Mayor Craig Morgan writes a monthly column for the Round Rock Leader.

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It’s hard to believe that just one month ago, school was in session, spring break was around the corner and life was business as usual.

Now, the days blur together from news conference to news conference, and the weeks feel like months. Such is life in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the City of Round Rock, we’ve had to make tough decisions to protect the health of our citizens while balancing the need to continue doing business and keep our community moving forward in the right direction. The City’s business is essential — from our first responders and the employees who keep our water running, to those who ensure roads are being built and development doesn’t stall.

And as we all know, medical personnel, restaurateurs, grocery store employees and so many others have stepped up to meet our community’s needs in this uncertain time.

Our community has largely remained calm through this storm and, while we might have grabbed an extra pack of toilet paper from the grocery store just in case it’s not there the next time, we have not allowed ourselves to be driven or taken over by fear and panic.

For those of us involved in essential services, the worry is always there — we wonder if we’ve come into contact with someone with COVID-19, and if we are bringing it into our homes. I urge you, for the sake of those working hard to keep our community safe and functioning, to continue to follow the orders and guidelines being administered at the state and federal level to help slow the spread of this virus to avoid overburdening our systems.

It pains me to think that things might never quite be the same. So many of our neighbors have lost jobs, and our businesses have suffered losses that will be difficult to overcome. Our schools have had to adjust to new circumstances, and our local restaurants and grocery stores have changed their way of doing business to meet our community’s needs.

As I drive through our downtown on my way to City Hall, I still feel a sense of shock at how empty the streets are. This virus is a stark reminder the only constant in life is change, and the future isn’t always quite what we pictured it to be.

The good news is this — we have the power to decide how we enter this new normal, and all signs point to Round Rock responding in the only way we know how, which is to help our fellow neighbor.

I find hope in a new initiative we’ve created for small local businesses called Round Rock Cares. To establish this fund, the City of Round Rock, the Greater Round Rock Community Foundation, the Round Rock Chamber and Dell Technologies each donated $25,000. Our total raised to date, as of the end of the week of March 29, was approximately $150,000.

We were fortunate to have Nyle Maxwell, chairman of the Greater Round Rock Community Foundation, and his wife, Nancy, match the first $10,000 of donations dollar for dollar, and Emerson Automation Systems announced they will match the next $10,000. Our own Round Rock Police Foundation also stepped up to give $1,000.

At the end of last week, we had requests from 140 plus applicants with needs over $900,000. And while that amount may seem like an impossible number, let’s put it into perspective: if half of our residents each gave $30, together we could raise $1.5 million dollars to help meet all the needs of our small businesses.

I encourage you to consider participating by visiting roundrockcares.org.

There are many other ways people in our community are stepping up to take care of each other. Local sewing clubs are making masks for our first responders and medical personnel to use in the field. Round Rock Area Serving Center, Opportunities for Williamson and Burnet Counties and the Round Rock ISD are distributing food to those in need.

Our City departments that offer quality of life services, such as Parks and Recreation, Sports Management and Tourism, and the public Library, have found creative ways to keep our minds and bodies active in this uncertain time, even from inside our homes.

We encourage you to not only stay up to date on information about COVID-19 but see all the ways you can help others at roundrocktexas.gov/coronavirus. Be sure to visit our resources page for an interactive tool to find resources available in Williamson County by ZIP code.

Round Rock helping Round Rock is what we have done for years and we are counting on you to help again and make a difference. We’re in this together, and we will come out stronger than before. That’s who we are as Texans, and that’s the Round Rock way.

Library Director Michelle Cervantes writes a regular column for the Round Rock Leader. This one appeared online on March 30.

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Thursday morning, I emptied the outside book return at the library, and there were only a few items to quarantine. Not enough to fill one shelf on the book cart.

This time last year we were recovering from one of our busiest spring break seasons on record. This year is completely different.

In the book return, there was a copy of the Leader. A front page caption read, “The Round Rock Public Library has closed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.”

