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ROUND ROCK NEWS

Assistant Fire Chief Shane Glaiser has been named Interim Fire Chief of the Round Rock Fire Department. The department’s top position will be vacated at the end of this month upon Fire Chief Robert Isbell’s planned departure. “It’s an honor to continue serving the citizens of Round Rock and the members of our Fire Department in this capacity,” Glaiser said.

Round Rock ranks as the 25th Best Place Live in the United States, according to Money’s Best Places to Live ranking for 2021-2022. Project job growth, low property taxes and education opportunities were listed as reason's for Round Rock's appearance on the list. Other factors considered included diversity, quality of life, health and safety, amenities and more.

The City of Round Rock recently installed a Firefighter Air Replenishment System (FARS) at its state-of-the-art Public Safety Training Center so firefighters can train on this new technology, which was recently deployed at Kalahari Resort and Conventions. The system is installed in a high-rise, large horizontal structure or tunnel to deliver a safe, immediate, endless supply of air replenishment to firefighters inside a structure.

The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) announced the City of Round Rock has received the GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the 24th consecutive year. The award reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. In order to receive the budget award, the entity had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. 

FEATURED STORY

The term Code Enforcement doesn’t always have a positive connotation; in many communities, a visit from Code Enforcement might mean an automatic ticket or a fine.

Things are a little different here in Round Rock. Don’t get us wrong — Code Enforcement does respond to classic health, safety and sanitation concerns, including overgrown landscaping, rubbish in a backyard, stagnant water, low hanging branches that impede vehicular sight lines and more.

The difference? The City is committed to connecting residents with the resources they need to create lasting change that improves both their private property and the community at large.

Margie Lopez is the Code Enforcement Manager for the City, and for over 23 years she has dedicated herself to making Round Rock a better place to call home. Not through fines or code-related citations like many might think, but rather via a teamwork approach grounded in identifying problems and empowering communities of people to come together to solve them.

Neighborhood revitalization and protection is a top priority in Round Rock, but sometimes folks just simply don’t have the ability, due to physical or monetary constraints, to address issues. By working through the Neighborhood Services Division, Margie is often able to connect residents who are having a difficult time gaining compliance, with tools (check out the City’s Tool Lending Center!) and manpower (via City employee and community volunteers) to get the job done.

If residents see a code-related issue they feel may need to be addressed, they can make a report by contacting the City’s Code Enforcement Office at 512-341-3329 or via the City’s online Service Request Portal at roundrocktexas.gov/servicerequest.

Check out the video below to learn more about Margie:

FEATURED EVENT

The Round Rock Chalk Walk Arts Festival is Round Rock area’s largest and most prestigious festival, featuring hundreds of artists, vendors, local and regional musicians, theatrical performances, foods and drinks and a children’s area with performances. Join us at Dell Diamond to watch chalk mural artists create their giant, incredible masterpieces in real time, and enjoy daily live entertainment by musicians all weekend! Festival hours are 2 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 1, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2.

The City of Round Rock took home eight awards for communications this month at the City-County Communications and Marketing Association annual conference. The City's recognition included the coveted Diamond Award, which recognizes the “best of the best” among award recipients, for its Storm Stories multimedia series about City employees' heroic efforts during Winter Storm Uri.

The City of Round Rock is currently in the process of putting together a Transit Development Plan to make recommendations for updates and additional services to improve the City’s transit system. This plan will serve as a guide for developing the future of public transportation in the City over the next 10 years. If you weren't able to make our public workshops, you can still take our five-minute survey through Oct. 1 to tell us your thoughts.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

The Round Rock Public Library and Austin SCORE will offer a series of free, virtual workshops for entrepreneurs and small business owners on Fridays from Sept. 24 through Oct. 29. Topics led by experts will include "Starting a Business Successfully," "Keeping Your Business Legal" and "Facebook Marketing 101."

The City of Round Rock’s Arts and Culture Division kicked off its popular Music on Main last week. Come down to Prete Plaza from 7-9 p.m. every Wednesday through Nov. 10 for this free, family-friendly event. Visit the variety of downtown dining options on Main Street, or pack a picnic basket to enjoy an evening of fun and music.

UPCOMING CITY EVENTS