Rio Grande City’s Parks and Recreation department reported heavy participation in spring sports leagues, incremental field upgrades and short-term opening plans for Fort Ringgold.

Parks Director (reported at the meeting) told commissioners the department fabricated and installed three soccer goals and two backstops in-house, saving the city thousands of dollars; the department said the same work would have cost $4,000–$5,000 for the goals and about $10,000 for backstops if purchased or contracted. The department also replaced a water hydrant in Fort Ringgold to support irrigation and expects to have the park ready in about a month for use during Easter weekend.

League participation is strong: the department reported more than 47 Pony teams with over 500 participants, and more than 200 basketball players on 25 teams. Volleyball and track registrations are opening soon; track registration will start April 1 with high‑school coach Joe Ramirez helping lead the program. Parks staff also said they are planning a community 5K (and a separate 2K for younger participants) with a proposed route from the kiosk to Fort Ringgold and back; TxDOT granted preliminary approval for closing half of Main Street and the department will submit a formal application.

Staff described strategy to reduce costs by doing fabrication and small repairs in-house where possible, praising in-house welding and mechanics that have cut vendor costs. Commissioners and staff discussed staffing and overtime: directors said overtime is an important short‑term expense for covering expanded programming and suggested the program’s registration revenue should offset costs in coming budget cycles.

Ending

Parks staff will return with exact dates, final route permits for the 5K/2K and a schedule for Fort Ringgold’s reopening. Commissioners encouraged broader publicity once final dates and park‑opening details are confirmed.