TEXAS GOV. ABBOTT’S EXECUTIVE ORDERS RELATED TO COVID-19
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a new Executive Order (GA-23) on May 18 to expand openings of more businesses and activities as part of the Open Texas plan. This Order expands on business openings outlined in Executive Order (GA-18) issued on April 27 and Executive Order (GA-21) issued on May 5. The following services and activities may open under Phase II:
Certain professional sports without in-person spectators (May 31)
These newly opened services are subject to recommended minimum standard health protocols outlined by DSHS. These protocols are available on the Open Texas webpage.
On Thursday, May 22, Gov. Abbott issued GA-24, which ended all quarantine requirements for those traveling into Texas from certain areas. This order supersedes GA-20.
MORE STATEWIDE ORDERS RELATED TO COVID-19
May 5: Executive Order relating to the expanded reopening of services
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a new Executive Order (GA-21) on May 5 to expand openings of certain businesses and activities as part of the Open Texas plan. This Order expands on business openings outlined in Executive Order (GA-18) issued on April 27. Per the Order:
Wedding venues and services required to conduct weddings may immediately open. Weddings held indoors other than at a church, congregation, or house of worship must limit occupancy to 25%. Wedding reception services may also resume, but facilities must limit their occupancy to 25% of the total listed occupancy. These occupancy limits do not apply to the outdoor areas of a wedding reception or to outdoor wedding receptions.
Beginning May 8, cosmetology salons, hair salons, barber shops, nail salons and shops, and other establishments where licensed cosmetologists or barbers practice their trade, may open, but all such salons, shops, and establishments must ensure at least six feet of social distancing between operating work stations. Tanning salons may also reopen under the same limitation. Also starting May 8, swimming pools may open subject to certain limitations, including on their occupancy or operating levels.
Beginning May 18, office buildings may open with the greater of five or less individuals or 25% of the total office workforce. These individuals must maintain appropriate social distancing. Gyms, exercise facilities, and exercise classes may also open on May 18, but must operate at 25% occupancy. Locker rooms and shower facilities will remain closed, but restrooms may open. Non-essential manufacturing services may also open on May 18 but facilities must limit their occupancy to 25%.
These newly opened services are subject to recommended minimum standard health protocols outlined by DSHS. These protocols are available on the Open Texas webpage.
April 27: Executive Orders related to Phase I of the Open Texas Plan
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued three new Executive Orders on April 27 relating to the Open Texas plan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
By way of Executive Order (GA-18), all retail stores, restaurants, movie theaters and malls are permitted to reopen on Friday, May 1. These services must limit their capacity to 25 percent of their listed occupancy. Within shopping malls, the food-court dining areas, play areas and interactive displays and settings must remain closed. All museums and libraries may open under the same 25 percent occupancy limitation, but interactive areas of museums must remain closed. State libraries and museums will open by May 1, and local public museums and libraries may reopen only if permitted by the local government. Single-person offices may reopen as well. Churches and places of worship remain open. Outdoor sports are allowed to resume so long as no more than four participants are playing together at one time. Certain social distancing practices must also be followed.
Executive Order (GA-19) relaxed certain restrictions related to health care professionals and issued amended requirements related to hospital capacity.
Executive Order (GA-20) eliminates the mandatory 14-day quarantine period for individuals traveling from Louisiana. Under GA-20, the mandated 14-day quarantine for travelers from the following areas remains in place: California; Connecticut; New York; New Jersey; Washington; Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan, and Miami, Fla.
April 17: Executive Orders To Begin Process of Reopening State
Gov. Abbott issued three Executive Orders on April 17 to begin the process of reopening the state of Texas while revising hospital capacity and certain social distancing guidelines. Within the orders, select activities and services that pose minimal to no threat of spreading COVID-19 are allowed to reopen using a “Retail-To-Go” model, certain restrictions on surgeries have been loosened and schools will remain closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year. Read the news release
The Governor’s first Executive Order established the Strike Force to Open Texas—a team of nationally recognized medical experts and private and public leaders who will advise the Governor on safely and strategically reopening the state of Texas.
