Posted: Thu, 2 Dec 2010 09:10 AM - 9,588 Readers
By: Suzannah Gonzales
Organizers and law enforcement officials declared last summer's AquaPalooza a success — no one died or was seriously injured among the tens of thousands who attended the massive floating party on Lake Travis, and the event gave a boost to local businesses that suffered when lake levels were low in 2008 and 2009.
But policing the largest-ever event on the lake cost participating local law enforcement agencies more than $300,000, according to information obtained through open records requests and interviews with nearly 20 state and local law enforcement officials. That money was beyond what agencies would have spent had the event not taken place and is in addition to money organizers reimbursed some agencies.
"The taxpayers paid for this," Texas Parks and Wildlife Department game warden Capt. Fred Churchill said.
Hunters, fishermen and boaters also helped pay for it because their licensing and registration fees also fund the department, he said.
The agency spent more than $250,000 on extra personnel during the event to patrol the lake, among other things.
Rod Malone, president of Sail & Ski Center, which sponsored AquaPalooza with Knoxville, Tenn.-based Sea Ray Boats Inc. and the Reserve at Lake Travis , said spending that money was the decision of the law enforcement agencies. "It was their choice. It was not our demand. They did that voluntarily," he said.
But Churchill said: "There was not enough local resources without Texas Parks and Wildlife bringing in the response that it did. … It's our responsibility to make the lakes as safe as possible for the boating public."
Sea Ray Vice President of Marketing Rob Noyes declined to comment on the $300,000 spent, saying that the local agencies that spent the money "never shared any of that with me."
The concert event July 9 -10 was meant to showcase the boating lifestyle and was only accessible by water — boats served as attendees' tickets. Performing on a stage on the Reserve at Lake Travis, a private development, headliner Brad Paisley drew 7,000 boats and 65,000 to 70,000 people, according to sponsors.
More than 100 law enforcement officers were expected to work, along with 30 to 40 law enforcement boats, about 30 water safety personnel, three helicopters, three ambulances during the Paisley concert, and dozens of medical staffers. Some law enforcement agencies were reimbursed for part or all of their expenses, but officials from other agencies say they received no compensation.
Event sponsors spent "six figures plus" on law enforcement for the event, Malone said, declining to reveal the specific amount spent to hire off-duty officers, security and First Medical Response of Texas , a company that coordinated local public safety agencies, among other law enforcement efforts. Sponsors spent at least $1 million to put on the event, he said.
"We don't charge any money for it. We don't make any money," Noyes said.
'We didn't comment'In an early 2010 meeting to discuss AquaPalooza, attendees included representatives from communities near Lake Travis, the Lower Colorado River Authority, Parks and Wildlife and the Travis County sheriff's office.
Malone said the question was asked, "Do you think this is a good idea?" Overwhelmingly, he said, the answer was yes.
But that affirmation didn't come from law enforcement, Churchill said. "We didn't comment."
Parks and Wildlife spent $252,657.16 working AquaPalooza, records show. The department received no reimbursement or compensation, according to Churchill.
Eight to 10 Parks and Wildlife game wardens work on a holiday weekend; 68 game wardens from across the state worked AquaPalooza — including game wardens from Brownsville and Lubbock, Churchill said. There also were 20 Parks and Wildlife patrol boats, one helicopter and one mobile command vehicle that served as a mobile dispatch center.
Churchill said his agency's focus was on the entire lake, where there were four events going on that weekend, including a couple of AquaPalooza-offshoot events in Lago Vista and Jonestown. When full, the lake covers 19,297 acres.
"It was a tremendous strain on law enforcement," he said.
Every member of the Lago Vista Police Department — 16 officers and six dispatchers — worked during the event, as did licensed police volunteer reserves, police officials said. The department spent about $2,000 in more than 100 hours of overtime working the event, Police Chief Danny Smith said. The amount was not budgeted and not reimbursed, Smith said. The department's current budget is nearly $1.6 million.
"We were really concerned leading up to the event. We had never seen an event of that magnitude that close to our city. It was the what-ifs of the event that had us concerned," Smith said.
He said the event went smoothly because of the number of law enforcement officers in the area.
The Lakeway Police Department didn't spend any public money for AquaPalooza, Chief Todd Radford said.
Sail & Ski hired off-duty officers and deputies from a handful of law enforcement agencies, including from Lakeway, Lago Vista and the Travis County sheriff's office, Malone said.
Sheriff's spokesman Roger Wade said he wasn't sure how much the department spent on extra expenses but that the department benefited because officials gained experience in handling large crowds on the lake.
Nearly $16,000 was reimbursed to the Williamson County Department of Emergency Communications , Austin-Travis County EMS , the Williamson County sheriff's office and Travis County fire marshal, records show.
Promoters of other large Central Texas events often cover security and safety-related costs.
For example, organizers of the Republic of Texas Biker Rally spend about $200,000 each year for security. That figure includes hiring off-duty sheriff's deputies to work at the Travis County Exposition Center, off-duty Austin police officers to work downtown and other security from local security firms, said Jerry Bragg, who has organized the event with his wife, Colleen, since its inception. The event attracts about 40,000 people to the expo center fairgrounds and about 200,000 people to the area, Bragg said.
Boost for BusinessesOfficials from local chambers of commerce said AquaPalooza helped lake-oriented businesses that had suffered during a drought in 2009. But no chamber compiled an estimate of the event's economic impact.
Super S Foods supermarket in Lago Vista, for example, saw its third or fourth strongest week of the year, behind July Fourth and Memorial Day, according to store manager Paul McGowan .
The AquaPalooza Signature Event has been held at a different location every year since 2006 . Last year's Signature Event was held on Lake Martin in Alabama.
Malone said the Signature Event was chosen to be held at Lake Travis this year in part because last year Boating Industry magazine ranked Sail & Ski the No. 1 marine dealership in North America. Noyes said callers from the Lake Travis community asked him to consider the area for the event.
Lago Vista & Jonestown Area Chamber of Commerce President Chuck Wills said some are considering holding a smaller local event next year.
"We would like the community to adopt AquaPalooza," Malone said.
"AquaPalooza is something we'll continue to do," he said. But because the Signature Event likely won't return here, "it won't be of the magnitude it was in 2010."
