by Crystal Gottfried
Effective immediately, the New Braunfels city council voted unanimously to ban volume drinking devices on the Guadalupe and Comal Rivers.
Violators of the new ordinance could pay fines ranging from $100 to $500 for using beer bongs within the city limits. Council members also discussed enacting an ordinance than bans consumption of "jello shots" on the rivers although they are not sure how to word it in a way that would stand up in court.
"Jello shots," an alcoholic beverage and gelatin mixture served in small plastic containers was considered by council as both a safety and environmental issue for the rivers.
Tubers would also face a doubled fine for violating the noise ordinance. Council voted to raise the fine for violations from $250 to $500.
According to a news report in the Herald-Zeitung, New Braunfels Police Patrol Capt. John Villarreal said that the police are "wary of adding more ordinances in the middle of the summer season" before the media and other agencies have can provide the proper notification to the people ahead of time.
Villarreal said that many people expect the police to enforce all ordinances "to everyone's liking" but that is impossible.
"In terms of fairness to the people we invite to our town, if we change the rules, we need some kind of notification."
Residents along the river have seen a great improvement in the noise levels along the river in the few weekends thanks to the efforts by police however others feel that an increased police presence on the rivers, cracking down on ordinance violators, "doesn't make the rivers safer, just more expensive."
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