The Governor’s second Executive Order (GA-16) relates to the safe, strategic reopening of select services and activities in Texas. This order establishes a temporary “Retail-To-Go” model that will allow retail outlets in Texas to reopen beginning Friday, April 24. Under this model, reopened establishments are required to deliver items to customer’s cars, homes, or other locations to minimize contact. Under this Executive Order, schools — including public, private, and higher education institutions — will remain closed for the 2019-2020 school year. Teachers may go into the classroom for video instruction, to perform administrative duties, and to clean out their classrooms.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a proclamation on April 12 renewing his Disaster Declaration for all Texas counties in response to COVID-19. Originally issued on March 13, the Disaster Declaration provides the state a number of resources to effectively serve Texans as the Lone Star State continues to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
March 31: Executive Order implementing Essential Services and Activities Protocols
Effective April 2, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott implemented Essential Services and Activities Protocols for the entire state of Texas through April 30:
The protocols direct all Texans to minimize non-essential gatherings and in-person contact with people who are not in the same household. Every person in Texas shall, except where necessary to provide or obtain essential services as defined by the Texas Department of Emergency Management, minimize social gatherings and minimize in-person contact with people who are not in the same household. The order continues school closures through May 4.
For the time period this order is in effect, people shall avoid eating or drinking at bars, restaurants, and food courts, or visiting gyms, massage establishments, tattoo studios, piercing studios, or cosmetology salons; provided, however, that the use of drive-thru, pickup, or delivery options for food and drinks is allowed and highly encouraged throughout the limited duration of this executive order. This order does not prohibit people from engaging in essential daily activities, such as going to the grocery store or gas station, providing or obtaining other essential services, visiting parks, hunting or fishing, or engaging in physical activity like jogging or bicycling, so long as social distancing protocols are being followed. Visitors are also prohibited at nursing homes, state supported living centers, assisted living facilities, or long-term care facilities. This executive order supersedes any conflicting order issued by local officials in response to the COVD-19 disaster, but only to the extent that such a local order restricts essential services allowed by this executive order or allows gatherings prohibited by this executive order.
March 30: 14-Day Quarantine For Travelers Arriving From CA, LA, WA, Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, and Miami
Effective March 30, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the following:
That travelers from California, Louisiana, Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit and Miami be added to the previously announced traveler quarantine for New York Tri-State Area and New Orleans (see below).
March 26: 14-Day Quarantine For Travelers Arriving From New York Tri-State Area, New Orleans
Effective March 26, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the following:
Mandatory self-quarantines for travelers arriving from New York Tri-State Area, New Orleans that will last a period of 14 days or for the duration of a person’s presence in Texas, whichever is shorter.
March 20: Original Executive Orders To Mitigate Spread Of COVID-19 In Texas
Effective March 20, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the following:
Every person in Texas shall avoid social gatherings in groups of more than 10 people
People shall avoid eating or drinking at bars, restaurants, and food courts, or visiting gyms or massage parlors; provided, however, that the use of drive-thru, pickup, or delivery options is allowed and highly encouraged
People shall not visit nursing homes or retirement or long-term care facilities unless to provide critical assistance
Schools shall temporarily close
The order does not prohibit people from visiting a variety of places, including grocery stores, gas stations, parks, and banks, so long as the necessary precautions are maintained to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. This executive order does not mandate sheltering in place. All critical infrastructure will remain operational, domestic travel will remain unrestricted, and government entities and businesses will continue providing essential services. For offices and workplaces that remain open, employees should practice good hygiene and, where feasible, work from home in order to achieve optimum isolation from COVD-19.
The Downtowner Art Gallery is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m. The number of patrons inside the gallery will be limited, and proper social distancing is encouraged. Handmade masks will be provided to visitors. A new exhibit, Canvas a Cause, a fundraiser for Round Rock Arts, will open to the public June 3 through July 26. Small workshops will begin June 3.
