Breaking ground on the new Library in the Bell District!

Ceremonial groundbreaking held Jan. 27, 2023

Cedar Park City Council Members, members of the Community Development Corporation (Type 4B) Board, Library Foundation Board, Library Capital Campaign Steering Committee, City of Cedar Park staff, architects Lake|Flato and construction contractor JE Dunn joined together today, to ceremonially break ground on the new Cedar Park Public Library in the Bell District. The Library will be under construction through all of 2023 and much of 2024. It's anticipated to open towards the end of 2024.

The new facility will anchor the Bell District. Being part of this urban-style, walkable mixed-use development will enable you to make a day out of your trip to the new Library, which will be surrounded by dozens of large heritage trees and more than 10 acres of parkspace with a trail.

Conceptual renderings for illustrative purposes only.

The Cedar Park Public Library is designed to be an indoor-outdoor experience with outdoor reading porches, program spaces and a nature play space. On the inside, the new Library will be 47,000 square feet, with plenty of space for hundreds of thousands of materials. It will feature several unique areas based on the needs and dreams of our Cedar Park community, including a one-of-a-kind kids area with interactive learning stations and a youth activity room, a space just for teens, two makerspaces (where you can make all kinds of things from messy arts and crafts to high-tech 3D prints and laser cut-outs!) and several community meeting and gathering spaces.

Because the Library serves many different community needs, there will be spaces to learn and play, quiet spaces for adults to read and study, and spaces for all ages to socialize and connect.

We share your excitement and just can't wait to "dig in" to the new Library's offerings. (Pun intended; O. Henry would be proud!)

Break out your buh-buh-buh-buh-buh-boogie shoes (and your leisure suit!)

Mark your calendar for City's 50th Anniversary events Feb. 24

The City of Cedar Park officially celebrates its 50th anniversary on February 24, 2023! In fact, we'll be celebrating all throughout the year. We'll kick it off with large public events including the Friday Night Fever Family Dance on February 24 — so mark your calendars. Details are coming soon, so dust off your boogie shoes and bust out that leisure suit!

New! Schedule your Household Hazardous Waste Porch Pickup today

You asked and we listened! Starting February 1, we're rolling out our new Household Hazardous Waste Porch Pickup! This is a valet-style service to collect all of your old paint (including spray paint), solvents, cleaners, garden chemicals, pesticides, batteries and other household hazardous waste from your front porch! That's right, no more waiting in line to drop it off at a crowded, once-a-year event.

Beginning in February, you will notice two changes to your utility bill: 86¢/month charge* for the new Household Hazardous Waste Porch Pickup and an increase of 82¢/month to account for Central Texas Refuse’s contracted annual rate adjustment for fuel and inflation. Together, this represents a net change of $1.68/month.

*The City of Cedar Park is subsidizing a portion of the cost of this service with the funding that had been directed to the past annual one-day Household Hazardous Waste Collection.  

HOW IT WORKS

Fridays are the Household Hazardous Waste Front Porch Pickup collection day for all Cedar Park residential trash customers.

• Schedule your pickup by 9 a.m. on Thursday for collection on Friday

• Schedule your pickup at cedarparktexas.gov/HHWPickup or call 888-694-4978

• Items set out without scheduling, will NOT be collected

• Leave items on your front porch or near the front of your house

• DO NOT put items on the curb

• Items will be collected from your front porch between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Fridays

This service is separate from your regular trash and recycling service.

ITEMS ACCEPTED

• Used motor oil and used cooking oil (screw top lid)

• Batteries of all kinds

• Paint of all kinds

• Light bulbs of all kinds

• Household cleaners

• Aerosol cans

• Automotive fluids and fuels

• Lawn and garden items including fertilizer, pesticides

and weed killers

• Pool chemicals and additives

• Varnishes, strippers, turpentine and stains

• Glues and epoxies

• Electronics (computers, TVs, phones, tablets, monitors,

printers, fax machines, etc. up to 50 lbs.)

