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ROUND ROCK NEWS

The City of Round Rock deployed three firefighters and one fire apparatus to assist with ongoing wildfire rescue and containment efforts in California.Lt. Matt Quade, Captain Jason Rutherford and Driver Wayne Pietzsch of the Round Rock Fire Department traveled to California Friday, Sept. 11, to assist in fighting the Creek Fire in Fresno, which is located in Madera County.

In Mayor Craig Morgan's recent column, he explains how we’ve continued monitoring economic conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic and breaks down recent, localized data. While the economic decline has not been as deep as we originally prepared ourselves for, we still do not completely understand the duration, or how long these conditions will continue to impact our community.

The Round Rock City Council voted 7-0 Thursday, Sept. 10, on a $420 million budget for fiscal year 2021, which begins Oct. 1. The spending plan is $25 million less than the original adopted budget. The 43.9 cent tax rate for FY21 was also approved. It is the same as this year, but will cost the owner of a median value home about $3 more per month to pay for new roadway construction and continue our neighborhood street maintenance program. 

The McNeil Road extension is now complete, making Downtown Round Rock even more pedestrian-friendly. Extending McNeil to Georgetown Street gives motorists a route to bypass Main Street, which will improve traffic flow, reduce travel times and cut down on accidents, while increasing connectivity for both motorists and pedestrians. It’s a true win-win project for Round Rock. Visit roundrocktexas.gov/transportation to learn more about the City's transportation projects.

FEATURE STORY

The City of Round Rock Arts and Culture division is encouraging residents to bring art to their neighborhoods through the Round Rock Sidewalk Chalk Show, Sept. 28-Oct. 3. Draw chalk drawings on your sidewalk or driveway using the “The Round Rock Spirit” theme and send pictures of your work in progress and the completed design to artsandculture@roundrocktexas.gov. All drawings must be done in chalk and on your own property during the week of Sept. 28. Email submissions must include two images, your name, address, email, category and neighborhood name. Categories will be: Children (up to age 12), Young Adults (ages 13-20), Adults (ages 21-65) and Seniors (over age 65). A $100 gift card will be awarded for best overall, $25 gift card for winners in each age category and recognition for Best Neighborhood Spirit with a neighborhood pizza party.

Homecity.com, a part of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, released its list of Best Places to Live in Texas, and Round Rock checks in at No. 5.

The publication looked at stats such as population growth, household incomes, house prices, violent crime rates, food quality, public parks, affordability and commute times.

The City of Round Rock partnered with the People and Parks Fund to bring Bench Fit signs and fitness program to Round Rock West Greenbelt. Now residents can get a safe, whole-body workout using Bench Fit signs and park benches located along the greenbelt. The signs also include QR codes so residents can access exercise instructional videos via their smartphones while on the trail.

UPCOMING EVENTS