All fire stations, including Central Station, are closed to walk-in visitors. If you have an emergency, call 911. Non-emergency phone number is 512-218-5590.
The Fire Marshal’s Office asks customers who are picking up plans to call 512-218-6628 to schedule a time for pickup. Customers dropping off plans should leave them in the cart in the vestibule of the entry at Central Station.
If paying with a Visa/Master Card, please call the office to pay over phone and a receipt will be emailed to you.
If paying with a check/money order a receipt will be emailed to you as well.
Currently receiving payments by Visa/Master cCard, checks or money orders.
The Municipal Court lobby is open to customers to take payments and make arrangements beginning Monday, May 18, with social distancing reminders and hygiene protocols in place. Court hearings will not restart until June 1. The Court is encouraging customers to pay their citations online or to use the night drop box located on the west end of the McConico Building. All regularly scheduled court dockets starting on Thursday, March 19, through Friday, April 17, have been rescheduled, and notices were mailed to the address the court has on file.
Financial hearings on April 3 have been rescheduled to June 5. Notices will be mailed to the address the court has on file.
Please remember to update your address with the court if you have recently moved. You may do this by mail or fax to (512) 218-7079.
Parks and Recreation
The Parks and Recreation Department will systematically open some facilities and programs beginning Monday, May 18:
Clay Madsen Recreation Center will open with reduced building capacity (25 percent maximum capacity) as well as modifications to sanitation and physical distancing protocols. Hours of operation may be modified so please check claymadsenrec.com for current hours of operation.
CMRC rooms/programs to open Monday, May 18
Weight Room – reservation system will be used to limit room capacity to 17 people maximum in the room at one time. Cleaning will occur after each reservation block.
Fitness Yard – anticipated to reopen June 1 with capacity limitations
Pool – a reservation system will be used to limit lap swim to 1 person per lane maximum or 2 people from the same household per lane. Cleaning will occur after each reservation block.
Racquetball Courts – reservation system will be used to limit 2 players per court maximum. Challenge Court will be converted to reservation only. Cleaning will occur after each reservation block.
Fitness Classes – reduced class sizes and physical distancing between members
Restrooms – access will be limited to restroom portion of the locker rooms only
CMRC rooms/programs to remain closed until further notice
Locker areas and showers
Gym/basketball courts
Playroom and babysitting service
Game Room
Other openings as of May 18
Allen Baca Center – Weight Room will open for Clay Madsen Recreation Center members to use. All other rooms and services at Baca Center will remain closed until further notice. A reservation system will be used to limit weight room capacity to 25 percent maximum in the room at one time. Cleaning will occur after each reservation block.
Rabb House can be rented by groups that do not exceed 25 percent capacity of the building. Renters will be encouraged to utilize the outdoor areas of the facility.
Park pavilions can be rented for groups that do not exceed 25 percent capacity of the pavilion. Please call the 512-218-5540 for rental information and reservations.
Certain sports programs will have practices and/or games following physical distancing protocols
Small group instructional programs will begin with a limitation of no more than 4 people per group
Brush Recycling Center and Residential Brush Pickup will continue to operate as normal
Parks and Recreation Office will reopen to walk-in traffic. Customers can also call the customer service team at 512-218-5540.
Rock’N River and Micki Krebsbach Pool will reopen in June with reduced maximum capacities, reduction in seating capacity to encourage patrons to spread out on lawn areas and modifications to sanitation and physical distancing protocols
Facilities and programs that will remain closed or suspended until further notice
Allen R. Baca Center and Senior Programs. If you have any questions about the Baca Center, call 512-218-3214.
Lake Creek Pool
Play for All Park
Prete Main Street Plaza fountain
Afterschool and Preschool Programs
For more information, call Parks and Recreation at 512-218-5540.
