Pflugerville - Hutto Edition | August 2023

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PFLUGERVILLE HUTTO EDITION

VOLUME 18, ISSUE 12 AUG. 10SEPT. 7

EDUCATION EDITION 2023

New sculpture-based art studio will come to Hutto

New HEB in Pugerville to be largest in the area

Development

EDUCATION EDITION 2023 SPONSORED BY • Next Level Urgent Care

District data

Hutto ISD fourth grade teacher Lindsay Brown helps a student with a lesson. HISD is one of several local districts working to boost teacher recruitment and retention. (Courtesy Hutto ISD)

Local school districts work to combat higher turnover rates Faced with a teacher shortage, increases in operations costs and stagnating funding, area school dis- tricts are identifying new solutions to recruit teachers and battle rising turnover rates. end of the 2021-22 school year. In Round Rock ISD, that gure was closer to 15%. Beyond increasing compensation, new teacher-retention incentives are under consideration by various school districts. are some of the ways districts are working to keep the teachers they already have and ll vacancies as others leave. BY BROOKE SJOBERG

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“In all reality, it is the profession that leads to all other professions,” said Cara Malone, assistant super- intendent for human resources at HISD. “I think that we have got to do some things dierently.” CONTINUED ON 28

Over the last few years, turnover rates have risen with nearly one-fth of Hutto ISD and Pugerville ISD teachers leaving the district at the

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THIS ISSUE

MARKET TEAM GENERAL MANAGER Amy Leonard Bryant Community Impact in 2005, and the company is still locally owned today. We have expanded to include hundreds of team members and have created our own software platform and printing facility. CI delivers 35+ localized editions across Texas to more than 2.5 million residential mailboxes. GRAPHIC DESIGNER Gloria Gonzalez ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Heather Hall METRO LEADERSHIP PUBLISHER Travis Baker MANAGING EDITOR Amy Denney COPY EDITOR Kasey Salisbury SENIOR ART PRODUCTION MANAGER Haley Grace CONTACT US 16225 Impact Way Pflugerville, TX 78660 • 512-989-6808 CI CAREERS communityimpact.com/careers PRESS RELEASES pfhnews@communityimpact.com ADVERTISING pfhads@communityimpact.com Learn more at communityimpact.com/advertising EMAIL NEWSLETTERS communityimpact.com/newsletter SUPPORT US Join your neighbors by giving to the CI Patron program. Funds support our journalistic mission to provide trusted, local news in your community. Learn more at communityimpact.com/cipatron SENIOR EDITOR Brian Rash REPORTERS Brooke Sjoberg ABOUT US Owners John and Jennifer Garrett launched

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS MONTH

FROM AMY: We share the news with you as soon as we confirm it from a credible source, so you may see early announcements of new businesses or road projects before the ink is even dry on the deal. Our follow-up stories are often where we are able to provide more detail, status and timeline updates. If there are any projects you have been wondering about, we appreciate reader engagement. Please email pfhnews@communityimpact.com if there is a new business, road or other project on which you would like an update. Amy Leonard Bryant , GENERAL MANAGER

FROM BRIAN: For public school districts, teacher recruitment and retention have become a major priority. Most local district officials maintain the issue became more pronounced once the COVID-19 pandemic kicked in. Since then, administrators have been thinking outside the box to boost teacher retention in their districts. Read more in Reporter Brooke Sjoberg’s front-page story in this edition of Community Impact . Brian Rash, SENIOR EDITOR

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PFLUGERVILLE - HUTTO EDITION • AUGUST 2023

