The Round Rock Bond Advisory Commission has begun the process of vetting possible projects to be included in a November bond election.

The 13 commission members appointed by the City Council last month, met April 10 at the Round Rock Public Library to consider plans to improve the city's public library system.

Round Rock Library Director Michelle Cervantes presented capital improvement options that ranged from expanding the existing downtown library to building a new main library with separate satellite branches and a bookmobile.

Cervantes said the library is experiencing an increase in customers that outpaces the growth of the city's population. A resident survey conducted by the library, however, found that residents with higher incomes and education are using the library less.

"The results [of the survey] point to opportunities to attract new customers through new services," she said.

Cervantes' recommendation to the commission was to propose a bond that could fund a new, 59,000-square-foot main library building, renovate the existing downtown library into a branch and build a second, 10,000-square-foot branch at a separate location in the city. The total estimated cost of the the projects would be approximately $23.6 million, she said.

Questions considered by commission members included where the new main library would be located and whether it could be the hub of a public campus that could also host recreation and performing arts facilities.

"The northeast quadrant [of Round Rock] is high on the list, but nothing has been decided," Cervantes said.

Commission Chairman Mike Freeman said it was the committee members' responsibility to recommend a bond package of projects to the City Council that voters would find acceptable.

"We have had bond issues that have failed in the past," Freeman said. "The key thing is picking the right project at the right price, and that we market it well to the public."

The bond commission is scheduled to have a recommendation completed for the City Council to consider by June 30. The next commission meeting is scheduled for April 24, where proposals for new city fire stations will be considered. The time and location of the meeting will be posted on the city's website no later that 72 hours before the meeting.