The City of Round Rock in early 2009 began work on improving its land development processes. This effort is part of the City’s overall philosophy of continuous improvement, and builds on previous efforts to streamline the land development process.
The project began with the development and deployment of a confidential online survey, conducted by Plante Moran on behalf of the City and Round Rock Chamber of Commerce from Jan. 20 to Feb. 16, 2009, regarding our development process. More than 460 individual logins were created with approximately 230 completing one or more sections of the survey.
The survey responses were analyzed by an internal City work group and the results (PDF) were presented to the Round Rock City Council at its regular meeting on June 11, 2009. City staff recommended creating a Development Philosophy document to serve as a basis for future policy development. In August 2009, the Round Rock City Council discussed the development process as one of the summer retreat agenda items.
A Development Philosophy statement is being crafted which is intended to communicate a high level of the City’s philosophy when it comes to development in Round Rock. Once a final document is approved by Council, it will serve as the guiding philosophy from which the staff will propose policies and make process changes to ensure alignment with the Council’s vision. This should serve us well in many areas including helping make sure expectations are clear before a development project begins in Round Rock.
You can read the draft Development Philosophy statement here (PDF). We'd like to hear your opinion of this statement, on this blog, or comments can also be emailed to Assistant City Manager Cindy Demers at cdemers@round-rock.tx.us.
It's time for public input as the City Council considers the 2008-2009 budget and tax rate. The proposed $134.6 million budget and our strategic budget can be found here. They're huge documents, so be patient as they download. For an overview, you'll want to read the Budget Message that starts on Page 4 of the budget document.
We face a challenge as the City develops its budget this year. We are confronted by a general economic slowdown while our population continues to grow. Because we have successfully diversified our economy over the past 15 years, the City can continue to provide the core operating services our citizens rely upon.
The City of Round Rock’s budget planning is affected to a large extent by Dell, since the company’s presence here has such a significant impact on our finances. Because Dell’s corporate headquarters and sales staff are located here, the City collects sales taxes on most of Dell’s Texas sales. For the past two years, though, Dell’s sales tax revenue to the city is down.
The City has managed its reliance on Dell in a couple of ways. First, through a policy that limits a specific portion of Dell revenue for day to day operations while providing the remaining funding for large projects and debt reduction. Second, through an economic development strategy that focuses on bringing dollars to Round Rock from sources outside our community.
The twenty-four month general decline in Dell’s sales tax revenue appears to reflect a long-term shift, not a temporary downturn as we have seen in the past. So, the City Council is now considering a gradual shifting from sales tax to the property tax in a manageable and affordable way to maintain quality levels of service.
So what does that mean to you? At the tax rate the City Council is considering, the owner of the average value home would see their tax bill increase by about $33 next year. That $33 will help us maintain current service levels while adding staffing to police and parks and recreation.
The tax rate currently being considered by the City Council is 36.5 cents, the same as last year, which translates into a City tax bill of $676.84 for an average value home. Note: The 36.5 cent tax rate is slightly higher than the rate shown in the proposed budget documents we link to above. The original proposed budget included no new employees and was balanced at the effective tax rate of 35.1 cents (The effective tax rate is the rate that would provide the same amount of revenue collected last year from properties on the tax roll last year -- it does not take into account new properties added to the tax roll this year).
The City Council at an Aug. 20 meeting voted to consider the slightly higher rate after much discussion about the impact of Dell's declining sales tax revenue. We'll continue to closely monitor sales tax collections as the City Council makes its deliberations on the final tax rate.
The first public hearing on the tax rate will be 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4, in Council Chambers at City Hall, 221 E. Main St. A second public hearing, and first reading vote on the budget and tax rate, is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 11, during the regular City Council meeting. A final public hearing and second and final reading votes are scheduled for the Thursday, Sept. 25, regular meeting.
That's a long post, I know, but budgets and tax rates are not simple
issues to explain. You can watch a video about the budget on our access channel, Time Warner cable 10, at noon, 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m., 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., or online: Launch Video Player
U.S. Rep. John Carter of Round Rock introduced legislation that would rename the U.S. Postal Service office on Sam Bass Road after Marine Corps Corporal Steven Gill. Corporal Gill was killed in Zaidon, Iraq, on July 21, 2005, during his first tour of Iraq. Gill was from Round Rock. He attended Westwood High School.
The Washington Post's Capital Briefing blog has a great post on the bill. About 10 post offices have been renamed this year for soldiers who have died in the war on terror.
Carter made the following statement:
“I rise today to support this resolution honoring the memory of Marine Corps Corporal Steven Patrick Gill of Round Rock, Texas. In January 2002, Steven Gill placed his college education on hold to enlist in the United States Marine Corps. The events of September 11, 2001 moved Steven to take up arms to defend his country, and on July 21, 2005, he paid the ultimate sacrifice while deployed in Iraq to do just that.