I still can’t believe it. In my long career in public service, I’ve never experienced anything like this.

After a long week of stressful situations and difficult decisions, I went home, sat in my backyard to soak up the sunshine and sent my sister an Instagram message, “Livin’ la COVIDA loca.”

We are living in a crazy time right now. But serving during a time of crisis is nothing new to public libraries. We were there to help survivors after Hurricane Katrina and after 9/11, when the New York libraries opened mobile units.

The library has always been a refuge. This time is different, because we had to close our doors to the public. Once I got over the shock of that reality, it was time to figure out how to serve in a completely virtual world.

The next challenge we are preparing for is how to handle returned items. Whenever we reopen, we will have a wave of materials coming back to the library. Our plan is to follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to quarantine materials for the recommended period of time.

We understand the concerns that many people have about virus spread from contact with contaminated surfaces or objects. The quarantine plan is a precautionary measure, and unless materials were directly exposed to the virus, they are not contaminated.

On the bright side, this has been a great opportunity to share all of our digital resources with you. We don’t have to worry about having to quarantine ebooks.

The staff have been working diligently on projects such as moving the fiction collection, cleaning, inventory, virtual programs, virtual training, answering phone calls and emails, checking and posting on social media, updating the website and assisting other City departments.

Remember, the Round Rock Public Library is here to serve our community through tough times:

• Virtual library services remain available at all times, and we are expanding the digital collection.
• The book return is closed. Keep any items you’ve borrowed until we reopen or announce other options.
• We are waiving all late fees accrued during the closure.
• Staff are available to take your calls and emails, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday.

Thank you for your patience as we navigate these unprecedented challenges. Stay home, stay safe and hope to see you soon!

Thank you to the 1,200-plus residents who completed the COVID-19 online survey we published March 23-25. Your participation really helps. Information is power, particularly in slowing down the spread of the Coronavirus because there is much individuals can do. We, as your local government, can respond better to your needs when we have a clearer picture of what those are.

Below are top-line results to each question asked, and what the City has been doing. Here’s a link to the complete survey results, with names (and a couple of profanities) redacted. Spoiler alert: There’s some serious shade thrown at TP hoarders.

How knowledgeable do you feel about COVID-19?

What we heard: Over 90 percent of respondents say they are “very knowledgeable” or “somewhat knowledgeable” about COVID-19. 

What we’re doing: We asked the question to confirm our assumption that Round Rockers have a good handle on the basics of this global pandemic. Looks like you do. Still, we’ve been sharing links to trusted information sources like the Centers for Diseases Control (CDC) as well as state and local public health authorities. 

Where do you get up-to-date information on COVID-19?

What we heard: The top two sources are national news, cited by 71 percent, and Centers for Disease Control (CDC), at 67 percent. Local TV news was third at 56 percent. In the comments, lots of folks said they wanted to know where there are local cases.

What we’re doing: We created roundrocktexas.gov/coronavirus to share as much local information as possible. We’ve got the latest data from the local health district, links to state and local emergency orders, a list of closures and changes to City facilities and functions, as well as links to local resources for health, business, and schools.

Fewer than 30 percent cited two local outlets as the source of their information on COVID-19, so bookmark these for future reference: the Williamson County and Cities Health District, our local public health authority, and the State Health Department, formally known as the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Which, if any, have you done to be more prepared for COVID-19?

What we heard: Here are the top responses …

1. Washed my hands more frequently, 95 percent
2. Not shaking hands or touching people in public places, 90 percent
3. Avoided crowds, 88 percent
4. Stayed up to date on news for information on the virus, 88 percent
5. Stayed home more frequently, 87 percent
6. Kept space between myself and others while out, 85 percent
7. Avoided close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms, 78 percent

You guys are doing what it takes to flatten the curve. Way to go!

What we’re doing: Encouraging the entire community to keep it up! We’ve taken data provided by the Williamson County and Cities Health District to show exactly what the curve looks like in our corner of the world.

