The Round Rock City Council will consider an amendment on June 11 to repeal a decades-old provision of the City’s Code of Ordinances allowing private citizens to request that an item be placed on a City Council agenda and receive up to 15 minutes for discussion of that item. 

The changes to the ordinance as proposed do not affect other existing opportunities for residents to address the City Council during Citizen Communication at the beginning of meetings, whether their comments relate to agenda items or other matters, as well as during public hearings held for specific agenda items. These comments are generally limited to three minutes per the City’s ordinance. 

The provision under review was adopted in 1978, as required by the newly enacted City Charter in 1977. The ordinance was created rapidly to establish a procedure for interacting with the City Council during a period of significant public unrest surrounding the city’s water supply challenges at that time. Over the decades, state law, City procedures and Council governance practices have evolved. During a recent review, the City identified a provision entitled “Procedure for citizen placing item on agenda” that conflicts with current law and the Council’s established agenda-setting process. The proposed amendment updates the ordinance to reflect current legal requirements and governance practices. 

The review of the current ordinance was initiated after the provision allowing residents to request an agenda item was utilized earlier this spring for the first time since it was enacted, prompting City staff to evaluate how the ordinance functions under current City Council procedures and state meeting requirements. During that review, staff identified conflicts between the ordinance and the process used today to prepare and post City Council agendas. For instance, while the current ordinance allows a citizen to request that an item be placed on the agenda during Citizen Communication, it also requires the written request of two or more Council Members before an item can be added to a future agenda. 

The proposed amendment would repeal only the subsection establishing the procedure for an individual to request an item on the agenda and provide a corresponding 15-minute discussion under “Citizen Communication.” Individuals will continue to be able to address the City Council during Citizen Communication on matters that are not posted on the agenda, subject to the existing registration and time-limit requirements. Opportunities to address the City Council regarding posted agenda items and during public hearings also remain unchanged. 

Regular Round Rock City Council meetings are generally held on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month, with a Packet Briefing covering the upcoming agenda conducted on the Tuesday preceding each meeting. Under changes to the Texas Open Meetings Act that took effect in 2025, meeting notices and agendas must be posted at least three business days before a meeting. As a result, the agenda for the Tuesday Packet Briefing and referenced agenda for the Thursday Council Meeting must be posted on or before the preceding Wednesday. 

The current ordinance has allowed a citizen to request an agenda item by submitting a written request no later than six days before a Council meeting. Under the state’s newest open meeting requirements, the “six days prior” for requesting a citizen agenda item may occur after the Packet Briefing and City Council agendas have already been posted. This alone leads to situations where the existing ordinance conflicts with the Open Meetings Act. 

Today, the City of Round Rock provides residents with multiple ways to raise concerns, ask questions, provide feedback and communicate directly with City staff and elected officials. 

Residents who want to communicate with elected officials may email the entire City Council at citycouncil@roundrocktexas.gov, contact individual Council Members through the City’s website, send written correspondence to City Hall or call City Hall for assistance in reaching a Council Member: 

City of Round Rock 
221 East Main Street 
Round Rock, TX 78664 
512-218-5400 

Residents who wish to address the City Council in person may attend a City Council meeting, complete a speaker card before the meeting, and speak during Citizen Communication on any subject or a public hearing on that agenda item. Residents may also review Council agendas and meeting packets online before meetings, watch meetings live or on-demand and submit requests for public records through the City’s Open Records Center.  

Residents who have a concern or question about City services can submit a service request online through the City’s Service Request portal at roundrocktexas.gov/servicerequest. Residents may also contact City departments directly at www.roundrocktexas.gov/city-about-round-rock/contact/.  

FAQs 

What is being considered? 

The Round Rock City Council is considering repealing a decades-old provision titled “Procedure for citizen placing item on agenda” in the City’s Code of Ordinances, which allows private citizens to request that an item be placed on a City Council agenda and receive up to 15 minutes for discussion of that item.  

What is not being considered? 

The City is not eliminating citizen comments at Council Meetings. Individuals will still be able to address the City Council during Citizen Communication at any regular meeting. The ordinance continues to state that “an opportunity for any person to address the city council at any meeting shall be provided” under Citizen Communication. Residents will also continue to be able to speak on agenda items and during public hearings, consistent with the City’s procedures and state law. 

Q: Why is this ordinance being changed? 
A review found portions of the 1978 ordinance that no longer align with current state law and conflict with the City’s current agenda-setting process. The provision being repealed is an older process that conflicts with current agenda-setting procedures, state law and modern Open Meetings Act requirements. 

Q: Does this amendment prevent residents from raising issues with the Council? 
No. Individuals will continue to be able to address the City Council during public comment on any topic for up to 3 minutes per person (this time can be extended if allowed by the meeting chair, generally the Mayor in this instance), in line with the remainder of the City’s existing ordinance on Citizen Communication.  

Q: Does this amendment impact anyone’s First Amendment rights? 
No. The proposed change does not affect a resident’s ability to address the City Council or participate in public comment at Council Meetings, nor does it prevent residents from criticizing the City, raising concerns, asking questions or bringing issues to the Council’s attention.