“Steven Gill was born on November 3, 1980 to Bill and Rose Gill of Houston, Texas. After moving to Round Rock in 1993, Steven attended Westwood High School. He was an active member of King of Kings Lutheran Church and took part in numerous missions’ trips to help those in need. After High School, Steven enrolled at Concordia University in Austin where he studied toward his goal of becoming a youth minister in the Lutheran Church. As it did for many Americans, the tragic events of September 11th changed the course of Steven’s life.
“As Congress returns to work after honoring our nation’s war heroes, I am proud to offer this small tribute to one of those heroes. Steven Gill gave his life so that we may enjoy the freedoms of this great nation. It is my honor, as his Congressman and a resident of Round Rock, to honor his sacrifice here today.”
Upon completion of basic training, Corporal Gill received follow on training to become an infantry Marine rifleman at the School of Infantry, Camp Pendleton, California. He also attended Amphibious Reconnaissance School at Naval Amphibious Base in Norfolk, Virginia. On July 21, 2005, Corporal Gill was serving as a Reconnaissance Man with Echo Company, Third Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team-eight, Second Marine Division in Iraq when he was killed. Corporal Gill served one tour in Iraq and was awarded a Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Selected Marine Corps Reserve, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, two GWOT Service Medals and an Armed Forces Reserve Medal.
The Round Rock City Council approved the fiscal 2008 budget and tax rate on second and final reading Sept. 27, so the time for formal public comment is over. If you're still interested in learning more about the City's fiscal issues, we'll keep the complete budget posted on the City web site. We've also produced a video about the budget and posted it online.
The approved property tax rate is 36.522 cents per $100 of valuation. The average home value is $176,214, which translates into a City tax bill of $643.57. The tax rate includes the increase necessary to pay debt service on the final issuance of bonds approved by voters in 2001.
The budget includes new patrol officers, investigators and civilian staff for the police department. A new fire station will open later this year, and additional firefighters will be added to complete the department’s staffing needs.
The planned utility rate increase was also approved. It will go into effect Jan. 1, 2008. The new rate translates into about a 6 percent increase for the average utility customer.
When you combine the monthly impact to the average homeowner of property taxes and utility payments, Round Rock is the lowest in the region at $144.68. Compare that to the following: Leander $241.77, San Marcos $240.28, Hutto $226.33, Pflugerville $220.65, Austin $186.88, Temple $181.57, Cedar Park $176.31, and Georgetown $150.19.
Warning: Long post ahead.
We had 45 skaters and parents and half a dozen City staff meet this morning (Tuesday, Aug. 21) at the Clay Madsen Recreation Center to talk about the problems facing Round Rock's skate park. The atmosphere was fantastic. There was very little finger pointing or complaining. The focus was on what we -- and we do mean WE -- have to do create a family-friendly, safe, inviting environment at the park. Clearly, this is an effort that will succeed when city staff, especially from parks and police, work hand in hand with skaters and their families. Everyone wants the same thing: a park that's a pleasure to skate and hang out at, no matter your age.
Parks and Recreation Director Rick Atkins opened with a presentation of the problems the park has faced -- vandalism, trash and criminal mischief, primarily. He then outlined some of the planned improvements for the park:
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Trails
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Footpaths to the skate park as part of a playscape that will be constructed between the skate park and the basketball court
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A new gate at the south end of the park (an idea much welcomed by skaters. Many kids had been hopping the fence there to avoid getting their shoes muddy, which resulted in damage to the fence. Muddy shoes make it difficult to skate safely.)
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Water fountains
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Removal of the pavilion from the area north of the skate park. The pavilion used to provide shade for the former playscape, which has been removed. It now gives people a place to hang out that is out of sight from the parking lot behind the rec center. It simply attracts the wrong kind of behavior now, so we're taking it out.
It's worth noting here something we didn't bring up in the meeting. The skate park is actually a component of a larger project: the Greater Lake Creek Park Development. We did the skate park first because there was so much demand from skaters we didn't want to hold it up while the rest of the project was under design. So the playscape, water fountains, trails, etc., have always been planned. The skate park has been so popular that the problems created by lack of footpaths, water fountains, etc., have really been exacerbated.
Among the City's other recommendations are:
We then broke out into small groups to brainstorm other suggestions. A common theme was for skaters to set a positive example by picking up trash and behaving responsibly. Another idea was to create a skate park team, comprised primarily of skaters, that would monitor the park on a regular basis and maybe conduct trash pick up events. All agreed we need to do a better job of communication on skate park issues.
Here's the list of points brought up by the small groups:
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Proactive vs. reactive
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Communication between All!
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Accountability
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Construction of skate park constitution
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Volunteering (parental and older skater population)
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Taking pride in the fact that this facility is available to us ... and if we can make this successful the possibility of future skate parks
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No Bikes ...