IMPACTS

Businesses that have recently opened or are coming soon, relocating or expanding

ROUND ROCK NOW OPEN

4 The rst U.S. location of Dublin, Ireland-based wig and topper shop HairWeavon will open inside My Salon Suites at 2711 La Frontera Blvd., Ste. 110, Room 406, Round Rock, by the end of August. Owner Ariel Rawlings said once her business opens, she will oer private consultations for clients to choose their preferred wig or hair topper style. www.hairweavon.com 5 Matt and Gabe Ellis plan to open a wine tasting room for their winery, Swallow Wines , in downtown Round Rock in September. It will be located at 407 Round Rock Ave., formerly home to Round Rock Travel & Cruises. Swallow Wines will oer a variety of wines from across the country. www.swallow-wines.com 6 A Round Rock location of Two Hands Corndogs is coming to the University Oaks retail center at 201 University Blvd., Ste. 540, targeting a mid-August opening, according to a company representative. Two Hands Corndogs oers a variety of specialty corn dogs, ranging from traditional options to corn dogs coated in crispy rice pus, potato cubes and spicy ingredients. www.twohandsus.com 7 Viva Day Spa + Med Spa will open late this summer at 603 S. Mays St., Round Rock. Once open, Viva Day Spa + Med Spa will oer Swedish, deep tissue, sports and prenatal massages, as well as services including facials, hydrafa- cials, dermaplaning and chemical peels.

ROUND ROCK

1 A new McDonald’s restaurant loca- tion opened June 17 at 110 Jena Marie Way, Austin, serving the Brushy Creek Municipal Utility District area. The new location is part of an ownership group headed by Ed Lutito that has locations in North Austin, Round Rock and Cedar Park. 512-213-0603. www.mcdonalds.com 2 After closing in March 2020 at its loca- tion at 503 E. Palm Valley Blvd., Ste. 220, Round Rock, The Yoga Room reopened June 17 as Round Rock Yoga . The studio is now located at 106 S. Mays St., Ste. 200, Round Rock, in a space formerly occupied by energy broker Spartan Energy. Founded in 2010 by Zelinda Yanez, the yoga studio oers in-person and online classes. 512-318-2112. www.roundrockyoga.com COMING SOON 3 Cold Fish Sushi Factory will occupy the former location of El Takobar in downtown Round Rock at 118 E. Main St., Round Rock. The space is undergoing extensive renovations, and the Japanese restaurant will open later this year but did not provide a specic date. Cold Fish will serve a fusion of modern and traditional Japanese cuisine, with additional details of the restaurant’s menu forthcoming. Facebook: COLD FISH Sushi Factory

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From left, owner Julie Afsahi and Studio Manager Maddie Pesoli run Soul Strong Yoga.

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The medical spa will also administer dermal ller treatments, photofacials, laser resurfacing and hair removal. www.vivadayspa.com RELOCATIONS 8 Family dental practice Sam Bass Family Dentistry opened in mid-July at its new location at 1745 Sam Bass Road, Round Rock. Owner Dr. Rupa Govindarajan said the practice moved from its former location at 2000 Sam Bass Road, Ste. 108, Round Rock. The practice has served the area for eight years. 512-341-3200. www.sambassdental.com NEW OWNERSHIP 9 VirtropolisVR Escape Rooms is under new ownership. Located at

1401 S. I-35, Ste. 170, Round Rock, Tony and Nicole Palacios took over the business May 26. They said Virtropo- lisVR, which was created by Patty and Rene Arredondo, will retain its previous game catalog under their ownership. 512-300-0885. www.virtropolisvr.com CLOSINGS 10 After 25 years in business, the Allens Boots store located at 1501 N. I-35, Round Rock closed in early June. The store oered a vari- ety of boots, hats, belts and other Western apparel. The boot store has served the Austin area since 1977, and other locations remain open at 1522 S. Congress Ave., Austin, and 131 E. Main St., Fredericksburg. www.allensboots.com

FEATURED IMPACT RELOCATION Round Rock studio Soul Strong Yoga relocated in early June from 309 W. Main St., Ste. 121, to 107 S. Lewis St., Stes. 110 and 120. Owner Julie Afsahi opened the studio in 2018. The new space is part of a mixed-use development comprising four tenant suites on the ground level and two apartments on the second oor. In addition to oering in-person yoga classes, Afsahi holds training courses for aspiring yoga instructors. She said the studio gained a following regionally and online, where she teaches several international instructors.

