A Weekly Update from City Hall FRIDAY@5 Top Stories for Week Ending 09.18.20 THE place to live, work and play. #MyRowlett Stories Virtual Spirit of Rowlett Award – Chris Bunkoff Congratulations to our latest Spirit of Rowlett Award recipient, Chris Bunkoff! This award is to publicly recognize ordinary residents doing extra-ordinary Important City Meetings things in our community. City Council – Regular Meetings: Oct. 6 & 20 In a series of short videos, the Rowlett *check agenda on website* each City Council is sharing their gratitude Friday before mtg date and appreciation for the people who make Rowlett a great place to Check Agendas For All Meetings live. We hope you’ll watch as Councilmember Brownie Sherrill recognizes Special Council Meetings Chris for his contributions to the Rowlett community! Nominate someone you know today! None at time of publishing ----------------- #MyRowlett #BetterTogether #Rowlett4All Senior Advisory Board Mtg – Sept. 21 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @ 10am (ZOOM Mtg) CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE Youth Advisory Council Mtg – Sept. 21 @ 6:30pm (ZOOM Mtg) The FY2021 Proposed Budget passed unanimously by the Council at the City Council P & Z Mtg – Sept. 22 @ 6:45pm meeting on Tuesday, September 15th. It will (ZOOM Mtg) go into effect on October 1, 2020. Thank you CIAB Mtg – Oct. 5 @ 6pm, (ZOOM for participating in the process this year! Mtg) Golf Advisory Board Mtg – Oct. 6 @ 8am, (ZOOM Mtg) Miller Road Bridge Closed 9pm Saturday, September 19th RCOAD Mtg – Oct. 7 @ 4pm (ZOOM st Mtg) thru 5am Monday, September 21 The bridge will be completely closed to * Check for Agendas Here * thru traffic between Sunrise Dr. & -------- Chardonnay Dr. to facilitate the **BOARDS ARE MEETING NOW – Sapphire Bay sanitary sewer line CHECK THE WEBSITE CALENDAR FOR construction across Miller Rd. We MEETING DATES & TIMES** -------- apologize for any inconvenience this Watch on Rowlett’s Cable Channel may cause and appreciate your RTN16 or online patience! View large closure map here... ***The Rowlett Municipal Court Office will be closed Monday, September 21st from 9:30am to 3:30pm for staff training*** If you need to contact the court during this time, please use email address: [email protected] FRIDAY@5 – FOR 09.18.20 Page 1 of 12 The Action Center is your one-stop-shop, offered by the City of Rowlett to assist citizens. Call 972.412.6100 Our Purpose Is To Serve! ~ The Friday @ 5 is published by the City Manager’s Office The deadline to respond is September 30th! Now more than ever, it is so important to complete your #2020Census. Check out this quick video for more information! An accurate count will ensure the Rowlett community gets its fair share of the billions in federal funding allocated for healthcare, schools, job training, emergency services and more during the next 10 years. And, as if all of that isn't enough - it helps Texas receive accurate representation in the U.S. House of Representatives. The deadline to respond is September 30th so you may see Census takers out and about – they are going door-to-door to collect responses from every household that has not already completed their #2020Census. UTILITY BILL ASSISTANCE – At the City of In the Community Rowlett, the health and well-being of our community is our top priority. We understand ACTION CENTER – Weekdays 8 -5 @ 972.412.6100 OR Online 24-7 the concern and uncertainty you may be experiencing regarding COVID-19 and are STREAMING COUNCIL MEETINGS – committed to remaining responsive to the Sept. 15, 14, 10, 1 needs our citizens as the situation continues to Virtual Town Hall Meeting – Sept. 3 evolve. We also understand that there may Spot Light on Rowlett – September be instances when residents find themselves facing financial difficulties. 2020 Rowlett is here to help, so we encourage customers who may be Mayor’s Spotlight – September 2020 impacted to contact the Utility Office to discuss payment options. Rowlett ROBUST Grant Info To set up a payment plan, please call 972-412-6105 or visit us in person Coronavirus Information – Texas at 4004 Main Street – we are available to serve you Monday through Health & Human Services Site Friday, 7:30am to 5pm. Rowlett Walmart COVID-19 Testing Rowlett residents may also qualify to receive utility bill assistance Site administered by the Salvation Army. Please call 972-272-4531 for more COVID-19 Testing Sites – See our information. website for information on testing sites Also, if you have a deposit on file with the City of Rowlett and have had on-time payments for 12 months prior to March 9th, you can call us to RFD Telemedic Program Information request your deposit be applied to your utility account balance. We RFD How to Wear Mask/Gloves encourage you to contact us with any questions or concerns. Notify Me – Subscribe TODAY! Phone: 972-412-6105 Email: [email protected] Connect Rowlett – Sign up today! Website: https://tx-rowlett2.civicplus.com/233/WaterServices-Billing Advanced Metering Infrastructure - AMI Come join the Neighborhood Life Office