Marble Falls City Council approved an ordinance to impose a partial ban on smoking and vaping within all city parks during its first meeting of 2026.
The council convened 6 p.m. Jan. 6 at city hall, 800 Third St.
After 30 minutes of discussion, the council voted 5-1 to prohibit smoking and vaping in all city parks “except in designated smoking areas.”
Section 15-31 of the ordinance stipulates exceptions to the ban would include an area approved in writing by the Parks and Recreation director as a designated outdoor smoking area, which does not interfere with other park activities.
What spaces will be recognized a designated area is yet to be determined; Parks and Recreation Director Lacey Dingman told Highlander.
Mayor Pro-tem Craig Magerkurth, council members Richard Westerman, Lauren Haltom, Dee Haddock and Griff Morris voted for the ordinance.
Mayor John Packer voted against; council member Karlee Hubble was absent. Mayor Packer stated that he was “… not in favor of a complete ban but would support prohibiting smoking during special events or events with a specified minimum number of attendees.”
No public attendee at the meeting stepped forward to address the council about smoking or vaping. However, prior to the meeting, online browsers could find a barrage of social media vitriol against a total ban on smoking and vaping in parks.
Burnet County resident Kimberley Whitlock Green wrote: “I’m not a smoker and even I think this is ridiculous.”
Spicewood native Brad Jackson added, “That’s stupid ! Would you rather them do it indoors . It’s as stupid as wearing a mask outdoors.”
Round Mountain resident Debbie Watson expressed concern about visiting Marble Falls parks should a ban be passed.
“They do it I WILL NOT be going. I am going to smoke,” Watson stated.
Cindy Shuffield Archer also commented. “I am not a fan of smoking or vaping, but that is not even feasible,” she said. “The police have more to deal with than catching smokers.”
According to the approved ordinance, violators could pay a fine up to $500 if they smoke outside of a designated area.
Also, smoking is defined as inhaling, exhaling, burning or carrying any heated or lighted cigar, cigarette, pipe, hookah or other lighted tobacco or plant product intended for inhalation.
Vaping means the use of an electronic cigarette or any other device that creates an aerosol or vapor for inhalation, whether or not it contains nicotine.
City parks include all Marble Falls public park spaces, ball fields, buildings, open spaces, parking spaces, pavilions, playgrounds, rest rooms and trails.
Moreover, the nosmoke, no-vape rule does not apply to private property.
Bee Cave Dispatch During the same session, council members approved an agreement to extend dispatch communication services to Bee Cave police in Travis County through the Highland Lakes Regional Emergency Communications Center (HLRECC).
The agreement calls for Bee Cave officials to submit an annual membership fee of more than $382,000, along with an impact fee of more than $280,000 to cover the cost of equipment, staffing and other needs tied to expanding HLRECC operations.
All that would be worth it, Bee Cave City Manager Julie Oakley told the council.
“The city of Bee Cave is looking for a more stable environment,” Oakley said.
HLRECC currently manages dispatch operations for agencies across Burnet County, including Marble Falls, Burnet, Cottonwood Shores, Granite Shoals, Horseshoe Bay and Spicewood.
“It (the agreement) will lower costs for all (agencies affiliated with the center),” HLRECC Director Stacy Marberry told the council.
Furthermore, the agreement will not incur layoffs amongst any HLRECC employees, Marberry told The Highlander.
According to city officials, the agreement goes into effect no later than Oct. 1.
During his update for the council, Assistant Fire Chief/Fire Marshal Coy Guenter reported Marble Falls Fire Rescue units completed more than 3,000 hours of training last year, as well as 264 inspections.
Also last year, the units handled more than 2,700 calls at an average response time of six minutes, 54 seconds.
“We are running big city numbers in a small town,” Guenter said. “We are busy.”
Frontier Communications Vice President David Russell told council members his company aims to provide more than 4,000 homes in Marble Falls with high-speed fiber-optic computer network service by the end of 2026.
Eventually, Russell predicted, high-quality fiber-optic network wire systems could replace conventional copperwire computer setups.
“It (fiber-optic) is the fastest form of communication that will ever be,” Russell said.
Also during the meeting, the council recognized Municipal Court Deputy Clerk Linda Burks as the city Employee of the Quarter and HLRECC Communications Supervisor Melanie Boucher for Servant Leadership.
During the consent agenda, the council:
• Appointed Michele Loper to the Capital Improvement Plan Committee;
• Appointed Darlene Oostermeyer and Jamee Lynn Smith to the Hotel Motel Tax Advisory Committee;
• Appointed Michele Loper to the Parks and Recreation Committee;
• Appointed Max-Anne Jones, Darlene Oostermeyer and Bailey Vercher to the Planning and Zoning Commission; • Appointed Kyle Stripling as chairwoman of the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) No. 1 Board and Teresa Carosella, Bob Weis and Richard Westerman to serve as TIRZ No. 1 board members;
• Appointed Jim Cesdario, Michele Loper and Thomas Oostermeyer to the Zoning Board of Adjustment;
• Approved a resolution to reimburse prior expenditures related to the AXS Radio Console Project from the proceeds of future debt obligations; and
• Approved 2025 Investment Reports.
Marble Falls City Council regular meetings are the first and third Tuesday of each month.
Associate Editor Connie Swinney contributed to this report.