“I have a student in Germany right now; she just started this week,” she said. “We have students from all over who do our online.” Soul Strong Yoga oers private lessons, yoga classes and several community events throughout the year. 512-686-7685. www.soulstrongyogatx.com

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IMPACTS

Businesses that have recently opened or are coming soon, relocating or expanding

cosmetic, same-day appointments and restorative dentistry. 737-258-4935. www.lykkedentistry.com 3 Austin-based Spoleti Salon expanded to the Pflugerville area with a new salon at 2512 W. Pecan St., Ste. 140, that opened June 1. Owned by Kate Spoleti, who also has a South Congress Avenue location, the salon offers cut and color services; color corrections; keratin treatments; extensions; and specialty services, such as hairstyling and makeup for off-site events. 737-726-3560. www.spoletisalon.com 4 UCF Automotive , a collision repair and auto service shop located at 4674 Priem Lane, Pflugerville, is now open. Owner Sam Naimat said the company had a soft opening in January, but it had its official grand opening June 1. UCF Auto- motive offers several services, including air conditioning, brake, engine and trans- mission repair. The company also offers diagnostics, window tinting, car wrapping and wheel alignment. 512-572-4248. www.ucfauto.com 5 A Which Wich sandwich restaurant is scheduled to open around the first week of August at 16212 Impact Way, Pfluger- ville. The custom sandwich chain will be inside of a new Food Box convenience store that is slated to open at the end of July. Franchise owner Parvez Badarpura, who also owns the Food Box store, said Which Wich will open about a week after

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the convenience store due to employee training and other matters. Which Wich creates custom and signature sand- wiches that include the Meat Balr, the Philly Cheesesteak and the Reuben Wich. www.whichwich.com COMING SOON 6 A new branch of University Federal Credit Union is expected to open in early 2024 at 2021 Kelly Lane, Pfluger- ville. Founded in Austin in 1936, UFCU now serves more than 250 universities, employers and associations in Central Texas and Galveston County. The credit union offers services for individuals and businesses that include real estate, equipment and working capital loans; credit lines; checking and savings accounts; and insurance. www.ufcu.org

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2020, when commercial real estate firm Rockspring helped broker the sale of the land. Food Box has served Central Texas communities for the last 20 years and sells gas, coffee, beer, wine, food and soft drinks. www.foodboxtx.com 2 A new dental practice called Lykke Dentistry opened July 17 at 208 E. Wells Branch Parkway, Pflugerville. Owned by Dr. Jenise Kwak, the practice offers general,

1 Following several delays stemming in part from supply chain issues, the Food Box convenience store at 16212 Impact Way is tentatively scheduled to open by early August, franchise owner Parvez Badarpura said. The Food Box loca- tion has been planned since December

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ilies by providing quality medicine with integrity and compassion. 512-772-2887. www.pawhavenhutto.com 3 A new apartment complex called The Vantage at Hutto opened June 23 at 1051 N. FM 1660, Hutto. The complex has 288 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with some offering private backyards. The Vantage has a 24-hour fitness center, a resort-style pool, a business center, a board room and an internet cafe, and two dog parks are coming soon. The Vantage will also have two electric vehicle charging stations. 512-770-9691. www.vantageathutto.com COMING SOON 4 Bonura Studios , located at 3333 CR 119, Ste. 17, Hutto, is scheduled

to open in September. Owner Elizabeth Bonura, a sculptor for more than 20 years, said a specific opening date for the studio is not yet set, but when complete, Bonura will offer classes and workshops, commission and sell art pieces, and allow patrons to tour the sculpture production area. 737-306-7564. www.bonurastudios.com RELOCATIONS 5 Finding Balance Yoga relocated within Hutto on July 5 from 117 East St., Ste. 250, to 531 Ed Schmidt Blvd. Ste. 120. Finding Balance holds daily yoga classes for all abilities and offers self-care coaching focused on movement, nutrition and mindfulness. 512-677-4551. https://findingbalancetx.com

