City Council - Packet - Regular Meeting

Good evening. Tonight's invocation will be given by Rabbi Mendel Marisol of Shabbat Round Rock. Rabbi, thank you for coming.

Thank you, Rabbi. Appreciate you. I'll call 6 o'clock City Councilman in order, and please call the roll.

Here. Council Member Stephens. Here. And Council Member Fleming will be joining us, or try to join us a little bit later, but she is at a gold out game for Cedar Ridge in honor of her late son that she lost to childhood brain cancer, so... All right. If everyone will stand with me for the pledges, if you're able.

Honor the Texas flag. I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state, under God, one indivisible. Citizen communication. Any citizen wish to speak during citizen communication regarding item on or off the agenda may do so after completing the required registration card. All comments must be no more than three minutes in length per section 2-26B5 of the Round Rock Code of Ordinances 2018 edition. Any comments regarding items not on the post agenda may not be discussed or respond to by the city council per state law. So when I call your name, please come up. State your name for the record and you

All right. Thank you, Mr. Orr. All right, Mitchell Snyder.

Thank you. All right, I have one more, but it's on item F4. But who's Alana Harrison? Do you want to speak when we get to that item? That's fine. Okay. All right, I don't have any other cards on anything not on the agenda. All right. C1, consider proclaiming September 12, 2026 as Fiesta Amistad Day in the city of Round Rock. David, would you come on up to the microphone? I'll read this and then let you say a few words. Whereas the Round Rock El Amistad Club, a vibrant and dedicated community organization, has been a pillar of strength and support for our community, particularly for our student

Thank you, Mr. David. All right. Staff presentations. Consider presentation department update from the Parks and Rec Department. Come on down, Rick.

So what people may not know, you know, Gabby Thomas was on there. I actually beat Michael Tinsley in a race. Hold on. I'm going to help you out a little bit.

You smoked him. OK, thank you. All right. I see him back there. Any comments or questions? Council Member Stevens.

Thank you. I get to start. I mean, Rick, you know, I think the world of you. I think the world of your department. I think that was the longest video that we've ever seen. And it's just because, wow, you know, you think Parks and Rec and you think amazing parks. But just everything that you do from the special events, Play for All, obviously Old Settlers Park. I was out there today. Kudos to y'all. I was out at the Flog Plaza and just even taking that on when a couple of us came to y'all several years ago and said, hey, let's do something for the veterans. And what I love about you, Rick, is t

Rick, this slide is actually superb. It shows the commitment of the Parks and Rec in doing everything right, using our dollars correctly, and providing the ability for everyone to come and enjoy, because it is not that expensive. We may have the best program in Central Texas, And I mean this even with Austin. So if I'm wrong about Austin, somebody correct me. But I think we are the best. Not only that, what's so impressive is that not only HR or every department within the city takes pride in their employees to encourage them to move forward, get a certificate, because they become valuable ass

Anybody else over on this side? Mayor Pro Tem.

Councilmember Stephens and Councilmember Ortega said everything, but I just want to personally thank you guys for what you do. What you do is really appreciated by everybody, so thank you.

Councilmember Flores? Rick, thank you to you and your team for... Yeah. For everything that you guys do, I hope you know that I'm big fans of yours. And I hope to come back one day as a team member and work with Park and Rec. We got you. And help them with the parking or something. But the way you interact with the citizens, the residents, you make everybody feel welcome. You're always encouraging and helping them do stuff. throw great parties, you have great facilities, you have just good programs all over. And so that is a representation of us as a city. And so I think it bodes well for not

Thank you. Yeah, if the team could get her to talk to me, she won't talk to the mayor. No, I just want to say thank you as well. I mean, there's not much I can add to everything. I think this picture, to Council Member Ortega's point, It emulates what you want in a park system. And as I've done some interviews on Ode Settlers Park, you're building memories here. These are families that are getting to build memories with their children, grandparents building memories with their grandchildren. And as long as I've been up here just to see the progression and where everything is headed, it's amazi

You smoked him. He would beat me this time.