What are your household’s concerns right now regarding COVID-19?

1. Economic impact on my community, 69 percent
2. The safety of my community as the pandemic continues, 65 percent
3. Members of my household becoming infected, 64 percent
4. Economic impact on my household, 63 percent

What we heard: It sure looks the ancient wisdom of “Love thy neighbor as thyself” is being lived out here in Round Rock. Respondents care as much if not more about the well-being of the community as your their own family. 

What we’re doing: We sharing as much information as possible about how to support local businesses, including the Round Rock Cares fundraising effort, and what you can do to prevent becoming infected.

Which of these employment challenges are you or someone in your household facing (or likely to face) due to COVID-19?

What we heard: Note: This question was asked prior to the Stay Home Stay Safe orders from Williamson and Travis counties went into effect. The top response, at 38 percent, was “Workplace closed for an extended period.” Other top responses were “Job is ‘essential’ making COVID risk higher (e.g. first responders, health care providers, etc.)”, “Reduction in hours I can work” and “Self-employed with a decrease in business activity.”

What we’re doing: The City has partnered with the Round Rock Chamber, Dell Technologies and the Greater Round Rock Community Foundation to create Round Rock Cares, which will provide direct support to small businesses impacted the pandemic. We’re also encouraging residents to Shop the Rock to support our local businesses. The City is encouraging businesses to seek information and support from the Round Rock Chamber, and have created a Business Resources page on our website.

What kind of information would help your household the most in preparing for COVID-19?

What we heard: The No. 1 answer, from 50 percent of respondents, was “The geographic areas that have higher outbreak rates.” The No. 2 answer, at 44 percent, was “What to do if someone in my household shows signs of the virus?” No. 3, at 43 percent, was “How to access and make needed food and supplies last.”

What we’re doing: The Health District has been providing more detailed information on the location of Williamson County cases as the number of confirmed cases has grown. We have taken that data and created this dashboard so our residents can see which cities have confirmed cases, as well as other information on Williamson County cases being released. 

On what to do if someone shows signs of the virus, we’re directing residents to the CDC’s new “Self-Checker” which can be found on its What To Do If You Are Sick page. We reached out to H-E-B on the question of food and supplies, and created this video. The largest grocer in Texas says there’s no need to panic buy or hoard items.

What actions have you taken to assist your community with potential impacts and/or risk of COVID-19?

What we heard: The most common response, at 87 percent, was “Stayed remotely connected with family and friends,” followed by “Stayed educated on the virus and helped spread accurate information,” at 78 percent. Sixty percent reported supporting small businesses. 

It was the “Other” responses that are truly inspiring, but not all that surprising in big-hearted Round Rock. Here is a representative sample of the responses:

• “Brought supplies to a family who couldn’t find anything that they needed”
• “Babysitting a single dad’s daughter so he can go to work”
• “Avoided hoarding to allow more people access to essential products”
• “My whole family is at increased risk group and voluntarily sheltered in place to protect ourselves”
• “Donated masks to St David’s”
• “Provided financial assistance to extended family members whose jobs are affected by COVID-19.”

What we’re doing: Cheering on our amazing community of givers! It’s worth checking out the complete survey results just to read through this list, as well as the answers to our next question…

Do you have other ideas on how residents can help others in the community relating to COVID-19?

What we heard: There were 23 pages of ideas shared. Wow! 

Here’s where we saw lots of venting about hoarders. Too many to list, but here may be the most, um, direct: “Stop being a selfish, dirtbag, hoarder!”

What we’re doing: The most common idea was to develop programs to help connect those willing to help others with those who need help. Lots of neighborhoods are using NextDoor to accomplish this, but many are not or may not be on that app. To contact the City about donations, send an email to covid-19donations@roundrocktexas.gov or call 512-218-5419.

Thanks again for taking the time to communicate with us. As Mayor Craig Morgan said in his video message to the community when the Stay Home Stay Safe order went into effect, “Friends, we’re in this together. And we will come out stronger than before. That’s who we are as Texans, and that’s the Round Rock way.”