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HUTTO NOW OPEN

pizzas, sub sandwiches, pizza bowls, salads and desserts. 512-642-5055. www.marcos.com 2 A veterinarian clinic called Paw Haven Animal Hospital opened July 24 at 531 Ed Schmidt Blvd., Ste. 140, Hutto. Owner Amber Breclaw said the full-service veterinary hospital is locally owned, and she and her staff look for- ward to building relationships with new dog and cat patients as well as their fam-

1 Originally expected to open in late June, a new Marco’s Pizza location at 6111 FM 1660, Ste. 300, Hutto, opened July 18. A company representative said the opening date was delayed mainly due to issues with contracting work. Marco's offers take-out and delivery for

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PFLUGERVILLE - HUTTO EDITION • AUGUST 2023

TRANSPORTATION UPDATES Kelly Lane project work will widen road, improve traffic Construction began in July on the second phase of a major overhaul to Kelly Lane in Pflugerville. The gist: At a June 27 meeting, City Council awarded $14.9 million to Capital Excavation Co. to widen a portion of Kelly Lane from two lanes to a divided four-lane roadway from Falcon Point Boulevard to just east of Moorlynch Avenue. Next steps: City staff said the construction of the project is scheduled to conclude in early 2025, according to a presentation from Isaac Espinosa, a project manager with the Pflugerville Engineering Department. The details: Improvements to Kelly Lane in Pflugerville have already begun. As part of Phase 1, crews widened the roadway west of Falcon Pointe Boulevard. City information states Phase 2 will: • Add raised medians • Increase lighting • Add continuous sidewalks • Create a roundabout at Vilamoura Street

COMPILED BY BROOKE MILLER & BRIAN RASH

ONGOING PROJECTS

KELLY LANE IMPROVEMENTS

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ALL INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE WAS UPDATED AS OF JULY 12. NEWS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE OR OTHER LOCAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS? EMAIL US AT PFHNEWS@COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM. Economic Development Corp. at a cost of about $18.23 million, up from an original estimate of about $11.7 million. The project will run east to west from FM 3349 to approximately the center of the 1,400-acre Megasite. Timeline: Early 2023-fall 2024 Cost: $18.23 million Funding source: city of Hutto Spine Road construction in Hutto On July 7, Hutto City Council approved an amended agreement that will advance a project to construct a major thoroughfare in the Megasite, a roughly 1,400-acre parcel of land in east Hutto earmarked mainly for indus- trial development. The agreement gives the project reins to the Hutto

agreement for construction management and inspection services with program management firm Volkert Inc. Additionally, council approved a $537,554 supplemen- tal professional services agreement with construction consulting firm Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson. City documents state the firm will provide professional engineering services associated with the Kelly Lane Phase 2 project. Quote of note: “This is a huge investment. ... It’s been a long time coming, and it’s a very important roadway,” said Andrea Brinkley, capital improvement projects director for Pflugerville. Timeline: July 2023-early 2025 Cost: $16.76 million Funding source: city of Pflugerville

Items worth mentioning: Pertaining to the Kelly Lane Phase 2 project, council also approved a $1.32 million

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Projects underway in your community

COMPILED BY BRIAN RASH & BROOKE SJOBERG

Switch data center completion expected in mid-summer 2024 All site work for the Switch data center under construction adjacent to the Dell Technologies campus is planned for completion next summer. In a nutshell: Bradley Dushkin, Round Rock’s assistant director of planning and development, said construction crews began work in March 2022 on the site for the future Switch data center, which is expected to be occupied by the end of 2024. The backstory: Switch is a high-performance computing technology infrastructure com- pany based out of Las Vegas, and its Tier 5 data center in Round Rock will constitute the company’s fth campus, called The Rock. Once complete, The Rock will be part of a large ecosystem of Switch campuses in Texas that will total more than 2 million square feet and 185 megawatts of power, according to informa- tion from the company.

