Article: Rollingwood Comprehensive Plan Critical for City's Future
See below or follow this link to read Mayor Dyson's article in the Statesman this month where he provides the most recent updates on the comprehensive planning process in Rollingwood.
August 11, 2020
As we near the end of another summer in Rollingwood and begin to look ahead to the fall, I want to highlight an important initiative that is underway now: the creation of our city’s first comprehensive plan. For those who may be less familiar, a comprehensive plan provides a city with a strategic framework for how to prepare for the years ahead. For Rollingwood, it will be a tool to help current and future City staff and City Council members create responsible policies and smart development that align with needs identified by our residents. It will help us preserve what residents love about Rollingwood today, while ensuring our sustainable future as a city.
This work is critical for our community. As I’ve emphasized many times in the past, the City is facing a significant challenge. We are working to balance affordability while maintaining the quality of service our residents want and deserve. Despite exceptional attempts by past administrations and Councils to control costs and increase efficiencies, we have found ourselves with decades’ worth of deferred maintenance to our infrastructure estimated at somewhere between $20 million and $30 million. Operational expenses for the city, much like cost of living, have the tendency to increase year over year. If our costs are going to increase year after year and if we want to address the deferred maintenance to our infrastructure, we have to continue to manage three things. Budget cuts where possible, intelligent spending always, and responsible economic growth; otherwise we are running a deficit. These items, at a minimum must meet the 3% increase, which will only be sufficient to keep the bare minimum needed to keep us revenue neutral. It does not address our infrastructure needs, nor does it help us prepare for unforeseen circumstances, including emergencies. The purpose of the comprehensive plan is to guide thoughtful growth for Rollingwood so that we don’t become unsustainable within 10 years.
We have an incredible team at City Hall that is perfectly-positioned to implement the comprehensive plan once it is finalized in early 2021; building out our City staff is a significant milestone of which we should all be proud. Now that we have the right people in place – along with the right data from our Infrastructure Improvement Plan, Park Master Plan and Commercial Corridor Study – it is time for our community to provide the necessary input on where we go from here. The comprehensive planning process is the responsible next step: it is a community-driven effort that will result in a tool for City leaders to make informed decisions about future development and ensure our long-term fiscal sustainability, while protecting the community we know and love.
We are in the very early stages of this process now, which began with a first round of input-gathering from our residents. We conducted an initial community survey in July, which was used to inform draft scenarios that were presented to City Council, the Planning and Zoning Commission and members of the Rollingwood Community Development Corporation at a working meeting on July 28. We heard concerns
from community members about the scenarios presented, and our team is already working to refine these based on your feedback.
We know there has been some confusion and anxiety about a plan already being fully developed, and I want to personally acknowledge and apologize for the miscommunication. A draft of the comprehensive plan has not yet been created; the scenarios presented on July 28 were meant as a starting point for discussion around what the comprehensive plan could include. There will be additional drafts and updates that will be shared with the community in the weeks and months to come, with more opportunities for public input throughout the planning process.
The City listens to your feedback, and we need everyone to participate so our comprehensive plan will reflect the priorities of all of our residents. I encourage you to stay informed and engaged as we create this plan together in the months ahead, and help keep Rollingwood a place that people will continue to cherish for decades to come. To learn more, visit this link.
In addition to our own planning efforts, I also want to remind residents to fill out the 2020 Census if you have not done so yet. This important population count helps communities like ours receive federal funding for resources such as parks, roads and emergency services. Field data collection and self-response options will close on September 30. Responding only takes a few minutes and can be done online, by mail or over the phone. Help Rollingwood reach 100 percent reporting – visit 2020Census.gov.
Finally, as COVID-19 cases continue to increase, I ask that everyone stay smart about your own health and that of your family, neighbors and friends. Continue to follow recommended health and safety guidelines, including wearing a mask whenever you are out in public and maintaining a safe social distance from anyone outside of your immediate household. Wash your hands often, and stay home if you are sick. If you know of a Rollingwood resident in need, please reach out to City Hall by calling 512-327-1838 or contact the Police Department at 512-328-1900 so our team can connect them with services in our community. Our COVID-19 Resource Page remains linked on the homepage of our City website; check it regularly for the latest information on the Coronavirus.
As always, if you have any questions or feedback regarding City operations, I encourage you to reach out to me at mdyson@rollingwoodtx.gov or to Amber Lewis, our City Administrator, at alewis@rollingwoodtx.gov.