Yeah. This is your chance to scatter. It's all I'm going to say. Gordon, it's great seeing you, man. You take care of your health. All right. Read the consent agenda. All items listed under the consent agenda are considered to be routine by the city council and be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless requested by a council member in which event the item will be removed from the consent agenda and considered separately. Anybody have any questions or items they want? All right. I'll read the consent. E1, consider approval minutes from the August 27, 2

I think we're going to pull E7 just because we have a speaker here with regards to that. And so we'll take it up when we take up the other stuff. So I will ask for a motion to adopt the consent items E1 through E6. So moved. Motion made by Councilmember Ortega, seconded by Councilmember Lee. Any other discussion? And please, public council.

Yes. All right. F1, consider a resolution. Authorize the mayor to execute an interlocal agreement for fire protection and emergency services with the Williamson County Emergency Services District number 9.

Questions from the Chief? You entertain a motion to adopt the resolution? So moved. Motion made by Council Member Ortega, seconded by Council Member Stephens. Any other discussion? And please poll the council.

Yes. Thank you all. Thank you, Chief. F2, consider a resolution to authorize the mayor to issue a contract with Ratliff Hardscape LTD for the 2026 CDBG sidewalk project on Parkside Circle.

Questions? Chancellor Ortega. Is that sidewalks on one side only or both sides?

And the residents will be notified by you? All right. And I believe I asked at one point how long this takes. I just don't remember. How long will this?

Any other questions? Entertain a motion to adopt the resolution? So moved. Second. Motion made by Council Member Flores, second by Council Member Ortega. Any other discussion? And please poll the council.

Yes. F3, consider a resolution authorizing Mayor to execute supplemental contract number three with Plumber Associates Inc. for the Brushy Creek East Regional Wastewire Treatment Plant Expansion to 40 MGD project.

Any questions? I'm going to tell you most of the resolution. So move. Motion made by Council Member Ortega, second by the Mayor Pro Tem. Any other discussion? And please poll the council.

Yes. Thank you, Michael. Yes. All right. We'll go to F5. because we want to do the F4 needs to go after all the other stuff. So F5, consider resolution to determine that patent construction LLC provides the best value for the city for the Heritage Trail East project and authorizing the Mayor to execute a standard form of agreement.

Rick, will there be a walking path on the south side of the creek around after Veterans Park over to Georgetown Street?

Along this trail and only this particular part of the trail, especially towards the downtown area, Are we going to have some lights out there also for those who walk there just as dust comes about?

Any other questions? I entertain a motion to adopt the resolution. Second. Motion made by Council Member Stephens, seconded by Council Member Ortega. Any other discussion? And please, public council.

Yes. And Todd was here from Patton. Thanks, Todd, for being here. Did I forget about Todd? Todd's my favorite. You did. We got you taken care of. You've had the whole night to yourself.

All right. Let's go to G1, considering ordinance readoption and amendment of Parks and Rec. Master plan update, playbook 2030, building a connected community. Add the Round Rock Trails plan. First reading.

I don't know. It was pretty close. Okay. Any questions over here? Council Member Flores?

Thank you for that presentation. I'm thinking the fact with your new roles as a national director that you get to see all the really cool things that are being done across the country and perhaps bring us some of those ideals and unique things that are happening elsewhere. I hope so. I was curious with regards to the comments on the economic development. Outside of an ice house or a brewery, has anybody else, how else have communities monetized that trail system?

And as we make these connections going forward, the planning that we're doing, we're making the connections, and the trods are going in, how are you planning or how do we need to plan for the mixture of someone that wants to use that trail passively and somebody that wants to ride a bike or electric scooter or something? And how do we solve for that in the future?

And then my last question, has anybody put together like a transportation company, like, you know, it's a bicycle, but it puts you, like, a little, you know, the tricycle where somebody rides and somebody rides, you know, pedals and somebody rises. Anybody put something like that together?

Just like Uber for trail system or something like that, where you pick up and they're taking you to your destination downtown or something.

I get that. But are they doing it on the trail system? Sure.

Thank you. Mm-hmm. Any other questions over here? Questions over here? Council Member Stephens.

Yeah, just thank you for the presentation. I was surprised to see how many existing trails we already have in our community. Good problems to have. I think our residents probably need a regular, I know I need a regular reminder of what we already have here to connect to the future possibilities. What the 4B funding, can you touch on that just a little bit? No, no. I'm sorry. I pivoted. So talking about the trod and this slide that's up right now, explore 4B funding. Is that federal funding?

So just other alternative funding opportunities for this. Okay.