Hutto annexes 200 acres to house large data center Hutto City Council approved an agreement to place a cap on property taxes for a large data center in the city’s Megasite, a roughly 1,400-acre tract of land on Hwy. 79 designated for industrial development. The specics : Approved July 20, the agreement pertains to a 220-acre parcel of land in far east Hutto that will house a data center from Dallas-based Skybox Datacen- ters and San Fransisco-based partner Prologis Inc. Called a Chapter 312 agreement, the tax abatement would last 10 years and cap property valuation at 50% over 10 years, according to city documents. The abatement agreement provides for $10 billion in assessed value, and city sta said existing property value within Hutto is $4 billion-$5 billion.

The Switch data center in Round Rock will be the Las Vegas company's fifth campus.

DELL WAY

45 TOLL

What they’re saying: Robert Elliott, Switch senior vice president of government and public aairs, said the project represents “hundreds of millions of [dollars of] investment.” He also said the project is anticipated to create over 100 temporary and permanent positions. Those positions will include Switch employees who will run the facility, co-located clients of the company and construction jobs.

101

Hutto Megasite

132

Data center

3349

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PFLUGERVILLE HUTTO EDITION • AUGUST 2023

DEVELOPMENT

BY BRIAN RASH

New HEB with BBQ restaurant to open fall 2024 in eastern Pugerville

The HEB Grocery Co. announced construction has begun on what will be the company's largest store in the Pugerville-Hutto area. What’s happening? The announce- ment came July 12 during an invite-only groundbreaking event at 2641 E. Pugerville Parkway, where the 127,000-square-foot store will be located, across from the Baylor Scott & White hospital. Zooming in: The company did not specify cost, but in March, HEB led a pair of construction permits with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation indicating a total investment of $48 million. HEB Public Aairs manager Johnny Mojica said the company plans to hire more than 500 employees at the new store, which will become the third with a Pugerville address.

The breakdown: The release states the new HEB will come with several features and amenities, including a True Texas BBQ restaurant. Also of note: During the ground- breaking, HEB ocials made dona- tions to several local organizations. Those include: • Pugerville Education Foundation: $5,000 • Circle of Hope Community Center: $5,000 • For the Children: $5,000 • American Legion Kerlin-Lyerly Post No. 154: $5,000 Quote of note: “This store ... is a plus because a lot of our development obviously is moving and going east, and we have a lot of challenges in meeting the expectations of citizens on this side,” Pugerville Mayor Victor Gonzales said.

STORE AMENITIES The new H-E-B in Pugerville will include several departments. Full-service bakery and tortilleria

Deli

Wine and beer department with sampling stations Full-service meat market and seafood center

A groundbreaking event for a new HEB grocery store in Pugerville took place July 12.

True Texas BBQ restaurant

130 TOLL

COLORADO SAND DR.

Cooking Connection area

Sushiya station

Texas Backyard station with outdoor products

SOURCE: HEB GROCERY CO.COMMUNITY IMPACT

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NEWS

BY BRIAN RASH

Annual Hutto country music festival with big draw canceled The Texas Music Network issued a July 14 release stating Kokefest, a country music festival held each August in Hutto, is canceled for 2023. Kokefest was canceled in 2018 due to inclement weather, but a reason for the cancellation of the 2023 festival was not provided in the release or on the Kokefest website. The 2023 festival was scheduled to take place Aug. 4-5 at Adam Orgain Park, 1001 CR 137, Hutto. Information on the festival website states ticket holders will receive an email notication letting them know when their refund has been initiated. A message on the Kokefest website thanks its artists, vendors, supporters, fans, concert-goers, clients and listeners. It also states an outpouring of support over the years that has allowed the festival to continue since it began in 2017. Representatives from the Texas Music Network did not respond to multiple requests for further information about the festival cancellation, including the reason for the decision and whether

