CITY & COUNTY
News from Round Rock & Williamson County
COMPILED BY BROOKE SJOBERG
QUOTE OF NOTE
Residential monthly solid waste rate to go up by $1.08
Round Rock City Council Meets Nov. 3 and 17 at 6 p.m. 216 E. Main St., Round Rock. 512-218-5401. www.roundrocktexas.gov Williamson County Commissioners Court Meets Nov. 1, 8, 15 and 22 at 9:30 a.m. at 710 S. Main St., Georgetown. 512-943-1550. www.wilco.org MEETINGS WE COVER online at https://engagekh.com/ roundrock-tmp. The master plan will address bottlenecks, safety concerns and a plan for future projects to accommodate growth. Additional public meetings will occur in 2023. HIGHLIGHTS ROUND ROCK City Council approved a $3.59 million project to replace a 5,500-foot wastewater line along Lake Creek Drive on Oct. 13. The 24-inch wastewater line is being replaced to ensure that the city’s growing southwest has continued capacity for wastewater service. The portion of pipe being replaced will stretch from Round Rock West Drive to just south of McNeil Road. The $3.59 million contract was awarded to Austin Underground and will be paid for out of the city’s self-financed wastewater construction fund. WILLIAMSON COUNTY Commissioners issued a countywide burn ban Oct. 18 because of severe drought conditions, including above- average temperatures, low humidity, low fuel moisture and high winds. The ban prohibits residents from burning household yard waste, such as leaves, grass and brush, as well as prohibiting burning to clear land. ROUND ROCK The city is seeking public input on an update of the transportation master plan. The city hosted an open house Oct. 25 but residents may also submit feedback “THE KEY TO REBUILDING CONFIDENCE IN THE ELECTRIC GRID IS GOING TO BE CONTINUED RELIABLE EXECUTION AND OPERATIONS—THAT’S OUR COLLECTIVE FOCUS AT ERCOT.” PABLO VEGAS, CEO OF THE ELECTRIC RELIABILITY COUNCIL OF TEXAS, ON OCT. 13 ABOUT THE STATE GRID CONDITIONS AND HIS PRIORITIES AS HEAD OF THE AGENCY
ROUND ROCK On Oct. 13, officials approved a $1.08 monthly rate increase for residential solid waste pickup as well as a one-time fuel recovery payment of $79,765. The increase is composed of a $0.98 base rate increase and comes at the request of Central Texas Refuse, the city’s vendor for solid waste disposal, bringing the rate from $16.37 to $17.35 per month to account for increases in the cost of service. Residents will also see a $0.10 increase to the support cost component of their bill, going from $3 to $3.10, said Michael Thane, Round Rock Utilities Depart- ment director. This cost covers beautification, operation of the city’s recycling center, cleanup and other beneficial city programs around solid waste disposal. Fuel recovery funds will be paid out of the city’s general fund to cover the increased cost of fuel for CTR trucks, Thane said. The rate increase, Thane said, puts the city in the mid- range of similar cities in the area, such as Austin, based on current rates. It also allows for some flexibility in charge
INCREASED WASTE COSTS Round Rock residents will see increases to their solid waste charges.
+$0.98
BASE RATE
$17.35
$16.37
SUPPORT COST
$3.10
$3
+$0.10
SOURCE: CITY OF ROUND ROCK/COMMUNITY IMPACT
structure for pickup, he said. “Look at Austin, they charge for anything outside of that container,” Thane said. “They charge that price for each bag; you have to buy a sticker. I am aware that some of the cities on this list are considering rate increases at the same time we are, so we do not have those tonight, but we’re sitting here in the middle of the pack right now.”
Officials approve agreement for housing development near Sauls Ranch subdivision
Sharon Prete Plaza reopens after stage covering addition ROUND ROCK Sharon Prete Plaza reopened in downtown Oct. 5 following some remodeling and the addition of a stage covering. Located at 221 E. Main St., Round Rock, in front of City Hall, the plaza was closed to the public Aug. 22-Oct. 4. Prete Plaza is home to the city’s Music on Main concert series as well as many other local events. In February, Round Rock City Council approved a $68,111 contract for the structure that is 20 feet long, 47 feet wide and 10 feet high.
ROUND ROCK A development agreement with a property developer to annex and zone 100 acres of property north of the Sauls Ranch neighborhood received approval from officials Oct. 13. The agreement trades annex- ation, zoning and tree preservation for some flexibility regarding lot sizes and expedited permit review, said Brad Wiseman, Round Rock Planning and Development Depart- ment director, at the meeting. The property is unzoned and lies within the city’s existing extrater- ritorial jurisdiction, allowing it to be annexed voluntarily. Wiseman said the project’s next steps would likely include the continuation of the platting process, culminating in an annexation and zoning approval that would once again come before
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the council for approval. The devel- opment will be on Round Rock water and wastewater service. By approving the agreement, the development is subject to city inspections, must designate parkland and must meet other requirements that similar projects outside the city limits would not be, Wiseman said during a packet briefing Oct. 11.
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City survey shows traffic, growth, taxes remain top priorities for residents
ROUND ROCK Results released Oct. 13 from the city’s survey conducted every other year show the top three pri- orities include traffic, rapid growth and high taxes/property taxes/finances in 2022. Conducted by the ETC Institute, the survey showed the same major three concerns held by residents were also the top three in the 2020 survey. The proportion of residents who listed these as their three largest areas of
concern remained fairly consistent in the two years since. In 2020, 88% of respondents said traffic was their top concern, while that figure fell to 84% in 2022. Similarly, growth fell from 61% to 60%, and taxes rose from 53% to 55% of respondents. Respondents also identified which city services they felt were most important, with the top three departments being police, emergency medical and fire services.
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ROUND ROCK EDITION • NOVEMBER 2022
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