Trail of Lights still in cash limbo

AUSTIN (KXAN) - City of Austin workers started putting up the Zilker Tree Tuesday morning, just as Austin's Trail of Lights is pushing the deadline for a mid-December start date.

That is when the city's annual two-week festival usually starts.

City parks staff said they are "knee-deep" in a proposal to privatize the trail this year, due to budget cutbacks.

The city council could have voted on the proposal this week, but city staff is still not ready to present the proposal to the council, Austin Parks Events Manager Jason Maurer said.

Maurer would not provide a timeline on when the proposal might be ready for the city council's approval.

"It's as soon as possible," Maurer said. "We just have to make our final recommendation."

Austin-based Roadway Productions is the lone vendor applying to run the festival. Another was disqualified because it did not meet the requirements.

""We definitely don't want to try and reinvent the wheel," said Roadway Productions Partner Trey Edwards. "People can expect exactly what they've gotten in years past."

That is, except for a fee.

Roadway could charge up to $5 for visitors 11 years and older. The city council approved that fee to help the city's parks department shore up the budget.

""If there is a fee, I will tell you this. It's going to be something very affordable," said Edwards. "We'll have some special nights for people. Free nights."

Maurer said Roadway would be responsible for providing staff members for the event.

He also said the city would require Roadway to keep the festival affordable, and honor and celebrate the tradition of the trail.

The event, rated in the top 10 holiday festivals in the country, draws in about 250,000 people each year and broke a record in 2007, with more than 400,000 people showing up to see the display.