Mayor Craig Morgan writes a monthly column for the Round Rock Leader. This is a repost of his most recent feature.

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Last month, I delivered the annual State of the City address at an event at the United Heritage Center at Dell Diamond. While we had a packed house for the event, thanks to the Round Rock Chamber, I want to share with you the news that the State of our City is well-positioned for the future.

The City excels at master planning and has for many years. Our plans don’t sit on a shelf, gathering dust — they get done. That’s why our quality of life is so high and why we make so many “Best of” lists. We know we’re going to have an ultimate population of 250,000, so we’re making decisions today with that future population in mind.

Today, we are poised to address our most pressing strategic priority — improving our transportation system — in a big way. The City Council approved a five-year, $240-million roadway improvement program last year as the first major step to implementing our $1.2 billion Transportation Master Plan. You can expect to see several of these projects underway in the coming year as part of our “Driving Progress” campaign. In order to pay for this program, the Council has adopted roadway impact fees, which will be paid by developers, to create a more fair and dependable funding source for new road capacity. Second, we issued the first round of property-tax backed bonds to help pay for the aggressive road-building program. We continue to see the value of partnerships with entities like Williamson County and the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO), which have committed funding to several major road projects planned for Round Rock.

But it’s not all about new roads. The City continues to invest millions of dollars in a comprehensive street maintenance program to make sure our neighborhood and arterial roadways stay in top condition.

Progress on two other major projects will ensure the state of our City’s infrastructure will remain viable for years to come. We’ve recently completed significant improvements at the Brushy Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant at a cost $700,000 below the anticipated budget, and we started design on Phase 2 of the Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority project, which will draw water from Lake Travis to meet our long-term water needs.

Enhancing our historic Downtown district is another major strategic priority. In 2019 we made further strides to improving our one-of-a-kind Downtown. We completed a structural rehabilitation and added new lighting to our iconic water tower, adding character to the district at night. We purchased land for a new, expanded Library, which will enhance Downtown for years to come. Our art gallery on Main Street re-opened with a focus on more interactive programming, and residents can expect the continuation of great events like Music on Main, Beaujolais Nights, Christmas Family Night, Dia de los Muertos, the Fourth of July Parade and more.

Our tourism program continues to grow and succeed, and we have expanded its focus to include non-sports tourism as the Kalahari Resorts project nears completion. In 2019, we had more reason than ever to cheer Go Round Rock! We hosted three national championship events and received $78,000 in reimbursements from the Texas Events Trust Fund, and announced that Round Rock will host the Big 12 women’s soccer championship this coming fall, and for two years after that. Forest Creek Golf Club exceeded all expectations in its first year after a major renovation and finished in the black financially despite one of the wetter springs in recent memory.

Round Rock has a well-earned reputation for being one of America’s Safest Cities, and a number of initiatives in 2019 ensured we’ll maintain that status. Having the right tools and trained personnel in our Round Rock Fire Department allowed us to beat the national average for cardiac arrest survival rate by 4.6 percent. Our Community Risk Reduction program is a proactive approach  to find people in need before they have to call 9-1-1. We began construction of Fire Station No. 3 in La Frontera, which will improve response times in south Round Rock. Our outstanding Police Department made arrests in all three homicides we saw in 2019, and we successfully concluded our first independently operated Police Academy at our world-class Public Safety Training Center, graduating eight cadets who were sworn in as officers for our force.

Round Rock also has a reputation for being one of America’s most livable cities as well. There were a number of projects in 2019 that improved the quality of life we enjoy here even more. We completed a new section of the Brushy Creek East Trail between A.W. Grimes Boulevard and Georgetown Street. We increased our Neighborhood Services offerings to the community, helping neighbors to come together in meaningful ways. We successfully transitioned our hugely popular Chalk Walk event to a larger venue at Dell Diamond.

