City Of Pflugerville: Key To The City June 25, 2021

Press release from the City of Pflugerville:

06/25/2021 10:00 AM

Key to the City June 25, 2021
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The City of Pflugerville initiated an assessment of fire and emergency medical services following a petition brought to the Pflugerville City Council in December 2020 requesting consent to create an additional Emergency Services District overlay to fund emergency medical services. AP Triton, an expert in service delivery methodology and practices for fire and emergency care services, provided Pflugerville City Council a detailed analysis of Travis County Emergency Service District 2’s operations and future options for emergency medical services. This report was presented to Pflugerville City Council in a special worksession on Monday, June 21 and they continued their discussion during the regular City Council meeting on Tuesday, June 22. 

In April 2021, Travis County ESD No. 2 issued a revised statement of services indicating it would no longer provide emergency medical services to the City of Pflugerville or its extra territorial jurisdiction after September 30, 2021, based on their projections of a financial deficit. Currently, residents of Pflugerville and its extraterritorial jurisdiction pay $.10 on every $100 of property valuation plus an additional $.005 to $.01 sales tax to fund fire and EMS services as part of TCESD2.

AP Triton’s report concludes that while Travis County ESD No. 2 provides service that meets or exceeds all fire service and EMS response standards, their financial crisis is self-imposed and the need for $2.79 million from the City of Pflugerville to subsidize services is unsubstantiated. In fact, they have adequate funding to provide EMS for the next 5-10 years without additional subsidies or taxes from the City or our residents. The first option in the report is for Travis County ESD No. 2 to continue providing EMS service. If they choose not to do so, there are four other long-term options the City can pursue to provide quality and fiscally responsible EMS service. 

During their June 22 meeting, City Council directed staff to write a letter to Travis County ESD No. 2, requesting they continue providing EMS service through the end of September 2022, allowing time for both parties to work together to find the best long-term solution for EMS in Pflugerville. City Council will continue their discussion on EMS at their next regular meeting on July 13.

Read the report and get more information at pflugervilletx.gov/ems.

Music in the Park returns to Pfluger Park today with music from Royal Velvetee, an Austin-based band performing classic soul, jazz and current and classic songs from all genres.

Music in the Park is an outdoor concert series hosted at Pfluger Park (515 City Park Rd.) on Friday nights from 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. The series hosts a variety of diverse acts including jazz, Tejano, blues and classic rock.  Grab a lawn chair and the family and come out and enjoy the live music. Visit pflugervilletx.gov/musicinthepark for more details!

The City of Pflugerville selected ETC Institute to conduct a 2021 Resident Survey to gauge resident satisfaction with the quality of city services, to measure residential desires and trends, and provide input on priorities for future goals and policy decisions.  

Surveys were sent out to a random sample of Pflugerville residents citywide with 537 respondent for a 4.2% statistically-valid survey. The Survey Report contains a summary of methodology for administering the survey and major findings.  

Residents have a positive perception of the city as 88% rated Pflugerville as an excellent or good place to live and 80% rated Pflugerville as an excellent or good place to raise children. Satisfaction with city services is higher in Pflugerville than in other communities. Pflugerville rated above the Texas average in 42 of 56 comparison areas.  Residents feel safe in Pflugerville. 

Services that residents indicated should receive increase in emphasis include: flow of traffic and congestion management, maintenance of city streets, drainage and sidewalks, and water and wastewater services.  The most important project for investment is traffic management and road widening improvements. Other areas of emphasis include recreational programming and events, enhancements to downtown Pflugerville and transit system development.  View the report online at pflugervilletx.gov/survey.

Council approved the preparation of a General Obligation Bond election in May of 2022 in support of development of a mixed-use municipal complex and directed the City Manager to engage a consultant to prepare supporting documentation and form a resident bond committee. 

Starting on Monday, June 28, construction will begin on the north shore of Lake Pflugerville. The northside parking lot will be closed for the duration of the project, but at this time all other amenities in the beach area remain open. Lake visitors will need to park in the south or west parking lots, and walk around the trail. For more information and to see a map of Phase 1 improvements, please visit the project webpage. 

On Tuesday, June 22, the Pflugerville City Council authorized the City Manager to execute an agreement with the Chamber of Commerce forming a Convention and Visitors Bureau Chamber to lead the future implementation of tourism initiatives for the City.  

The City of Pflugerville launched the PfunTX tourism brand with City Council adoption in November of 2014. Since then, the brand, website and PfunTX Facebook page were established and have been maintained by the City of Pflugerville Communications Department. However, through the new agreement the Chamber of Commerce will now operate as the visitor's chamber. 