FESTIVAL IMPACT The 2023 Kokefest would have been the festival's sixth in Hutto. Below are recent key impact gures. 2022 • Attendance exceeded 20,000 • 26% of attendees were from out-of-state • 13% of attendees were from the Austin metro area • $100K was spent at local businesses as a direct result of the festival 2021 • Attendance exceeded 25,000 • 22% of attendees were from out-of-state • 21% of attendees were from the Austin metro area • $100K was spent at local businesses as a direct result of the festival

Attendees get ready to see live music at a recent Kokefest music festival. (Courtesy 613 Media)

SOURCE: KOKE FMCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Kokefest will return to Hutto in the coming years. Acts booked at the 2023 festival included Whis- key Myers, Sammy Kershaw, William Clark Green, Kaitlin Butts, The Weathered Souls, Jon Pardi, Riley Green, Kolby Cooper, Kevin Fowler, Treaty Oak Revival, Jacob Stelly, Juliana Rankin and DJ Du. Kokefest has hosted several big-name country acts over the years, including Cody Johnson and Clay Walker, and has a draw of more than 20,000 attendees. In 2022, roughly 26% of Kokefest attendees were from out-of-state, according to

gures from KOKEFM, and it was named Festival of the Year at the 12th annual Texas Regional Radio Music Awards. Allison Strupek, director of communications for the city of Hutto, said city sta and ocials were as disappointed as anyone to hear the news. “We have no further information on what must’ve been a very dicult decision by Texas Music Network,” Strupek said. Community Impact will update this story as more information becomes available.

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PFLUGERVILLE HUTTO EDITION • AUGUST 2023

ENVIRONMENT Community responds as temperatures soar

HEAT-RELATED CALLS ON THE RISE

The number of heat-related 911 calls Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services has responded to has increased consistently over the past three years. Williamson County Emergency Medical Services also responded to more heat-related calls this June versus June 2022.

Record-breaking heat has taken over Central Texas this summer, and weather experts predict this will continue through at least September. As a result, officials are offering to help residents beat the heat. The National Weather Service issued the first heat advisory of the year for Central Texas on June 13, and the area has been under a heat advi- sory most days since then. The region reached a record heat index value of 118 degrees June 21, and experts suggested the future will be filled with an increasing number of heat waves, according to the NWS. John Moore, a meteorologist for the National Oceanic and Atmo- spheric Administration, confirmed Central Texas has a 50%-60% proba- bility of experiencing above-average temperatures well into September. Mike Knipstein, Williamson County Emergency Medical Services director, also confirmed the hotter-than-nor- mal temperatures in Central Texas. BY AMANDA CUTSHALL & CHLOE YOUNG

“It looks like July is going to be our record-breaking [month] related to heat emergencies,” said Knipstein, explaining Williamson County EMS had responded to 33 heat-related calls as of July 18 and was on track to receive 55-60 calls by the end of the month. In June, Williamson County EMS set a record of 49 heat-related calls, a 25% increase from June 2022, he said. The county’s record for the most heat-related 911 calls was last set with 49 calls in July 2022. Knipstein said the county has also seen an increase in heat stroke calls, responding to five heat stroke-re- lated emergencies in July 2022 and four in June 2023. Anna Madrigal, program manager for Family Eldercare—an organiza- tion that gives free fans to those in need—said nearly 5,000 fans had been distributed this year as of July 21, assisting nearly 200 families in Williamson County. The organiza- tion distributed 7,200 fans in 2022.

