Round Rock City Council Packet Briefing - September 9, 2025
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Round Rock City Council Packet Briefing
Meeting was called to order at 7:30 AM on Tuesday, September 9, 2025. Roll call established a quorum with all seven council members present. The briefing covered staff updates on the fire department labor agreement, a water line relocation change order, a transit interlocal agreement amendment, property tax ratification, and council appointments.
Consent Calendar
- No consent calendar items were discussed as a separate section; items G2, G3, G4, and appointments were individually briefed.
Discussion Items
- Fire Department Meet and Confer Agreement (D.1): Brooks presented the tentative agreement reached with the fire association. The contract, if approved by council on September 11, would run through September 30, 2028. Notable changes include affirming the 48/96 work schedule for suppression (previously a pilot), five percent annual pay increases each fiscal year through 2028, and a reduction from 14 to 13 steps in the pay plan in FY 2028. Vacation and holiday time will be considered productive time for FLSA. Adjustments to education and promotion provisions were made, and new incentives added: paramedic field training officer and radio programming. The association voted 125-0 in favor. Councilmember Montgomery asked about turnover rate; Brooks reported it is essentially zero (other than retirements), with overall city turnover under two percent. No further questions.
- Austin Underground Change Order (G2): Brian reported that a change order for $142,581.62 is needed for the raw water line relocation on State Highway 29 near Wolf Ranch. Unexpected subsurface utilities required lowering the boring activity, bringing the total project cost to just over $3.5 million. Work is anticipated to be complete in November or December 2025. Councilmember Flores asked about the timeline. No further discussion.
- Cap Metro Interlocal Agreement Amendment (G3): Brian presented the third amendment to the ILA with Capital Metro for transit services (routes 51/52 and commuter 980). The total ILA amount is $1,555,551, with roughly 50% covered by federal funding. The cost increased by 17% over the prior year due to rising provider costs. Routes remain unchanged except for minor time adjustments initiated by the city to improve on-time performance. Councilmember Flores expressed concern about cost-effectiveness, especially regarding the commuter service to Austin and the role of Microtransit (MOD). The mayor noted that Cap Metro’s costs are spread across a large area, and the city is evaluating service efficiency. No questions on the property tax item (G4) were raised at this time, but the mayor requested that staff repeat the budget presentation at the September 11 meeting for public benefit.
- Property Tax Rate Ratification (G4): Kevin reported that the budget remains at $789.7 million with a property tax rate of 37.2 cents per $100 valuation. The item (G4) ratifies that the property tax increase generates more revenue than the prior year. Adoption order will be budget first (H1), then tax rate (H2), then ratification (G4). Council agreed to have the presentation again on Thursday.
- Appointments to TIRZ and ZBA: The council considered reappointment of the president, vice president, and secretary of the TIRZ (tax increment reinvestment zone). No changes were proposed. Brad clarified that prior ZBA appointments would be adjusted: alternates who have been attending meetings would be moved to permanent positions, and vice versa. The affected alternate has been contacted and is willing to move up. Planning staff will conduct orientation for all new ZBA appointees, including alternates, to explain their roles.
Key Outcomes
- Staff will present the budget overview again at the September 11, 2025 city council meeting.
- The council signaled support for the fire department agreement, Cap Metro amendment, change order, and property tax ratification; formal votes will occur on September 11.
- ZBA appointment adjustments were explained and will be implemented after orientation.
- No formal votes took place during this briefing session.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning. I'll call the 730 packet briefing to order. And please call the roll. Mayor Morgan. Here. Mayor Pro Tim Stevens. Here. Councilmember Lee? Here. Councilmember Flores? Here. Councilmember Fleming? Here. Councilmember Otega? Here. Councilmember Montgomery. Here. All right. Any citizen communications and staff briefings? D1 considers staff briefings and council member discussion andor questions regarding items on the agenda for the September 11th. 2025 city council meeting. Anybody we're gonna have a presentation and update from the fire department. Anything on the consent agenda that anyone has any questions on resolutions, consider resolution authorized merit is cute meeting confer agreement with the fire department. So we got through another uh successful meet and confer with the fire department. This agreement, if approved by the council will go through September 30th, 2028. Some of the notable changes was affirming the 4896 uh work schedule for suppression that had been a pilot for a couple years and been really well received and successful. Um the pay plan will have five percent annual increases for each fiscal year through 28 with a reduction from 14 steps to 13 steps in their pay plan in fiscal year 20 uh 28. One thing to note is we have revised the annual presentation of salaries to standardize suppression and admin roles and pay rates. Uh that uh gives clarity to the actual cost annually of that service and better provides um uh actual admin rates, which we hadn't shown before. Uh vacation time uh as well as holiday time will be considered productive time for FLSA. Um they have uh multiple checks where they have regular scheduled overtime in the past that had been a challenge for them of taking vacation time when it wasn't considered productive time. Uh changes that the chiefs worked on with the um uh association were uh education and promotion provision adjustments and adding paramedic field training officer and radio programming as incentives. So a lot there. I'll cover it uh on Thursday as well. Uh we had multiple meetings over the past months. Uh we want to thank Brad, Sandra, Kevin, Chiefs Glazier, Assistant Chiefs Brunell, Assistant Chief Boyd, as well as the association for continuing to productively work together and discuss issues that affect our fire department and the provision of fire service in the community, and with this plan, we feel like it solidifies us as a premier provider of fire service in central Texas. Happy to answer any questions. Anybody have any questions? Councilmember Montgomery. Brooks, what's the turnover rate like for fire? Do we have any idea? Essentially zero other than retirements. So I think I you know, I was looking at the turnover rate numbers for the whole city, and we're under two percent annually, so our turnover is incredibly low and even lower in public safety. Okay, thank you. Any other questions? Do we know what the vote was on it? The vote passed uh at the end of August 125 to zero. Uh so universal support of the association. Okay. Well, thank you to everybody that was involved.
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