Round Rock City Council Packet Briefing

On March 24, 2026, at 7:30 AM, the Round Rock City Council held a packet briefing to discuss and ask questions on items scheduled for the March 26, 2026 City Council meeting. No citizen comments were made during the citizen communication period. The briefing covered multiple staff presentations, including updates on police consulting services, road construction testing, automatic fire aid agreements, bond refunding, Title VI compliance, out-of-city water services, water treatment transmission agreement renewal, and expansion of the commercial facade improvement program boundaries.

Consent Agenda Discussion

• Item H6 (Police Professional Consulting Services): Councilmember Fleming asked about the nature of the consulting services. Police Chief explained it involves written examinations and assessment centers used for hiring cadets and promotional processes. The contract is a supplemental agreement; the fire department has switched to a different consultant but remains on this contract as a fallback. Fleming also asked about lateral hires; Chief confirmed a new competitive process allows one-for-one year credit up to 10 years for lateral officers, bringing experienced officers on the street quicker while still requiring training "the Round Rock way."
• Item H7 (Nuclear Density Testing): Councilmember Ortega inquired about nuclear density testing for the Gladys Cole segment six project. Staff member Michael clarified it is geotechnical professional services for materials testing (subgrade, concrete, asphalt) to ensure quality control. The term "nuclear density" refers to laboratory testing methods for concrete breakability and density compliance.

Staff Briefing Items

• Auto Aid Agreement with Travis County ESD2 (Flugerville Fire): Fire Chief presented an auto aid agreement limited to structure fires only. EMS services were excluded due to long response times in previous agreements. The agreement ensures the closest truck responds to incidents. Councilmembers discussed protocol, number of units (minimum 6 fire trucks and 2 battalion chiefs, approximately 20 firefighters), and affected stations (3, 4, 8). Chief noted Flugerville runs similar structure fire volume. The previous Travis County auto aid agreement was terminated because Round Rock was responding into Austin but Flugerville was not responding accordingly. This one-off agreement covers Flugerville and Sand Bass. Councilmember Fleming asked about necessity; Chief confirmed it provides faster service.
• Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority (BSRUA) Bond Refunding: Kevin presented a refunding opportunity for bonds issued 10 years ago ($53.995 million). The call option allows redemption at favorable market conditions. Principal to be refunded: $34.97 million. Current coupon: 3.93%; estimated new rate: 3.33%, resulting in net debt service reduction of $1.297 million and net present value savings of 3.02% (above the 2% benchmark). The BSRUA board will consider the item on March 25 before council consideration on March 26.
• Title VI Program Adoption: Staff presented the required triennial update for the city's transit program, covering non-discrimination guidelines for Round Rock Rides (mobility on demand) and Cap Metro fixed route. Staff recommended approval.
• Out-of-City Water Service Agreement with Whittlesey Real Estate: Michael explained an agreement for a property in the ETJ with mulch piles needing water to prevent fires. The city will provide a permanent 2-inch water meter (8 living unit equivalents, $33,000 water impact fee). In exchange, Whittlesey built a water main extension and granted an easement for detention for Green Lawn Boulevard expansion. The property pays out-of-city rates (twice the irrigation rate). If the property changes use or is sold, the agreement terminates and annexation will be required. Councilmember Fleming asked about rates; Michael confirmed out-of-city rates apply. Councilmember Flores asked about current water source; Michael said they use a construction meter attached to a fire hydrant, which is temporary.
• Water Treatment Transmission Agreement with Georgetown: Michael presented a five-year renewal of an agreement to treat up to 3 million gallons per day of Georgetown's water from Lake Georgetown at Round Rock's Westinghouse water treatment plant. The city earns a 10% rate of return. The agreement includes drought contingency cutbacks (reduce to 1.5 MGD if plant reaches 44 MGD for three consecutive days). Councilmember Fleming asked about total payments over the previous five years; staff will provide figures at the March 26 meeting.
• Commercial Facade Improvement Program Boundary Update: Joe presented the update. The pilot program had two areas on Mays Street. To date, three grants awarded ($215,000 total) leveraged $292,560 in owner investments. Renaissance Square owners are now considering redevelopment as mixed-use with multifamily, retail, and restaurants. Staff recommends extending boundaries to unify the Mays corridor and add Round Rock Avenue (from Deepwood Drive to IH-35 frontage). Councilmembers praised the program. Councilmember Flores asked about eligibility depth (entire shopping center if entrance is on corridor) and whether multiple parcels by same owner cap at $100,000 total; staff indicated they would consider total grant per ownership. Councilmember Ortega asked about increasing grant amounts; staff noted annual GSF budget is $100,000.

Public Hearings Scheduled for March 26, 2026

• CDBG Needs Assessment (Item J1): Staff announced a public hearing for the CDBG action plan needs assessment at the March 26 meeting. HUD requires two hearings; the second will be in June. Current year funding is approximately $642,000, with similar amount anticipated. Two home repair recipients plan to speak in support.
• Annexation of Right-of-Way (Item J2): This was a repeat item from previous months; no questions were raised.

Key Outcomes/Next Steps

• No formal votes were taken during this briefing. The council and staff discussed and clarified all agenda items for the March 26, 2026 City Council meeting.
• The items will proceed to the March 26 meeting for public hearing (J1), consideration, and potential approval.
• Staff will provide additional information (Georgetown water payments) at the March 26 meeting.
• The facade improvement program boundary update will be considered for approval at the March 26 meeting.