"When guests come to town, their first stop is the Chamber of Commerce. We recognize the positive economic impact travel-related spending has on our business community,” said Shontel Mays, President and CEO of the Pflugerville Chamber of Commerce. “Through this partnership with the City, we can further enhance the tourism initiative as Pflugerville continues to grow and welcome travelers to Pfun,TX.”  

The Visitor's Chamber will use the hotel tax funds as permitted and authorized in Tax Code  §351.101(a) for directly enhancing and promoting tourism and the convention and hotel industry through advertising and conducting solicitations and promotional programs to attract tourists and convention delegates to the city, and construct, improve and maintain convention center facilities and a visitor information center.  With the opening of new hotels in the area,  the City anticipates an increase in Hotel Occupancy Tax revenues. The City of Pflugerville has three hotels in the City limits: The Courtyard by Marriott,  Best Western Plus,  and the recently opened, Home 2 by Hilton at Stone Hill.  A Holiday Inn Express will open soon and a La Quinta and Hawthorne Suites is scheduled for Spring 2022.  

The contract begins January 1, 2022 and has an end-of-year review by City Council in December 2022. For more information on the City’s tourism initiative, Pfuntx, visit www.pfuntx.com.

The Pflugerville Public Library is hosting a free microchip clinic sponsored by Pflugerville Pets Alive. Many pets are lost and frightened by holiday fireworks, so make sure they can get back to you with a free microchip! The event will be held on Saturday, June 26 from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. For questions or more information, visit the PPA website.

Bonzo Crunch is a veteran of the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus, as well as a graduate of Ringling Brothers' Clown College and the Dell 'Arte School of Mime and Comedy. Gather your kiddos and watch this pre-recorded video of his music, magic, and juggling show: "Get Big Ideas: Read a Book." This virtual event will premiere on Saturday, June 26 at 2 p.m. on the Pflugerville Library's Facebook page and YouTube page and will be available for viewing on demand through Tuesday, August 3.

Library summer reading program - The Library summer reading program is underway! Each summer, the Library welcomes the kids, teens, and adults of Pflugerville to enjoy a summer full of books and special events. Visit the library's website for more details. 

July Storytime Craft Kits Available - July Storytime Craft Kits are available to pick up at the library beginning Tuesday, June 29. No registration is necessary; however, kits will only be available first come, first served while supplies last. Visit the library's website for more information. 

Sign up for baby time and storytime with the library - Our team at the library is excited to offer ideas to help develop your child's reading and speaking skills through stories, music, rhymes, finger plays, and movement. The library offers baby time registration and summer storytime registration. 

Pools are open - City pools (with the exception of Scott Mentzer Pool) and splash pads are open for the summer season, weather permitting. For locations, hours and rules visit pflugervilletx.gov/pools.

Decommission of city water tower begins - On June 24 crews began to mobilize decommissioning of the Old Town water tower. The water tower will remain, but two cinder block buildings at the base of the tower will be demolished, transitioning the area into a landmark and public space. Demolition is expected to take approximately two weeks. If you have any questions, please contact Pflugerville Public Works at 512-990-6400.

Roadway Construction - Construction continues at the intersection of FM 685 and Pecan Street adding a displaced left turn, an innovative intersection design that will provide congestion relief within the existing Right-of-Way . Detour options are available. Please drive carefully through the area and obey all signage. For more information, visit our project webpage.

National Night Out -  Registration for this year's National Night Out on October 5 is now open. Start planning your neighborhood or block party now and register with us to receive support, resources, and a visit from our officers at your party. National Night Out parties can take many forms, so be creative, and use this time to get to know your neighbors and fight crime.
Find out more at pflugervilletx.gov/nno.

July 4 - Independence Day Pfireworks - July 4th weekend, Typhoon Texas is hosting a Red White and Boom Festival with fireworks on Sunday, July 4 at 9:30 p.m. presented by the City of Pflugerville. Pfind out the best place to watch by visiting pflugervilletx.gov/fireworks. Please remember that while Travis County does not prohibit the sale of fireworks in the County, all personal fireworks, including sparklers, are illegal within City limits.

July 9 - The Magik Theatre presents "Everything is Round" - No matter where you look, it seems like everything is round except for when everything isn't. This interactive, new play is designed to challenge our youngest friends to see shapes all around them, no matter where they look. To register and find out more information, visit the library's website. 

This press release was produced by the City of Pflugerville. The views expressed here are the author’s own.