Round Rock City Council Packet Briefing – November 5, 2024
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Round Rock City Council Packet Briefing – November 5, 2024
The Round Rock City Council held a work session (packet briefing) on November 5, 2024, to review and discuss items slated for the regular City Council meeting on November 7, 2024. The meeting was called to order at 7:30 AM by Mayor Pro Tem Kristin Stevens. Present were Council Members Michelle Ly, Rene Flores, Melissa Fleming, and Frank Ortega. Mayor Craig Morgan and Council Member Hilda Montgomery were absent. No citizens spoke during the citizen communication period. Staff made presentations on each agenda item, and council members asked questions and received additional information.
Staff Briefings & Discussion Items
Finance and Human Resources Items (G1–G6)
- G1: Supplemental contract for design of the BCR WWS East Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion from 30 MGD to 40 MGD ($1.2 million total; Round Rock’s share $763,000, 60%). The supplement adds rehabilitation design work; expansion and rehab will be bid together. The interlocal cost split differs: expansion is Austin and Round Rock; rehab includes all four cities (Cedar Park, Leander, Austin, Round Rock). Staff answered questions about the project timeline (bid in about 1.5 years).
- G2: Contract with SJ and J Construction LLC for Logan Street culvert rehabilitation ($97,000). Three bidders; repairs needed due to exposed steel reinforcement. Council Member Flores asked about longevity; staff replied regular inspections every two years and this repair should buy significant time without full bridge replacement.
- G3: Renewal of employee vision benefits with Community Eye Care LLC, no rate increase for 2025-2026.
- G4: Renewal of long-term disability policy with Madison National Life Insurance, no rate increase for 2025-2027.
- G5: Renewal of stop loss insurance with United Healthcare for 2025; 9.5% increase (budgeted for 15%). Covers claims over $200,000 per individual. Council Member Flores confirmed the $200,000 threshold is per individual claim.
- G6: Renewal of dental contract with United Concordia Dental; no increase to city costs, slight employee increase due to added orthodontic benefit increase from $1,500 to $2,000.
Old Settlers Park Projects (G7–G9)
- Three reimbursement agreements with Atmos Energy for extending gas main lines to Rock & River (G7, $537,912 not to exceed $645,494), Multi-Purpose Complex (G8, $518,344 not to exceed $622,013), and Recreation Center (G9, $537,912 not to exceed $645,494). Staff explained the routings and that any underruns result in refunds to the city.
Fire Central Furniture (G10) – Purchase order for furniture for Fire Central remodel ($130,000) from Facilities Resource Inc. Includes new workstations, replacement of old furniture, and new conference room furniture.
Cooperative Purchasing Agreements (G11–G12)
- G11: Master interlocal cooperative purchasing agreement with Equalis Group LLC (14th co-op). Staff noted 75% of Round Rock restaurants and catering services are on this co-op, improving food procurement for events.
- G12: Interlocal agreement with City of Bastrop for joint/cooperative purchasing, requested by Bastrop.
Reimbursement Resolution (G13) – Annual resolution to express intent to reimburse certain project expenditures from bond proceeds. This year includes $187 million in eligible projects (roads, trails, parks, public safety); about $115 million expected to be issued in April 2025. Required by IRS for tax-exempt bond reimbursement.
Self-Funded Health Insurance Budget (G14) and Budget Amendment (H1) – Staff (Susan) presented the FY 2024-2025 self-funded health insurance budgets. The city is self-insured; reserves are maintained at 25% operating reserve. In 2024, claims exceeded expectations by about $400,000, but reserves were sufficient. Council Member Flores inquired about cumulative savings from self-insurance; staff will research industry data. The corresponding budget amendment (H1) covers the health fund and the golf fund (additional revenues offset additional expenses; golf fund is self-sustaining).
Uniform Services (G15) – Renewal with Unifirst Corporation for citywide uniforms (excluding public safety) at about $100,000/year.
Ordinances - Land Use and Zoning (H2–H3) – Continued public hearing on a 1.55-acre property at NE corner of East Old Settlers Boulevard and Fairview Drive. Staff provided additional information requested two weeks prior: access via median openings, prohibited uses in MUR (Mixed Use Residential) district (no standalone apartments, single-family, townhomes; commercial uses like auto sales, pawn shops prohibited) and examples of other MUR properties in the city (1110 McNeil Road, 100 Tower Drive, 201 Gaddis School Road). Council Member Fleming asked about road maintenance responsibility for Fairview Drive – staff stated the road is under county jurisdiction. Council Member Flores clarified that standalone townhomes are not allowed; only upper-story residential or accessory dwelling units with a mixed-use component. The applicant was absent previously due to a family emergency but will attend the November 7 meeting.
Key Outcomes
- No formal votes were taken; this was a work session to review items for the November 7 regular meeting.
- All resolutions and ordinances discussed will be considered for approval at the November 7 City Council meeting.
- Staff provided additional information on the MUR zoning and traffic access to address previous resident concerns.
- The council will have an executive session on an agreement (materials emailed) and possible action at the November 7 meeting.
- The meeting adjourned at 8:03 AM.
Meeting Transcript
All right. I will call the 730 packet briefing to order. Ann, please call the roll. Mayor Morgan. Mayor Pro Tim Stevens. Here. Councilmember Lee? Here. Councilmember Flores. Here. Councilmember Fleming. Here. Councilmember Ortega? Here. Councilmember Montgomery. Citizen Communication. Any citizen wishing to speak during citizen communication regarding items 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 2-26 B5 of the Round Rock Code of Ordinances 2018 edition. Any comments regarding items not on the posted agenda may not be discussed or responded to by the city council per state law. No one's here. All right. Staff briefing. Consider all staff briefings and council member discussion and our questions regarding items on the agenda for the November 7th, 2024 council meeting. We have staff presentations for finance and consider a presentation and appreciation of Valerie LeCour Francois, Director of Human Resources for 13 years of service to the City of Round Rock. Item F, approval of the minutes. Any questions about the minutes? Nope. All right, G, resolutions. Consider a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute supplemental contract number one with Plumber and Associates Inc. for the BCR WWS East Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion to 40 MGD project. Good morning, Mayor Pro Tim and Council. This is related to our regional wastewater plant, as you see in the picture. We are under design for the next expansion that will take the regional plant from 30 million gallons per day of capacity to 40 million gallons a day of capacity. The item before you is a supplemental for additional design work for uh rehabilitation work that's already there. So uh there's a lot of lot of infrastructure there, clarifiers, disinfection basins, all that uh that we wanna do some improvements to. Uh so what we're gonna do is add that design work to their contract. So we'll have a rehab uh work and then we'll have expansion work. The reason we're separating them because the cost participation of the four cities is different. So for the expansion, it's just uh Austin and Round Rock, and the rehab it's gonna be all four cities. Cedar Park, Leander, Austin, and Round Rock. So this ILA outlines that that split. The total contract will be 1.2 million dollars with Plumber, the design engineer. Round Rock is 60% of that number, which is about 763,000. So when they get the plans for both of them, when we go out to bid in about a year and a half or so, we will bid them to get put them together and get one contractor to do the rehab work and the expansion work. All four cities will be taking this. Uh I'm sorry, this supplemental is just Round Rock. Anytime we do interlocal agreements, but all four cities will take those to their councils. Be happy to answer any questions. Questions. Item G2 consider a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute a contract with SJ and J Construction LLC for the Logan Street culvert rehabilitation project.
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