ITEMS NOT ACCEPTED

• Asbestos/arsenic/cyanide

• Business/commercial waste

• Chemicals not in original containers

• Explosives

• Medical waste/infectious waste/sharps

• Nuclear/radioactive waste

• Pharmaceuticals

• Propane and butane cylinders

• Radioactive materials

• Tires and trash

• Unidentified chemicals

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND

• Chemicals must be in their original labeled containers, except

used motor oil and cooking oil

• Collect oil in a container with a screw-top lid

• All items must have spill-proof lids

• All Items must have easily read labels

• Make sure all items are labeled (unlabeled items will not be

collected)

• Flammable liquids must be in containers approved for

transporting flammable liquids

• Make sure chemicals do not spill, leak, or mix

• If the original container is cardboard or paper, place the item in a

labeled plastic bag

• If you have several small items, place them in a labeled plastic bag

or small box (20” x 14” x 14”)

Or call 888-694-4978 to schedule a pickup

THE BASICS

• Trash pickup is weekly
• Recycling is every other week
• Items missed? Report online at cedarparktexas.gov/report-it or call Central Texas Refuse at 512-243-2833
• To view your trash/recycling schedules and answers to FAQs visit cedarparktexas.gov/trashrecycling

HOLIDAY SCHEDULES

• When Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day fall on a weekday, collection days will move to the following day (e.g. if your collection day is Monday, your pickup slides to Tuesday; the following days also slide, including Friday sliding to Saturday)
• On all other holidays there are no changes
• Everyone receives recycling collection the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, to help clear our streets of holiday trash

YARD TRIMMINGS RECYCLING

Two times a year (6 weeks in the spring and 2 weeks in the fall) yard trimmings will be recycled instead of being taken to the landfill. During this time:

• They won’t count toward bulk items limit
• There is no limit on paper bags filled with yard
• trimmings
• They won’t be sent to the landfill
• Get details: cedarparktexas.gov/yardtrimmingsrecycling

BULK TRASH

For extra trash that does not fit into your cart:

• You’re allowed 7 bulk trash items next to your cart
• Place next to green trash cart
• A second truck may arrive before or after the automated truck to service extra trash
• Get a list of accepted items and more at cedarparktexas.gov/bulktrash

Outstanding Achievements in Finance

The City of Cedar Park has earned some more major awards! This time, from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). The GFOA has awarded the City of Cedar Park the Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting (PAFR) Award for its Popular Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021. The City produced a PAFR for the first time last year to provide our residents with a simple presentation of the City's financial activities and the City's commitment to provide outstanding services to our community.

This also earns the City the GFOA Triple Crown Award for the first time. This special recognition is for governments that have achieved all three awards: GFOA's Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting, Popular Annual Financial Reporting Award and Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for a fiscal year. This award recognizes the great work our staff has done in preparing and presenting the financial reports in ways that go beyond hte minimum requirements of generally accepted accounting principles by producing reports that evidence the spirit of transparency and full disclosure.

To view the City of Cedar Park Popular Annual Financial Report, the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and the Budget Book, as well as many other financial resources prepared by the Finance Department, click here.

The January 26, 2023 Regular Scheduled City Council Meeting was held in a hybrid in-person/videoconferencing format. The public may take advantage of the opportunity to attend remotely.  

Highlights included:

• Recognition of Assistant City Manager Sam Roberts' retirement after 31 years of service to the City of Cedar Park
• Approval of Economic Development Performance Agreement with Bent Oak Winery to relocate and expand within Cedar Park
• Agreement for design, fabrication and installation of play structures at Bell Park and the new Cedar Park Public Library in the Bell District
• Appointment of Kevin Klosterboer as Finance Director for the City of Cedar Park



Watch the video recording of the the meeting here.

The next Scheduled City Council Meeting is February 9, 2023.

We ❤️ Sam Roberts

The City of Cedar Park congratulates Assistant City Manager Sam Roberts, Professional Engineer (second from left), on his retirement after 31 years of service. Literally every road, sidewalk, traffic signal, streetlight, glass of water you drink and yes, toilet you flush, are thanks to Sam. He's ensured Cedar Park drinking water for generations. His handprints are all over every building in Cedar Park, too - including the City-owned H-E-B Center (he was Project Manager). Here are just a few numbers to further illustrate:

• 274 miles of City-maintained centerline-miles of roadway (equivalent from Cedar Park to Texas-Oklahoma border)
• 1190 acres of asphalt (equal to 840 football fields)
• 528.8 miles of sidewalk (equivalent from Cedar Park to Wichita, Kansas)
• 54 traffic signals
• 3785 City maintained street lights
• 384.5 miles City-maintained water main (equivalent distance from Cedar Park to Oklahoma City) 
•  298 miles of waste water collections (equivalent distance from Cedar Park to Ardmore, Oklahoma
• 109.3 billion gallons of drinking water produced from 1992 to 2022

Sam is the quintessential civil engineer, touching all 17 disciplines within that field - but more than anything, he's touched our hearts with what we call the "Sam Roberts Way". Good luck Sam. We ❤️ you.