Following a public engagement process, the City Council approved an amended noise ordinance which has led to a better balance between businesses and residents in Downtown. Speaking of public engagement, we successfully interacted with our residents in the 2019-20 budget approval process and saw hundreds participate in a series of public meetings as we developed our long-term Comprehensive Plan, Round Rock 2030.

I could go on and on, but will wrap up this look back at 2019 by remembering two significant anniversaries we celebrated last year. The Round Rock Express played ball for a 20th season at the Dell Diamond, and Dell Technologies marked its 25th year in Round Rock. Both the Express and Dell Technologies came to Round Rock, in part, because of our strong planning. They both knew investing in Round Rock would pay off long term. It was a strength of our community two decades ago, and we’re even stronger and more well-positioned today to face whatever comes our way.

The future looks bright in Round Rock, and we know 2020 will be another successful year as we continue our tradition of putting our plans into action.

 

Mayor Craig Morgan pens a monthly column for the Round Rock Leader. This is a repost of his most recent feature.

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At a recent City Council meeting, we voted to rename the City of Round Rock’s new public works building for former City Manager Bob Bennett. During a presentation on behalf of the committee that nominated him, City Attorney Steve Sheets recalled a presentation Bob gave in the late 1970s at a Kiwanis Club meeting, at the time when the population was edging toward 5,000, with the city limits settled between Gattis School Road and Bowman Road, from Georgetown Street and Sunrise Road to Deepwood Drive to the west. The City had one traffic light at Mays and Main Streets, with no frontage roads along IH-35. Bob, who also served as the City’s first planning and zoning director, estimated that the City of Round Rock would reach a population of 100,000 by the early 2000s, which was unthinkable at the time.

During his time at the City, Bob oversaw the development of a Master Transportation Plan that identified the need for many of our roads that exist today: A.W. Grimes, Kenney Fort, Old Settlers, FM 1431, 3406, Dell Way, Chisholm Trail, Wyoming Springs, Forest Creek and Louis Henna. In 1979, when the City’s water wells went dry, Bob immediately went to work to purchase water from Lake Georgetown and proposed a bond sale to construct a new raw water line and water treatment plant. He also developed our first water conservation plan, and pushed for construction of the wastewater plant that we use today. Our partnerships with the Round Rock Express baseball team and Dell Technologies also have Bob’s fingerprints on them. Some of these decisions weren’t always obvious or popular in the moment they were made, but are now integral to our city operations and culture as a community.

Just as Bob once predicted that the City of Round Rock would grow to accommodate more than 100,000 people, we find ourselves having to plan for a future beyond our current understanding of our community as we know it today. Current projections indicate that our full build out will result in a population of about 250,000.

Last month, City Council held our annual two-day retreat, which allows us time to update and reprioritize our Strategic Plan, the foundation for all long-term City initiatives. Our long-term goals haven’t changed much over the past few years, but we do revisit and reprioritize them as needed to meet the changing demands we face. Our strategic goals for the next five years remain the same from last year: Financially Sound City Providing High Value Services; City Infrastructure: Today and for Tomorrow; Great Community to Live; “The Sports Capital of Texas” for Tourism and Residents; Authentic Downtown – Exciting Community Destination; and Sustainable Neighborhoods – Old and New. 

This year will certainly be a year that moves us toward our strategic goals. The new year kicked off with the construction of our Downtown parklets, which will be completed in June and include new trees, tables and chairs, additional landscaping, lighting elements and expanded walkable space for pedestrians. We also plan to release more information this spring on the progress of the new library, which will be built on East Liberty Avenue, a block north of the current building. That project will also create a need for us to look at moving forward on plans to continue investment into Downtown infrastructure, particularly in the northeast area. All of these projects, along with private investment, will continue the redevelopment of Downtown into a special place that brings families, friends and our community closer together.

