R-2022-223 - 7/14/2022 RESOLUTION NO. R-2022-223
A RESOLUTION DESIGNATING THE CITY OF ROUND ROCK
AS A BEE CITY USA AFFILIATE
WHEREAS, the mission of Bee City USA is to galvanize communities to sustain
pollinators responsible for the reproduction of almost 90% of the world's flowering plant
species, by providing them with healthy habitat rich in a variety of native plants and free or
nearly free of pesticides; and
WHEREAS, thanks to the more than 3,600 species of native bees in the United States,
and over 800 known to occur in Texas, along with introduced honey bees, we have very diverse
dietary choices rich in fruits, nuts, and vegetables; and
WHEREAS, bees and other pollinators have experienced population declines due to a
combination of habitat loss, poor nutrition, pesticides (including insecticides, fungicides, and
herbicides), parasites, diseases, and climate change; and
WHEREAS, pollinator-friendly communities can benefit local and regional economies
through healthier ecosystems, increased vegetable and fruit crop yields, and increased demand
for pollinator-friendly plant materials from local growers; and
WHEREAS, ideal pollinator-friendly habitat:
a. Provides diverse and abundant nectar and pollen from plants blooming in
succession throughout the growing season;
b. Provides undisturbed spaces (leaf and brush piles, unmown fields or field
margins, fallen trees and other dead wood) for nesting and overwintering for wild
pollinators;
C. Provides water for drinking, nest-building, and butterfly puddling;
0112.20222;4876-2190-8262
d. Is free or nearly free of pesticides, as many pesticides can harm pollinators and/or
their habitat;
e. Is comprised of mostly native wildflowers, grasses, vines, shrubs, and trees, since
many wild pollinators prefer or depend on the native plants with which they co-
adapted; and
f. Provides connectivity between habitat areas to support pollinator movement and
resilience; and
WHEREAS, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a long-term approach to maintaining
healthy landscapes and facilities intended to minimize risks to people and the environment by:
identifying and removing the causes of pest problems rather than only attacking the symptoms
(the pests); employing pests' natural enemies along with cultural, mechanical, and physical
controls when prevention is not enough; and using pesticides only when no other method is
feasible or effective; and
WHEREAS, supporting pollinators fosters broad-based community engagement in
environmental awareness and sustainability; and
WHEREAS, the City of Round Rock, Texas (the "City") should be certified a Bee City
USA community for the following reasons:
a. The City's Comprehensive Plan includes goals and policies to foster resilience
and to promote environmental sustainability by facilitating energy efficient
development that conserves natural resources and open space; and
b. The City's certification will enhance understanding of the vital role that
pollinators play and what each of us can do to sustain them, and to encourage
healthy pollinator habitat creation and enhancement; and
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C. The City is home to the world-renowned Round Rock Honey Company;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF ROUND ROCK:
Section 1. To enhance understanding among local government staff and the public
about the vital role that pollinators play and what each of us can do to sustain them, the City
chooses to support and encourage healthy pollinator habitat creation and enhancement.
Section 2. The City's Administration Department is hereby designated as the Bee
City USA sponsor.
Section 3. The Assistant to the Mayor and Council of the Administration Department
is designated as the Bee City USA liaison.
Section 4. Facilitation of the Round Rock Bee City USA program is assigned to the
Round Rock Pollinators Committee.
Section 5. The Round Rock Pollinators Committee is authorized to and shall:
a. Celebration: Host at least one educational event or pollinator habitat planting or
restoration each year to showcase the City's commitment to raising awareness of
pollinator conservation and expanding pollinator health and habitat.
b. Publicity & Information: Install and maintain at least one authorized Bee City
USA street sign in a prominent location, and create and maintain a webpage on
the City website which includes, at a minimum a copy of this resolution and links
to the national Bee City USA website; contact information for the Bee City USA
liaison and Environmental Stewardship Committee; reports of the pollinator-
friendly activities the community has accomplished the prior year(s); and a
recommended native plant species list and IPM plan.
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C. Habitat: Develop and implement a program to create or expand pollinator-friendly
habitat on public and private land, which includes, but is not limited to, the
following actions: identify and inventory the City's real property that can be
enhanced with pollinator-friendly plantings; create a recommended locally native
plant list to include wildflowers, grasses, vines, shrubs, and trees and a list of
local suppliers for those species; and track (by square footage and/or acreage)
annual area of pollinator-friendly habitat created or enhanced.
d. Pollinator-Friendly Pest Management: Create and adopt an IPM plan.
e. Policy: Establish, if needed, a policy in the City's Comprehensive Plan to
acknowledge and commit to the Bee City USA designation.
f. Policy and Plans: Revise the City's Comprehensive Plan to acknowledge and
commit to the Bee City USA designation.
g. Renewal: After completing the first calendar year as a Bee City USA affiliate,
each February, apply for renewal of the City's designation following the format
provided by Bee City USA, including a report of the prior year's Bee City USA-
related activities, and pay the renewal fee based on the City's population.
Section 6. That the Mayor and City Council of the City of Round Rock, Texas, do
hereby accept the designation and commits to the standards of Bee City USA.
Section 7. The City Council hereby finds and declares that written notice of the date,
hour, place and subject of the meeting at which this Resolution was adopted was posted and that
such meeting was open to the public as required by law at all times during which this Resolution
and the subject matter hereof were discussed, considered and formally acted upon, all as required
by the Open Meetings Act, Chapter 551, Texas Government Code, as amended.
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RESOLVED this 14th day of July, 2022.
CRAIG MO or
City of Round Rock, Texas
ATTEST:
MEAGAN rYKS, City Clerk
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