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Add recycle bins
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Lock the gate
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No warning when lights go out (10 minute warning needed)
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More police presence at night
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Free decks for clean up go-getters
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Remove "no food and drinks" rule from sign -- it undermines credibility of other rules
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Plug in security cameras
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Every 2-4 hours "clean-up" sign with clean schedule
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Signage promoting positive behavior
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Later [hours] for adults
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Self patrolling by skate team with t-shirts
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People not being respectful to property should be disciplined -- up to CTW (criminal trespass warning)
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Bleachers for observers
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Skate at own risk on registration waiver
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Entrance improvements (jumping fence because of muddy conditions)
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Helmets
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Schedule to accommodate different age groups
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Bolt trash/heavier -- more permanent
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Register -- name, address, emergency contact or sign in each time. Pull cards
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BMX sessions or scheduled times
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Emergency phone outdoors
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Park police
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Designated smoking section or pavilion to sit and take a break
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Fix the cameras (we know they don't work)
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Sign with number to contact police (text ability)
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Back pavilion: really bad stuff going on
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Fund raisers
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Drug/cigarette man -- arrest
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Bike rack (no bikes at all in gates)
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Fountains (more than 1)
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Officers with rapport
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Most trash in evenings
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Suggestion box at Matt's (Mustache Skateboards)?
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Recycling bins
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More tables outside gate
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Gate at front
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Rubber tables (picnic)
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Razor wire, alligators
We'll be evaluating these suggestions in coming days and weeks. Some are easy and quick to accomplish, like recycling bins. Others will take more time. We're open to any and all suggestions. If you couldn't make the meeting but want to provide input, this blog is the place to do it.
Thanks to everyone who came out to the meeting. Those who did got cool T-shirts that read "Thrash It, Don't Trash It." Thanks to Matt Messner from Mustache Skateboards for his help in publicizing the meeting and encouraging skaters to bring positive attitudes to the meeting. They did. That positive vibe, as Matt noted at the meeting, needs to be firmly established at the skate park. Today's meeting was the first step in making that happen.
The City on Friday, Aug. 17, made the decision to close the new skate park for a week because of vandalism and other irresponsible behavior by park users. Kids have been climbing the fence, damaging it, instead of using the gates. Trash not finding its way into trash cans has also been an ongoing issue. Police have been called out frequently to the skate park on everything from theft to criminal mischief.
Closing the park the last week of summer vacation may seem especially harsh to some -- particularly the many responsible skaters -- but the City feels a strong message needs to be delivered. The City Council made a significant investment in the skate park -- $390,000, to be specific -- and is dedicated to doing all it can to ensure the skate park is a safe, clean place for kids and families to enjoy.
We're interested in what skaters have to say about the problems, and their ideas for solutions, so a meeting has been set up for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 21, at the Clay Madsen Recreation Center. You can also share your ideas here.
Local blogger Dan Masters recently found a video the Round Rock Chamber of Commerce produced about our fair city, and has some nice comments about it. "Life is Good in Round Rock, Texas" is a top-notch video, produced by Austin-based Megalomedia, and I encourage everyone to take a look at it (the You Tube video is embedded on Dan's blog). Dan and his family relocated to Round Rock from California, and he says the video accurately portrays our community.
Will Hampton
Communications Director
Welcome to Community Conversations, the City of Round Rock's new social media site. We are glad you're here and hope to hear from you soon, either in words or pictures.
With 93 percent of our residents on-line, and 89 percent of those with a high-speed connection, we figured there were a lot of you out there comfortable with things like blogs, photo-sharing sites and RSS feeds. For those of you who aren't, welcome to the blogosphere!
Our goals for this space are pretty straightforward:
- Provide additional channels of input for citizens and other potentially-affected interests
- Increase the transparency of the City's decision-making process
- Facilitate a sense of community
- Reach new audiences with City messages and information.
This is an experiment for us, and we hope it's a fruitful one. After a few months, we'll evaluate whether it's meeting the above goals, and make any adjustments necessary.
Instead of describing what's on the site, I'll let you poke around on your own. Suggestions - as long as they are on topic - are always welcome.
Speaking of "on topic," we do want your feedback on our Terms of Use. For those of you new to blogging, a Terms of Use document lays out the rules of engagement. For example, no profane language, no attacks on personal character, no advertising, etc.
The one item we've wrestled with the most with is Registration. You'll have to register to comment on a post. We'll be asking for your real name and address, which isn't the norm for many blogs, but it is important information to us. Your address is needed because we want to know what input is coming from residents and what's coming from non-residents. It's also important for us to know who's talking to us so we can respond to you outside the blog, if necessary. Finally, in all other forums for public input, we always ask for name and address. It's just how we do business when it comes to citizen participation in Round Rock. Note: You can have a screen name that's not your real name.
So have a look at the Terms of Use and let us know what you think. As noted earlier, we're open to suggestions for ways to improve Community Conversations. But please remember this: We haven't hired any new staff for this project, so we're somewhat limited in what we can add as well as what topics we can cover.
Talk to you soon,
Will Hampton
Communications Director