Planning and Development Services
Application Submittals
The public is restricted to bringing no more than one person to any scheduled in-person meeting, and no more than three people to a pre-construction meeting. In-person meetings that require more than one person from the public, excluding pre-construction meetings, will be scheduled remotely by staff through Microsoft Teams until further notice. Please also note the following:
Abbreviated Submittal Approval Process (ASAP) meetings may still occur in-person, however the public is limited to bringing no more than one person to the meeting.
Pre-Construction Meetings will still occur in person. The public is limited to bringing no more than three people to a pre-construction meeting and these meetings will occur outside in Centennial Plaza behind the department’s offices.
The Building Permitting office is open for service effective May 18. Staff will be available to assist walk-in customers. The public is encouraged to contact staff via phone and email wherever feasible to limit crowding. Tables will be oriented to maintain six-foot social distancing from the building counter. Bins for application submittal and pickup will be placed at or near the tables for contactless submittals. Staff will be available to accept submittals in person, if necessary.
The Planning, Zoning and Site Permitting office will be open for service. Staff will be available to assist walk-in customers. The public is encouraged to contact staff via phone and email wherever feasible to limit crowding. A contactless thermometer gauge will be utilized by staff as a prerequisite to any in person meeting within the building, not to include brief conversations with staff at the counter or pre-construction meetings.
Development meetings will continue to be held remotely through Microsoft Teams and Pre-Construction meetings will still be held in person, outside on the McConico Plaza
Site Development and Subdivision Improvement permit submittals can be transmitted without contact to staff via the provided bins; or directly to in-person staff, if necessary
Plats and zoning applications can be transmitted without contact to staff via the provided bins; or directly to in-person staff, if necessary
Applicants for Planning and Zoning Commission items are encouraged to schedule a time to drop off application materials on the designated submittal day to avoid crowding in the lobby area
Historic Preservation Commission applications are encouraged to be submitted electronically, but will be accepted in person
Signage, tape and other means necessary will be provided to direct the public to queue lines and to maintain social distancing
Any in-person meeting, excluding pre-construction meetings, will be limited to one member from the public
For more information call the PDS main line at 512-218-5428 or Building Inspections main line at 512-218-5550.
Inspections
Inspections are occurring as normal, with one exception. The public is required to keep social distance from the inspector and refrain from engaging with the inspector during the inspection. All communication with the inspector shall occur via telephone or email after the inspection has occurred. Reports will continue to be loaded in Track-It as usual. The inspector has the discretion to cease the inspection and leave the premises if social distancing has not been kept at any point during the inspection.
Comprehensive Plan
Round Rock 2030 is scheduled to be presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission for recommendation on May 20 and City Council for adoption on June 25. Both meetings include public hearings with the opportunity for the public to participate remotely. If you would like to participate in the meeting by speaking during a public hearing, please the calendar entry for that meeting on the City’s website for a registration link. Learn more about the plan
Police
The Round Rock Police Department is running at full capacity to protect and serve the people of Round Rock. To help alleviate social distancing concerns regarding COVID-19, Police are providing some options to Round Rock citizens:
Please continue to call 911 for any emergencies or life-threatening incidents or “in progress” crimes – our response efforts will remain the same
For non-emergencies, call 512-218-5500. We will attempt to take the report and follow-up via telephone as much as possible
Certain non-emergency offenses, such as theft and vandalism, can be reported using our new online reporting tool.
Round Rock Public Library
The Round Rock Public Library is now welcoming visitors from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and is closed on Sundays. Seating is limited, and only two people per household per visit are allowed. Visitors will notice floor decals on the ground to designate where people should stand while in line, and there are Plexiglass shields at service desks and check-out. Please be courteous and mindful of others and practice proper social distancing by allowing at least 6 feet of space between each person. Don’t forget — E-books, audiobooks, streaming media and digital resources are available 24/7 with your library card.
Among other service changes are:
Face coverings encouraged for visitors
Monitored and metered visitor access
No computer access will be allowed until further notice
Study rooms, Meeting rooms, Literacy room and Computer classroom are closed
The Family Place play area closed
Book donations are not accepted
Interlibrary loan service and TexShare Card program suspended until further notice
Courtesy phone is unavailable
Virtual programming will continue with no in-person programming.