as we celebrate Fall with Census2020 Scarecrows on Main Street in Downtown Rowlett! We invite you to create Chamber of Commerce COVID-19 an Instagram-worthy scarecrow display Business Resources to promote your business or non-profit. Scarecrows will be displayed from October 11th – November 1st. There are 30 “spots” along Main Street available for you to create a great display for our neighbors to enjoy. Families are always looking for great backdrops for their fall photos, and you may be surprised how often your scarecrow/s show up in them! Registration: www.rowlett.com/scares FRIDAY@5 – FOR 09.18.20 Page 2 of 12 The Action Center is your one-stop-shop, offered by the City of Rowlett to assist citizens. Call 972.412.6100 Our Purpose Is To Serve! ~ The Friday @ 5 is published by the City Manager’s Office Save the Date – November 7th – Virtual Neighborhood Summit 2020! Whether you have considered organizing a Crime Watch or a Neighborhood Alliance, or you just want some fresh ideas for your neighborhood group, the 2020 Virtual Neighborhood Summit is here to inspire and give you new ideas to help your neighborhood connect! Neighbors from Rowlett, Garland and Plano as well as our surrounding communities are welcome to join us! Registration is FREE, but spaces are limited so sign up today! 9am – 12:30pm Visit http://www.ntxneighborhoodsummit.org/ for more information and to register. Dan Roberts Environmental Learning Center Public Workshop – Tuesday, September 22 @ 6pm Join us for the Dan Roberts Environmental Learning Center Virtual Public Workshop Tuesday, September 22nd from 6 - 7pm. The City of Rowlett and Keep Rowlett Beautiful would love to hear YOUR thoughts on this long- desired community amenity. The Dan Roberts Environmental Learning Center, located at 6301 Chiesa Road, is envisioned to be a hands-on environmental learning experience for area students of all ages and their families to enjoy. A study currently underway will seek to identify programming and potential learning experiences for the new center, as well as its scale, character, and cost. The City is working with a team of consultants, including Lake Flato Architects and studioOutside, to facilitate this effort. In this meeting, the consultants will describe the project purpose and the existing conditions that factor into the project. They will seek YOUR input to understand what OUR community would like to see at the new interpretive center and share examples of other similar facilities. ➢ Join us Tuesday, September 22nd from 6-7pm via Zoom and tell us what you think! Please click this URL to join: https://lakeflato.zoom.us/j/93037921529?pwd=SkxMR24ycjVTV2VIaWJkUUJSWE9Fdz09 ➢ Or, join by phone for audio only by calling 346/248-7799, enter webinar ID 93037921529, passcode 123456. ➢ Questions or comments can also be submitted to the project team through September 29 by emailing Matt Wallace ([email protected]). DART Bringing Service Levels Back in October Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) has announced they are restoring ninety percent of pre-pandemic service levels beginning October 19th. This comes after DART implemented temporary service adjustments for the bus and light rail system on April 6th that better reflected ridership demand due to the COVID- 19 pandemic. Service restoration includes 65 bus routes being restored to pre-pandemic service levels. A total of 7 core frequent bus routes, as well as all light rail train operation service, will move to 20- minute frequency until 7pm on weekdays. More information on the service changes will be made available on dart.org as plans are formalized. CITY SECRETARY’S OFFICE ARE YOU REGISTERED TO VOTE? The local and national election will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020 and you will need to register by Monday, October 5, 2020 in order to vote on November 3rd. This also includes making a change of address. FRIDAY@5 – FOR 09.18.20 Page 3 of 12 The Action Center is your one-stop-shop, offered by the City of Rowlett to assist citizens. Call 972.412.6100 Our Purpose Is To Serve! ~ The Friday @ 5 is published by the City Manager’s Office Early voting for the November 3rd Election runs October 13th-30th Information for Dallas County Early Voting Dates and Times – The Rowlett early voting location for Dallas County Rowlett residents will be at the Rowlett Community Centre, 5300 Main Street. A list of all early voting locations within Dallas County can be found here. o Tuesday, October 13 through Saturday, October 17 - 7am to 7pm o Sunday, October 18 - 1pm to 6pm More Election Information... o Monday, October 19 through Saturday, October 24 - 7am to 7pm Here’s a Sample Ballot o Sunday, October 25 - 1pm to 6pm o Monday, October 26 through Friday, October 30 – 7am to 7pm ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT ROBUST Grant Program – Round 3 – DUE MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21ST! We are happy to announce that Round 3 of the Rowlett Business Stimulus (ROBUST) Grant program is now available for businesses to submit applications.