This year will also see several road projects under construction. Last year, City Council approved the first round of funding for $240 million in road projects that will add capacity and connectivity to our road network over the next five years. Our first round of projects expected to break ground in 2020 include the widening of University Boulevard from I-35 to Sunrise Bouelvard, and from A.W. Gimes Boulevard to State Highway 130; the widening of Gattis School Road from Via Sonoma Trail to Red Bud Lane; the extension of Logan Street from Greenlawn Boulevard to A.W. Grimes Boulevard; and extensions along Kenney Fort Boulevard from Old Settlers Boulevard to Joe DiMaggio Boulevard, as well as from Forest Creek Drive to State Highway 45. Our partners at the Texas Department of Transportation will also break ground on RM 620 improvements in the coming months. Although the construction phase of these projects will cause some short-term headaches, the improvements will result in better, safer commutes in the decades to come.

As a City that’s always on the move, it’s important that Round Rock’s leaders regularly check our course to make sure we’re navigating a path that will get us not only where we want to be tomorrow, but 15 years from now and beyond. We owe so much of what we have today to seeds that were planted in the past, and it’s important for us to continue set up Round Rock’s future generations and leadership for even more success. 

In 2019, the City of Round Rock put in place funding strategies to accelerate transportation improvements over the next five years – and beyond. The intent is to step up the pace of implementation of the $1.2 billion Transportation Master Plan approved in October 2017.

The City Council approved Roadway Impact Fees in March 2019, which will be paid by developers to cover some of the costs of expanding our transportation network necessitated by their projects. In April 2019, the City issued $30 million in certificates of obligation to begin work sooner rather than later on major roadway improvements such as widening Gattis School Road and University Boulevard.

The City has a target of investing a minimum of $240 million over the next five years to improve roadway capacity and connectivity in a program we’re calling Driving Progress. To reach that total, the City plans to issue additional COs over the next four years.

Other funding sources include our half-cent, Type B sales tax revenues, state and federal funds like those received through the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO); and partnerships with private developers. Funding for Round Rock projects is also expected via the general obligation bonds approved by Williamson County voters in November.

Here are some of the projects expected to break ground in 2020:

• University Boulevard widening from the IH-35 frontage road to Sunrise Boulevard.
• University Boulevard widening from A.W. Grimes Boulevard to SH 130.
• Gattis School Road widening from Via Sonoma Trail to Red Bud Lane.
• Logan Street extension from Greenlawn Boulevard to A.W. Grimes Boulevard.
• Kenney Fort Boulevard extension from Old Settlers Boulevard to Joe DiMaggio Boulevard (known as Segment 4).
• Kenney Fort Boulevard extension from Forest Creek Drive to SH 45 frontage road (known as Segments 2, 3).

Other projects in the Driving Progress program include:

• Gattis School Road widening from .25 miles west of A.W. Grimes to .2 miles east of Double Creek Drive (known as Segment 3).
• Wyoming Springs extension from Brightwater Boulevard/Creekbend Boulevard to FM 3406/Old Settler’s Boulevard.
• Red Bud Lane North widening from Wal-Mart at U.S. 79 to County Road 117.
• Red Bud Lane South widening from Evergreen Drive to Gattis School Road.

Partner in Progress

These lists don’t include the significant work being done by the Texas Department of Transportation in Round Rock, most notably the widening of RM 620 and improvements to IH 35.

September is Emergency Preparedness Month and the perfect time to make sure that you and your family are ready for whatever Mother Nature sends your way.

Over the years, Central Texas has witnessed the devastation that storms, flash floods and wildfire can cause. It’s time to take stock and ensure that if a weather event occurs here, everyone is ready. Knowing the risk and staying informed are two of the most important steps that can be taken in the preparedness journey.

Here are a few tips to help get started:

• Get local alerts through Warn Central Texas. Sign up for emergency warnings by voice, text or email at WarnCentralTexas.org.
• Make sure you have family evacuation and communications plans.
• Update your emergency supply kit. Remember to include any medicines needed, for both the two-legged and the four-legged family members.
• Follow City of Round Rock’s social media platforms to stay current on local events.

If we can’t reach you, we can’t alert you – register today for local alerts through WarnCentralTexas.org.