Copperas Cove city council weighs options for Christmas lights at City Park

By LYNETTE SOWELL

Cove Leader-Press

The City of Copperas Cove is looking at ways to bring lights back to City Park during the Christmas season, and also looked to the city council for direction at the recent city council retreat.

Special Events Director Ashley Wilson gave a presentation to the council, in which she started with reading social media posts that expressed disappointment over the lack of Christmas lights in City Park, with the return of Krist Kindl Markt to downtown Copperas Cove in 2024. 

She also gave examples of surrounding towns like Lampasas, Burnet, Johnson City, and Marble Falls, which all decorate extensively for the holidays and are destinations during the holiday season.

Marble Falls has its Walkway of Lights, and Wilson shared that Marble Falls uses hotel occupancy tax funds and sponsorships for the lights, and the city now charges a $2 entrance fee for the walkway. Over in Lampasas, their light display is overseen by a nonprofit organization, Vision Lampasas. Johnson City’s display, Lights Spectacular, is organized by a nonprofit and made possible entirely by sponsorships and donations. Burnet’s Trail Of Lights is presented by its chamber of commerce and is made possible by sponsorships.

In turn, Wilson gave an example of a new walking trail in City Park for holiday decorations, which could include a 14-foot Christmas tree, lighted figurines, and lights in the trees in the area surrounding the duck pond.

The proposal includes relying on community involvement, sponsorships, and volunteer work to cut costs. She said there could be a free light-up the season celebration to kick off the holiday season, that could involve local schools, city departments, and vendors.

The only catch is the funding for new decorations.

The vision for the area by the duck pond includes commercial lights such as a 14-foot Christmas tree, lighted figurines and trees, and a lighted arch and photo opps. The tree would be installed near the new #COVE sign by the duck pond.

The price tag for the lights, as well as electrical, paint, labor and storage is roughly $23,128.60 per year with a three-year lease. Or, the city could purchase the same lights in the offseason at a discounted rate of roughly $40,000 – which is 40 percent off the full purchase price from the commercial light supplier. That price was good through February 28. Yearly installation charges from the company would be $9,000 each season, or $11,340 to store the displays.

City Manager Ryan Haverlah asked Parks & Recreation Director Jeff Stoddard if there was any money available in parks funding that could be used to purchase those lights, but Stoddard said there wasn’t.

He did say that the renovations and new walking path lights being installed at the pond currently don’t include new electric capabilities for any extra light The council did direct him to go for adding that to the current project, and that expense was added to the duck pond renovation project.

Wilson did offer that some of the cost reduction could be done through local sponsorships.

In 2023, the City of Copperas Cove launched a holiday banner program, in which businesses, organizations, or even individuals could sponsor the purchase of a banner with a holiday greeting, along with a 2 by 2-1/2-foot personalized banner, for $700. The banners were displayed along Business 190 from Robert Griffin III Boulevard to Georgetown Road. The $700 covered the cost of the banners, installation, and any leftover funds would be committed to purchasing decorations to include lighting and wreaths that can be displayed on city buildings. That promotion lasted one season and did not return for 2024.

At the Feb. 21 workshop, funding suggestions for the new program included possible use of the remaining Five Hills Scholarship program funds, which amounts roughly $40,000, a figure which is minus scholarships that are still to be distributed. Haverlah told the council that discussions would need to be had with any remaining board members from that program, which is still in limbo.

The council did come to a consensus to put funding in place for the 2025-2026 city budget for the decorations. At that meeting, there was not a number included for that amount of funding, nor if the city would purchase or lease any lights and décor.

Wilson said that the department had assistance from students who designed, cut out, and painted some of the displays used for Fall-o-Ween, and the department could enlist the help of students to build similar displays for City Park for this year, but they would not be lit.

As far as funding and purchasing any lights for this year, the council agreed it was too late for the 2025 season.

“Going back to the timeline of funding and availability, Shawn (Alzona) may have said it, we're way behind on trying to get this done for this year, but we can really prepare a full program included in the proposed budget for next year,” Haverlah said. “That, way city council can actually have the time to make those decisions and staff to develop what their funding would look like, but it wouldn't prevent us from moving forward with non-illuminated things out at City Park and working and developing relationships.”

budget for lights.