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City Council Meeting Minutes June 2, 2020 maintenance of the park. Rebuilding the dam will be costly, and the county or city will have to maintain and repair it after each flood. We are currently seeing this at Rio Vista. We think these details need to be addressed. * We also want to have the county's position clarified should US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Army Corps of Engineers recommend removing the dam. It is not clear if the county still wants to be involved in developing this park or if it is contingent on having the dam rebuilt. • It was stated multiple times in the work session with the county last year that USFWS was unsuccessful in getting a permit to remove the dam. This is simply untrue. What actually occurred was that the deadline passed to use the grant funds. Those same USFWS grant funds could be applied for again. Why is Capes Dam Different than Other dams on the San Marcos River? We get this question a lot. Not all dams divert water in such large amounts as Cape's Dam. •There is approximately 3500 feet of natural river channel that has less water flowing in it because of the diversion to the mill race, starting at Capes Dam and finishing where the mill race dumps back into the San Marcos River. This is 2/3 of a mile that is deprived of its full flow. • 1/3 of the River's water is diverted to the mill race during normal flow times. That percentage goes up as the water drops. This is very concerning for future droughts we will have. • In addition, water in the mill race seeps under Thompson's Island, compromising its integrity over time and during flood events. * If the dam were removed then the mill race is a possible solution for the safe passage of pedestrians underneath Cape Road. This could be a nice trail allowing people to traverse different parts of the park without ever having to step foot on the road. * We know that there will be droughts in the future and we need to plan for our river accordingly. Ultimately we want to see the park area east of I-35 open to the public. There needs to be adequate amenities including restrooms, parking and patrolling. This can be accomplished with the health of the river in mind. Thank you for considering these points. Lisa Marie Coppoletta: Good evening, my name is Lisa Marie Coppoletta, I reside at 1322 Belvin Street in the high priority designated portion of Belvin Street. Chicana cultural critic and theorist Gloria Anzaldua states "All reaction is limited by, and dependant on, what it is reacting against." I want to compliment the Code City of San Marcos Page 3