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Spring Cleaning Cannot Come Soon Enough as Tourism Expected to Surge in March
Del Rio needs all-hands-on-deck to help clean up trash around the city, as a surge of visitors is expected in town this March. The annual spring Del Rio Citywide Cleanup is scheduled for Saturday March 22nd 9-1pm at the Joe Ramos Center, but with peak tourist season already upon us, starting cleanup efforts cannot wait weeks. “Spring is around the corner, and we want you to get a jump start on your spring cleaning,” said Rene Maldonado, Landfill and Recycling Coordinator for the City of Del Rio.
Repeated reports have been made to the city by residents concerning litter buildup and general uncleanliness of public spaces. Residents are asking the city to get things cleaned up, but most of the city’s manpower is currently tied up in the emergency water and wastewater projects. Last year, the city brought in Marines to help tackle it. With a trash problem this big, everyone is being asked to pitch in.
The Del Rio City Landfill is located to the east of town at 1897 Railway Road. The prevailing wind direction in this area is from the southeast. The average wind pattern in town blows first over the landfill before it continues west towards residential areas. This positioning partly explains why paper and plastic trash is consistently floating around city streets and neighborhoods. The landfill is over 30 years old. Del Rio has strong winds, the city does not have control over that, but they do enforce a covered-trash policy. Landfill use requirements state, “all trash must be covered up, all uncovered trash loads will be fined 200% of total cost.”
During the 02/20/25 Townhall, constituents asked councilperson James DeReus to “consider appearances.” Constituents pointed out a few things they noticed had slipped through the cracks. One resident shared her concern about city upkeep “as far as perception when out of town visitors come in and see things like this… like getting the Christmas tree taken down in February.” Another commented about trash in parks and out-of-order public restrooms. DeReus got a laugh from the crowd when he responded, “that hasn’t made it to the top of my list when I talk to the City Manager with all the other stuff that’s going on right now.” The city has been busy with more emergent issues, staff is being stretched thin, and resources are limited.
The City of Del Rio heavily relies on tax revenue from visitors (such as sales tax and hot tax) to fund city improvement projects like the emergency water and wastewater upgrades. The city is in dire need of additional funding for these projects, so keeping up city appearances and visitor satisfaction is more important now than ever. The more revenue the city can receive from taxing visitors, the less they will have to raise taxes for residents. Community beautification is the responsibility of every citizen.
“There’s a peak in this area in March and then July, June through July, there’s a peak and then also September,” said Bethany Gonzalez, a member of the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce membership and outreach team. The March 8th Border Bass Fishing Tournament is around the corner. Wildlife tourists have started to arrive for prime hunting and fishing season. RVs full of families will arrive next. AI software procured by the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce allows them “to see the frequency of visitors coming into Del Rio,” said Gonzalez during her presentation about Del Rio visitor data at last month’s city council meeting on 2/25/25.
In April 2024, Del Rio participated in “The Great American Clean Up,” referred to locally as “The City of Del Rio's Keep Texas Beautiful Clean-Up Campaign.” The city brought in Marines for support, “with over 40 volunteers contributing an astounding 1,947 hours from April 1st to June 10th.” According to the Keep America Beautiful 2020 National Litter Study, “there are 50 billion pieces of litter across the country. If every American picked up 152 pieces, we would clean it all up!”
The City of Del Rio isn’t the only group who is organizing cleanups. The San Felipe Creek Coalition hosts several San Felipe Creek Cleanup days throughout the year. Their most recent was on Saturday, October 12, 2024, and they are due for another soon. They said, “anyone can dedicate their time and effort anytime to clean in the creek, but it’s also nice to do it as a group. Our beautiful, beloved creek is a little better every time.” Neighborhood associations also organize local cleanups, so be on the lookout as more opportunities arise throughout the year.
The Del Rio Citywide Cleanup will take place on Saturday March 22nd from 9-1pm at the Joe Ramos Center parking lot, located at 1105 W De La Rosa. Drop off your trash at the Joe Ramos Center, instead of having to visit the city dump. No fees with proof of residency. Last spring, Rene Maldonado, Landfill and Recycling Coordinator for the City of Del Rio, released a video explaining the City Wide Clean Up. Maldonado said, “Accepted goods include brush, limbs, household trash, and white goods such as stoves, washers, dryers, lawn mowers… some items that will not be accepted, tires, electronics, car batteries, paints, automotive liquids, AC units, refrigerators, CPUs, or any items with circuit boards in them.” Professional contractors are not permitted to dispose at the event, but residential building materials will be accepted.
This cleanup is a great way to bring neighbors together and show our pride in the city. The City of Del Rio has collaborated with Platform Waste Solutions to give residents the chance to dispose of waste that they otherwise might be unable to. Maldonado said, “To ensure that you have a smooth time, please make sure to bring your ID, or your driver’s license, or your current water bill or trash bill. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Platform Waste solutions at 830-775-2715. Thank you and hope to see you there.” Grab your trash bags and gloves, time for spring cleaning!
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