The Library’s curbside pickup service, located in the Sheppard Street parking lot, is available from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday. Here’s how it works:
Library will notify patrons by text or email that their holds (up to 5 items) are available to pick up
Patrons will have 7 days from receiving the notification to use curbside to pick-up items
Enter the Sheppard Street parking lot and pull up to a staff member. Remain in vehicle and roll down passenger-side window. Please have library card number ready
Staff will retrieve items and place them on the curbside table
Items will already be checked out. Patrons with mobility issues are asked to please let staff know and pick-up order will be placed by a staff member in trunk
Returns must be made at the outside book drop at the opposite side of the building. No exceptions
Transit
In consultation with service provider Capital Metro, service hours have been reduced to 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for Routes 50, 150 and 51. (Normal hours are 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.)
Service for Route 152 has been suspended.
Effective March 30, Route 980 from Round Rock has been suspended indefinitely.
Effective Monday, April 13, paratransit hours will be reduced to coincide with fixed route times.
Find information on specific routes, visit capmetro.org.
Transportation
The lobby of the Bob Bennett Utilities and Transportation Building, 3400 Sunrise Road, is open to the public effective May 18. A hand sanitation station will be inside the front door; the general public will only be permitted in the lobby, main conference room, two small meeting rooms, training room and restrooms. Both departments will continue to utilize virtual meetings with contractors and vendors as much as possible.
Utilities
The Utility Billing lobby, located on the first floor of City Hall, is open to customers to take payments and make arrangements beginning Monday, May 18, with social distancing reminders and hygiene protocols in place. The City continues to encourage utility customers to pay their bills online, over the phone toll-free at 1-855-894-2392 or drop off a check/money order in one of our 24-hour drop boxes, located at the corner of Bagdad Avenue and Sheppard Street at City Hall, 221 E. Main Street, or on the east side of of the building. Call 512-218-5460 to speak to a customer service representative.
Disconnects for utility non-payment have been suspended until further notice.
Backflow delinquent fees and enforcement will be suspended until further notice.
Spring Clean-up has been postponed. The new Spring Clean-up dates are:
Saturday, June 13 – All Tuesday customers Saturday, June 20 – All Thursday customers Saturday, June 27 – All Friday customers Saturday, July 11 – All Monday and Wednesday customers
Garbage and recycling curbside pick up continues as normal.
Household Hazardous Waste dropoff events will resume starting Wendesday, June 3.
The City Recycling Center on Deepwood Drive is open on its regular schedule.
The Environmental Laboratory will continue to have customers deliver samples to a table located outside the lab.
The lobby of the Bob Bennett Utilities and Transportation Building, 3400 Sunrise Road, is open to the public effective May 18. A hand sanitation station will be inside the front door; the general public will only be permitted in the lobby, main conference room, two small meeting rooms, training room and restrooms. Both departments will continue to utilize virtual meetings with contractors and vendors as much as possible.
Visitors Center, Round Rock Sports Center and Round Rock Multipurpose Complex
The Convention and Visitors Bureau Visitors Center lobby is open effective May 18, with social distancing encouraged. A Plexiglass shield has been placed at the reception desk for protection of visitors and staff.
The Sports Center, an indoor facility, will have hand sanitization stations at front doors, and separate entry and exits. All interior doors will be propped open to limit touch points. Other changes include:
Employees to wipe down restrooms every 30 minutes
Pre-pay for courts only (no cash or credit transactions on-site)
Courts to be divided by curtains at all times
Information on video monitors about CDC guidelines/facility policies etc.
Multipurpose Rooms, Players Lounge, Tournament Room and Refs Lounge will be closed
The Multipurpose Complex, an outdoor facility, is following similar restrictions and cleaning protocols, with physical signs placed around the grounds with CDC guidelines and facility policies.
