right here, and it’s probably the biggest one we have. It’s not that we want to overuse, per se, but it’s an attraction.”
Retaining a small-town feel was also discussed during the workshop as well as at a city candidates’ forum hosted by DailyTrib.com in April.
“There’s no secret to anyone that almost all of our development is south of the lake,” Rhodes said. “I don’t want to say I’m concerned, that wouldn’t be true. I think we have to make an effort upfront to make sure we don’t end up with a north Marble Falls and a south Marble Falls.”
Following the breakdown from Rhodes, councilors and city staff broke into small groups to brainstorm methods to accomplish Marble Falls’ outlined goals.
1 thought on “Communication, traffic, parks top Marble Falls priorities in 2023-24”
Comments are closed.
I did not find anything about traffic. That is becoming a major concern for all of us.