Round Rock City Council Meeting - June 26, 2025

The Round Rock City Council met on Thursday, June 26, 2025, at 6:00 PM in City Council Chambers, 221 East Main St. The meeting included a Teen UniverCity graduating class presentation, a Planning and Development Services department update, consent agenda approval, four resolutions, and three ordinances on first reading (H1, H2, H3), all of which were approved unanimously. The council also went into executive session at 7:15 PM.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes from the June 12, 2025, City Council meeting were approved unanimously.
• A revised resolution authorizing submittal of an application to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles for continuation of funding through the Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority Senate Bill 224 Grant Program was approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No citizen communication cards were submitted at the start of the meeting.
• During the H1 public hearing, Bob Pacula, owner of the property at 808 E. Palm Valley Blvd, spoke in support of the adjacent rezoning and asked whether it would be advantageous to change his property's zoning to MU-R as well. The Mayor suggested staff discuss the process with him after the meeting.

Staff Presentations

• 2025 Teen UniverCity Graduating Class: Joe Breen, Community and Neighborhood Services, presented the fifth class of Teen UniverCity. Nineteen students from Round Rock high schools completed 30 hours of programming over two weeks, learning about city departments. Two graduates, Kiala D'Souza and Ishaan, delivered commencement remarks, highlighting free city resources like the Tool Depot and seed library. Councilmembers congratulated the students and encouraged them to consider future careers in Round Rock.
• Planning and Development Services Update: Bradley (presenter) provided an update. The city's estimated population is about 139,000, with a growth of more than 6,000 people this past year (normal is 2,000–4,000). In the last year, 720 single-family building permits were issued and 28,918 building inspections were completed. 107 site permit reviews occurred in 2024, down from 136 in 2023; 72% of permits were approved in two or fewer review cycles (80% goal). Upcoming initiatives include downtown zoning, non-residential parking requirements, and new landscaping requirements. Two state laws affecting cities over 150,000 population will impact Round Rock in the future: one requiring mixed-use/multifamily by right in commercial zones, and Senate Bill 15 prohibiting minimum lot sizes larger than 3,000 square feet for previously unplatted greenfield tracts. Councilmember Ortega expressed concern about parking and garage requirements, noting hail damage concerns, and suggested monitoring for possible local incentives.

Resolutions

• G1 – BCRUA Reimbursement Resolution: Approved unanimously, expressing official intent to reimburse certain expenditures for the Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority regional water treatment plant project with future bond proceeds.
• G2 – Over-Sized Main Reimbursement Rate: Approved unanimously, amending the fee to reimburse developers for oversizing water/wastewater lines from $2.60 to $13.50 per diameter inch per foot.
• G3 – Wyoming Springs Segment 1 Change Order No. 1: Approved unanimously, authorizing the Mayor to execute a $460,000 change order with Capital Excavation Company on the ~$26 million roadway project, which remains on schedule for November 2026 completion.
• G4 – BCRWWS East Plant Expansion Change Order No. 5: Approved unanimously, authorizing a $1.3 million change order with Thalle Construction Co. Inc. on the 30-million-gallon-per-day wastewater plant. Round Rock's 12% share is $157,000; Austin, Cedar Park, and Leander will pay the remainder. The project is running late, and liquidated damages will be discussed later.

Ordinances

• H1 – FLUM Amendment (802 E. Palm Valley Blvd): Approved unanimously with second reading dispensed. The Future Land Use Map was amended from residential to mixed-use for 0.469 acres to facilitate the associated rezoning. The applicant plans a retail/coffee bar/restaurant on the ground floor and beauty services upstairs. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval unanimously.
• H2 – Rezoning (802 E. Palm Valley Blvd): Approved unanimously with second reading dispensed. The property was rezoned from OF-1 (General Office) to MU-R (Mixed-Use - Redevelopment and Small Lot). The MU-R district allows the building to be placed closer to the street with less restrictive setbacks, enabling better site utilization.
• H3 – Partial Tax Exemption for Historically Significant Properties: Approved unanimously with second reading dispensed. The council granted 75% city property tax exemptions to 51 of 52 qualifying historic properties (12 residential, 39 commercial) for 2025. One property was denied due to unresolved exterior work performed without a required Certificate of Appropriateness and ignored paint issues; the owner would have saved approximately $2,000.

Council Comments

• Councilmember Lee invited the community to the Fourth of July parade and Old Settlers event.

Executive Session

• The council recessed into executive session at 7:15 PM to consult with the City Attorney regarding potential litigation related to signage at 16420 RM 620 (Section 551.071) and to deliberate economic development incentives (Section 551.087).

Key Outcomes

• All consent agenda items, resolutions G1–G4, and ordinances H1–H3 were approved unanimously.
• The council dispensed with second readings for all three ordinances (H1, H2, H3) by unanimous votes.
• The meeting was recessed into executive session pending further action.