City Council Packet Brief - July 22, 2025: Briefings on Parks, Utilities, Transportation, and Other Agenda Items
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City Council Packet Brief - July 22, 2025
The Round Rock City Council held a packet briefing on July 22, 2025, to discuss and ask questions on agenda items for the upcoming July 24, 2025, City Council meeting. Staff presented on 12 resolutions and a budget work session placeholder. No formal votes were taken; the session focused on staff presentations and councilmember questions.
Discussion Items
- H1 – Town Green Park Contract (Mills Construction): Staff recommended a $4.8 million contract with Mills Construction for a full renovation of the downtown water tower park. Mills was the highest of three bidders (lowest ~$3.7M). Staff justified the selection based on Mills' experience with downtown park projects. Councilmember Flores asked about timeline (270 days, starting August 2025) and features (restrooms, storage, homage to historic gas station, light-up play structures, natural turf lawn). Staff noted that lights for the water tower have been ordered.
- H2 – Amazon Just Walk Out Expansion: Staff reported $324,000 in sales in the first year at the Sports Center Amazon store, a 29.6% increase over traditional concessions, with an average shopping duration of 2.5 minutes. The new contract for the expansion includes a $49,387 setup fee and $2,113.50 monthly fee (total $126,797.50 over five years). Councilmember Flores asked about product offerings; staff noted they now offer 10 sodas, 12 energy drinks, 20 chip varieties, and average $7–$8 per trip.
- H3 – Forest Creek Golf Club Equipment: Staff proposed a $415,727 purchase order (with $27,000 trade-in) for John Deere equipment, split in half to avoid a large upfront payment. The golf course will repay the city with interest over 48 months. Councilmember Flores complimented course conditions.
- H4 – Encore Rate Increase Suspension: Encore filed an application to increase rates. Staff recommended a 90-day suspension to allow legal counsel for the coalition to review documents and possibly intervene or appeal. Councilmember Montgomery asked about frequency; staff noted annual increases are possible but not required.
- H5 – Transportation Economic Development Corporation Budget: The Type B board will consider a five-year plan totaling $428.9 million ($384M transportation, $34.4M economic development, $10.5M parks). Councilmember Flores asked about the "other contributions" line; staff cited grants, interest earnings, and developer contributions.
- H6 & H7 – Cap Metro MOU and Funding: An MOU update adds $110,000 in federal 5339 formula funds for transit. A separate item is the annual federal funding disbursement application. Councilmember Flores requested transit usage statistics and mobility-on-demand updates for the Thursday meeting.
- H8 – Old Settlers Park Low Water Crossing: A $6.8 million allocation from Type B funds for a 550-foot bridge over Harrell Parkway low water crossing north of Del Diamond. Completion estimated April 2027. Subject to Type B board approval and council vote on Thursday.
- H9 – Chisholm Trail North Change Order: A $136,000 change order with Smith Contracting for water line and stormwater relocations. Project to be two lanes each direction with center turn median, traffic signal, then narrowing to one lane each direction toward frontage road. Completion February 2026. Councilmember Flores asked about connection to future Eagle Ridge extension.
- H10 – Green Lawn Project Testing Contract: A $127,000 consulting services agreement with Robokisten for materials testing (asphalt, concrete, soils) for the Green Lawn road extension (frontage road to SH 45). Completion summer 2027.
- H11 – Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion Design: A $567,000 supplemental contract with Plummer and Associates to design expansion from 30 MGD to 40 MGD, including two clarifiers, aeration basin, and disinfection upgrades. Round Rock pays 90%, Austin 10%. Leander and Cedar Park get no additional capacity. Bid anticipated fall 2026. Staff noted the plant operates in the low 20 MGD range.
- H12 – Failed Construction Project Inspection Services: A $1.4 million contract with Plummer for inspection services to complete a delayed expansion project. Contract is time-and-material; staff expect early finish and recovery of most costs through liquidated damages. Round Rock's share is 12%.
- E1 – Budget Work Session: Placeholder item; council reminded of a retreat on Thursday morning at a different location.
Key Outcomes
- No votes were taken. All items discussed are scheduled for consideration at the July 24, 2025, City Council meeting.
- Staff will provide additional transit usage data and Type B board recommendation results at the Thursday meeting.
Meeting Transcript
Morning. I'll call the 730 packet brief into order. And please call the roll. Mayor Morgan. Here. Mayor Pro Tim Stevens. Here. Councilmember Lee. Here. Councilmember Flores. Here. Councilmember Fleming. Here. Councilmember Ortega? Here. Councilmember Montgomery. Here. All right. Susan Can you Case? Anybody wishing to speak? Seeing um staff briefing. Do you want to consider staff briefings and council member discussion and or questions regarding items on the agenda for the July 24, 2025? City Council meeting. So we have a mayor's special recognition of the fifth grade students who won the video contest for the our sponsored water education program. Staff presentation of sports management tourism. Anything on the consent agenda, anybody have any questions on? Okay. H1 can say resolution determine that mills development construction provides the best value for the city. Morning, Mayor and Council. The item before you is going to be a contract with Mills construction for the town green. This one's going to be in the amount of 4.8 million dollars, and what it does is give us a total facelift of this downtown water tower park. The Johnson building will be taking down sections of it, leaving probably the historic gas station as well as having a bathroom section there for those in the downtown. Then really rehabbing this whole park so that we will have a significant use in a great space for people in the downtown area. We had three bidders on this contract. Mills construction uh is actually the highest bidder in this one, uh, and we're recommending them because they have the history of doing parks like this in tight spaces in downtowns, understanding that there's going to be a lot of adapt uh adaptability, flexibility that's needed uh in this project. Uh they have done a lot of work in the Houston area and are moving to the Austin area. They have a local Austin office, uh, and they're excited about doing this project with us. So with that, I'd be happy to answer any questions if you have them. Questions? Councilmember Fleming. I definitely understand the methodology of having somebody with experience. I was just curious um why there was such a difference from the lowest to highest of about a million dollars is a pretty big difference. It's uh even when you look at the middle, it's uh I believe the second highest bid was 3.7, so we're about 1.1. Uh we have really tried to scrub a lot of the numbers with them and and get to the places that uh that they need to be. Uh it's hard to say why you have a million dollar gap when they're bidding some projects. We looked at some of the things that really needed to be looked at, the concrete, the site furnishings, things of that nature, and they're pretty standard. Uh, this one is going to be a lot with I guarantee you some of the money is going to be bringing crews from the Houston area to work here. So I see that being uh one of the reasons for some of the some of the costs going up. And then you think it's justified? Yes.
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