Williamson County EMS 911 calls

15 30 45 60 0

June 2021

June 2022

June 2023

SOURCE: WILLIAMSON COUNTY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Austin-Travis County EMS 911 calls

50 100 150 200 0

June 2021

June 2022

June 2023

SOURCE: AUSTIN-TRAVIS COUNTY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES/COMMUNITY IMPACT

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CITY & COUNTY

News from Hutto & Pugerville

COMPILED BY BRIAN RASH

Pugerville City Council will meet Aug. 22 at 7 p.m. 1611 E. Pfenning Lane, Pugerville 512-990-6101 www.pugervilletx.gov Hutto City Council MEETINGS WE COVER HUTTO On July 20, city ocials approved several dates to nalize budget planning and discuss the scal year 2023-24 tax rate. On Aug. 17 and 24, City Council will hold two nal workshops to complete the budget, and on Sept. 7 and 21 council will hold two budget hearings. The city of Hutto budget for FY 2023-24 must be approved before Oct. 1. HIGHLIGHTS PFLUGERVILLE Ocials approved an update to the city’s interlocal agreement with Austin Public Health on July 25. Included in the updates, APH will not charge the city fees related to health inspection services, and the certied Farmers Market is now included in the agreement.

Hutto to seek $750K state grant for Fritz Park overhaul HUTTO A plan to turn Fritz Park—located just east of The Co-Op mixed-use development in Hutto—into a center- piece for outdoor recreation for the city is moving forward.

The specics: On July 20, Hutto City Council approved a plan to apply for a grant from the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department that will cover $750,000 of the project cost. Hutto Parks and Recreation Director Je White said the grant application is due Aug. 1. Applications will be considered through November, and if approved, the grant would be awarded in January. White said the grant, if approved, mandates a four-year window for completion, and the Fritz Park improvement project would have to be completed by January 2028. More background: At a July 6 meeting, city ocials discussed a $1.25 million construction plan with Burditt Consultants to move the process forward to redesign the park into “an authentic agship destination and gathering place in Hutto,” according to city documents. Among several other projects, the Fritz Park overhaul is included in the city’s park’s master plan, which ocials approved in December. The improvements are planned to provide the park with amenity and facility programming that will encourage daily, year-round use and are budgeted for a maximum of $9.73 million. Funding is largely coming

Hutto ocials are working to turn Fritz Park into a centerpiece of recreation for the city. (Rendering courtesy city of Hutto)

PLAN BREAKDOWN A Texas Parks & Wildlife Department grant would pertain to improvements at Fritz Park and breaks down as follows:

$90,000 for professional services $660,000 for new construction and renovations

Park improvements will cover:

• Playgrounds • Landscaping • Splash pads • Sports courts

TOTAL $750K

SOURCE: CITY OF HUTTOCOMMUNITY IMPACT

from a $125 million city bond—$50 million of which was designated for city parks—voters approved in 2018. City documents state public feedback gathered following the approval of the parks master plan showed a redesign of Fritz Park ranked as the top parks priority among Hutto residents.

will meet Aug. 17 at 7 p.m. 500 W. Live Oak St., Hutto 512-759-4033 www.huttotx.gov

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DISTRICT DATA

Data and information from local school districts

COMPILED BY BRIAN RASH

ROUND ROCK ISD

PFLUGERVILLE ISD

HUTTO ISD

Of the three school districts examined in this report, only Round Rock ISD dropped consistently in enrollment from the 2020-21 school year to the projected gures for the 2023-24 school year.

The number of teachers in PfISD dropped slightly from the 2019-20 school year to the 2022-23 school year. In the same time period, student enrollment increased slightly.

Out of the three local school districts examined on this page, only Hutto ISD increased the number of teachers on sta from the 2019-20 school year to the 2022-23 school year.

SOURCES: HUTTO ISD, PFLUGERVILLE ISD, ROUND ROCK ISD, TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCYCOMMUNITY IMPACT

STUDENT ENROLLMENT

TOTAL NUMBER OF TEACHERS **

Percent change from 2020-21:

-8.78% -0.94% +25.17%

4,000

3.8%

3,200

+1.22%

2,400

1,600

+23.24%

800

2020-21

2021-22

2022-23

2023-24*

*PROJECTED

**TOTAL IS THE FULLTIME EQUIVALENT AND MAY INCLUDE PARTTIME POSITIONS. 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22

2022-23

PFLUGERVILLE HUTTO EDITION • AUGUST 2023

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