This is how old school Tim is because it's now type B funding.

Now you're speaking my language. All right. I appreciate that. That makes a whole lot more sense to me. So thank you. Yeah.

Any other questions? All right. Thank you, Tim. Thank you so much. Thank you, Rick. All right. I'll entertain a motion to adopt the ordinance. Second. Motion made by Council Member Stephens, second by Council Member Ortega. Any other discussion? And please poll the council.

Yes. I entertain a motion to dispense with a second reading. So moved. Second. Motion made by Council Member Flores, second by Council Member Lee. Any other discussion? And please poll the council.

Yes. All right. G2. G2, consider public testimony regarding an ordinance adopting the fiscal year 2027 annual budget for the city of Round Rock. Second reading.

Not to interrupt you, but 18% is what the residential property taxes were for the general fund revenue. So we're almost at $200 million. So if my math is correct, that's about $40 million in property tax, which doesn't even cover our fire department's cost of budget. Go ahead.

Any questions? All right. This is a public hearing on G2. I'm going to go ahead and open up the public hearing. I'm going to let our speaker speak on this before we go to all the other stuff. So Ms. Harrison, thank you for your patience. And thank you for being here. And I know you spoke. You had also wanted to speak on the water rate increase. So usually we give three minutes. I'll give you a little extra time for both.

All right. We may have some questions for you since you put all this together and have a conversation. So first of all, thank you for, again, your patience. Thank you for the time to put all this together.

I appreciate that. So I know that, you know, for me, a lot of people, you know, it'd be nice to adopt the no new revenue rate. Right. But even like In cases this year, no new revenue rate has actually climbed in some places because values actually have decreased. So in Round Rock, a lot of people think that we have so much development that it actually adds a large bucket of money for new growth. So this year, it was about $1.9 million. So we have agreements with our police department and our fire department that involves pay raises on an annual basis. Those are negotiated between the unions an

Yeah. And so, you know, and another thing is that, you know, usually we have been, you know, look, none of us, you know, trust me, none of us up here like to, you know, have tax increases. I mean, you know, it's just the cost. Everything has increased. We had someone talk to us the other day about water, an eight-mile line, pipeline that costs $20 million. 25 years ago has now cost $150 million. And so with our water rates, what we've been lucky to do is sell water to our sister cities that don't have water to pay off debt to help keep the water rates. Those are definitely some of the lowest i

If there's one thing that you think we should cut out of the budget to lower that, out of that point, you know, the debts, we got to do that. That's what we have to do. But out of the general fund stuff, is there something that you see that we're really just, in your mind, in your opinion, is that you think we're a little bit too fat?

Yeah. And, and we, we, we, we definitely, I mean, we really do agree with you that on the sense of just the kind of cost of everything for, for everybody, you know, and, you know, the, the, the, the, The rebates and the stuff that we've agreed to, I mean, you know, we violate that, and there's stuff that can come back and then cost us more money.

And, you know, you're very intelligent. I mean, this is very well thought out. And we have a program that I think you'd be great at if you wanted to go through it, ultimately, is our university program. And it's a six to eight, 11-week deal on a Monday night. From 6 to 8, they serve you food. And you get to learn everything that the departments do and kind of how those things all come about. And so if you have any interest in that, there's a fall and a spring class. The current fall class has already started, but the next spring, you ought to look at that. Because this really is, you know, I'v

That's what I'm just saying. 15 years. And you did it. And you can tell it was very thought out. And I think we're all appreciative of it. And so definitely, I really would like for you to consider that. And we all come and speak, so you'll get to meet us one-on-one. You're more than welcome to email all of us to come sit down with you one-on-one and talk also on stuff. So does anyone have any other questions for Council Member Ortega?

I want to say what the mayor had just said, but I'm not going to do that because he's eloquently has said it. I'm also impressed with what you've done here. Most people come to us or in any organization, not necessarily government, and they have an issue they want to see that can get resolved, but they never implement any ideas to get there. You have. Joe's in the back. He runs the program that the mayor just spoke about. Please sign up for it because, like he said, somebody who took the time to put this together and put it well deserves to learn more about our city. And I think you're the per

Thank you. Anyone have any questions for?

