Rollingwood staying busy this summer

While most families are on summer vacation and preparing for the Independence Day holiday, Rollingwood officials are hoping to make some strides in rebranding and capital improvement projects citywide. Here are a few things city officials are working on this summer:

Rebranding the city

The Rollingwood Community Development Corp. and city officials hope to list Rollingwood as a destination city in Texas to increase foot traffic to local businesses and improve local sales tax revenue, Mayor Roxanne McKee writes her column in this issue of the Westlake Picayune.

McKee said residents can now list Rollingwood as the destination city on all addresses listed for any home delivery.

The corporation recently produced a map of the city that lists all the local businesses and local attractions. Cloth tote bags with a Rollingwood logo also will be distributed. The map and logo were created by resident Lisa Kirkpatrick.

The corporation and the City Council have heard presentations and reviewed proposals by Buie & Co., a Rollingwood business that provides community outreach, creative services and public relations.

“The company wants to survey our residents and businesses and prepare recommendations on what the city’s brand should be based on the values and perceptions of our residents and businesses,” McKee said. “Signage, slogans and logos that reflect what sets Rollingwood apart from other cities and incorporates our values and perceptions will be suggested.”

Improving city facilities

City Council members authorized McKee on Dec. 20 to finalize a contract of up to $43,000 with Brinkley, Sargent, Wiginton Architects, a local firm that will review the space needs of city buildings and provide a facilities master plan to the city.

The study will consider a number of options including modifying and renovating the City Hall building or constructing a new building on the site while re-purposing the current building for another function.

Parks master plan approved

Following two-and-a-half years of planning and discussion, the City Council recently approved a master plan for Rollingwood Park, 2603 Rollingwood Drive.

The plan was agreed to May 16 by a unanimous vote of council members except Alderman Bobby Dillard, whose resignation was accepted later in the meeting. However, its title was amended to read “Long Range Master Plan Options” to denote the document is a flexible plan, able to change as the city grows, and it includes a legend for the park that reflects possible field uses.

Recommendations include connecting the lower and upper park areas by extending the park’s walking trail, creating multipurpose fields to allow for more than the current baseball and softball uses and expanding the site’s native gardens.

Over the next few months, the City Council will determine which projects to fund and complete in the next budget cycle. The council will hold its regular meeting Wednesday, and will likely discuss a few budgetary items. The City Council will approve the budget in August and it will take effect Oct. 1.