I would just say, too, These decisions are hard, right? And they don't just come about in a month or two months or three months. I think something else that you would learn is how we strategically plan, how we begin that in December. And here we are almost to October. It's taken that long of a time. But that is something else that you would learn is how that process goes, about how the staff goes about fulfilling the direction that we have for the city and how they go about, I think Kevin said it, like we started the actual budgeting process in July. So it does take a long time, but to the may

Thank you. Any other questions or comment? Yeah, again, I don't want to beat the dead horse, but you know, thank you for, you know, because we do look, you know, I've been up here the longest, so I've got the most gray hair. It, you know, sometimes you, you know, you're around it 24-7, and you may not be able to see things from, you know, and so just your thoughtfulness and your willingness to try to present solutions and not just coming up here and

Complaining and yelling at us. That'll go a lot further in life if more would do that stuff. But again, I just want to say thank you for this. And like I said, any of us would always, anytime if you've got an idea or something, if you just ping our email, I bet you'll get people that will sit down with you and talk to you. And definitely consider problem because we need people like you to be able to understand it and then be able to also give us the, and that's what's happened out of that university. There are ideas that have come out of those things that do help. And, you know, hopefully next

All right. Anybody else wishing to speak on this? All right. Public hearing's closed. I will entertain a motion to adopt on G2. Consider public testimony regarding ordinance adopted in the 2027 annual budget for the city of Round Rock. So I entertain a motion to adopt that ordinance. So moved.

I have a motion by Council Member Ortega, second by Council Member Stephens. Any other discussion? And please poll the council. Council Member Ortega?

Yes. This does take the language per the state. Oh, yeah. Okay. Consider public testimony regarding an ordinance adopting the 2026 property tax rate for the city of Round Rock. Second reading. This is a public hearing. I'll open this one up. Anybody wishing to speak? All right. Public hearing is closed. I entertain a motion to adopt this ordinance.

I move that the property tax rate be increased by the adoption of the tax rate of 0.423000, which is effectively a 9.8% increase in the tax rate.

I have a motion by the Mayor Pro Tem. I have a second. Motion made by the Mayor Pro Tem, seconded by Council Member Stevens. Any other discussion? And please poll the council. Council Member Stevens.

Yes. F4, consider ratifying the property tax increase reflected in the fiscal year 2027 budget. Can I obtain a motion to adopt that resolution? So moved. Motion made by Council Member Ortega, second by Council Member Stephens. Any other discussion? And please poll the council.

Yes. E7, considered an ordinance amended Chapter 44, Article 2, Section 44-32, 44-33, and 44-34 Code of Ordinances regarding water rates, reuse water rates, and sewer rates. Second reading. I entertain a motion to adopt that ordinance. So move. Motion made by Council Member Ortega. Second by the Mayor Pro Tem. Any other discussion? And please vote the council.

Why don't we pull one this way? All right. H1 and I1 has been tabled. J1, consider the council's approval of the mayor's appointments of the president, vice president, and secretary of the Round Rock Transportation Economic Development Corporation. As I mentioned, I'll make that motion to approve and appoint Council Member Flores as the president, Jessica Mosman as the vice president, and Michelle Sherwood as the Secretary of the Transportation Economic Development Corporation. So I made the motion. Do I have a second?

Motion made by the mayor, second by the Mayor Pro Tem. Any other discussion? And please vote the council.

Yes. All right. Council comments regarding items of community interest. Mayor Pro Tem.

Yeah, I don't see Rick anymore. I don't see Rick anymore, but I will say I did visit Flag Plaza at Yonder's Point today, so I'd recommend anybody... that has time in the next day or so while they're still there to go see the flags that have been put up and remember 9-11 and the 25th anniversary is tomorrow. Good night, Round Rock.

Council Member Tega. Yes, just a reminder that LMSDOT is this Saturday, so please come out, enjoy yourselves out here. I know that's UT Ohio game. Believe me, I'm going to miss it as well, but maybe somebody out here will have a TV. Good night, Round Rock.

There's a lot of businesses up and down this street that will have a TV. Council Member Fleming.

I apologize for being late tonight, but I did want to get here at least at the end. So I'm happy to serve. I'm proud to be a part of this. Good night, Round Rock.

Council Member Flores. Good night, Round Rock. Council Member Lee. Good night, Round Rock. And I will say good night, Round Rock. We stand adjourned at 8.02.