Rockwall City Council Approves Discovery Statue

Rockwall, Texas – The Rockwall City Council has approved an art project to honor the City’s rich history. The Discovery Statue Project is named for the three pioneers who discovered the rock wall, for which our city was named. Council has approved funding of $324,800 for a larger-than-life sculpture to be located on the grounds of the Historic Courthouse on the square. The local arts community has discussed this project for many years, and it is now becoming a reality.

The artist, Jim Bryant, who is donating his time and talents, and won’t make a profit from this project—is providing a license for his artwork to the City and serving as a consultant on the project without compensation. “The Discovery statue is important to me and I feel strongly about the need to honor this part of Rockwall’s history,” said Mr. Bryant. He is already working behind the scenes to create the bronze memorial, and the process is very detailed. He started with a small sculpture created originally back in 2004, when after Founders Day that year, area art supporters decided there needed to be a work of art commemorating the discovery of the rock wall. Mr. Bryant won the contest with his sculpture, and his design was chosen to be enlarged and placed prominently in the community for all to enjoy. "I am absolutely delighted the City of Rockwall has agreed to move forward with Discovery," said Dr. Kathleen Morrow, Rockwall Alliance for the Arts. “I hope residents will come to treasure this beautiful sculpture which has been so carefully and skillfully produced by our own Jim Bryant.”

The statue depicts Terry Utley Wade, Benjamin Boydstun, and William Clay Stevenson, the three settlers who dug a well in 1852, and in doing so discovered one of a series of rock walls that run underground throughout the City. According to the Rockwall Historical Foundation website, the City was platted and named two years later, in 1854, for the rock formation, after the town founders could not agree on naming the land after one of themselves.

The creative process is complex, starting with an original design, which the Schaefer Art Bronze Foundry in Arlington will use to create a mold. Currently, computer imaging company, 3DLirious, has taken more than 500 images of the mold and is scanning them into the computer, creating data points (as seen in the picture) that will enable them to enlarge the sculpture to a larger-than-life size. In a simplified explanation, a wax cast is then made, which eventually is used to form a bronze statue. The finished sculpture will be roughly nine feet tall and will become a permanent fixture on the on the southeast corner of the courthouse lawn.

Funding for this project comes through the Rockwall Alliance for the Arts and the City of Rockwall. “This project has been a long time in the works, and it is gratifying to see it finally come to fruition,” said Rockwall Mayor Kevin Fowler. “The City Council feels strongly about honoring Rockwall’s heritage, and the memorial will be a testament to that as well as show our support for the importance of public art in our community.” The sculpture is projected to be installed by Founders Day in May of 2022. “We thought Founders Day would be the perfect time to unveil the Discovery statue,” said Chris Kosterman, Chairman of the Rockwall Arts Commission. “This is the day we honor Rockwall’s rich history, and it’s a big draw for families. We’re planning a host of activities to promote the statue, and the other arts projects that are currently in the works.”

Road Closure - Quail Run Road

Rockwall, Texas –September 16, 2021 – Starting Monday, October 4, Quail Run Road from John King Blvd to east of Hays Road will be closed. This closure is needed to repair a storm culvert under Quail Run for the development of Gideon Grove Phase 2.

City of Rockwall Continues Work to Limit In-Person Interaction to Increase Safety

Rockwall, Texas – The City of Rockwall is working to limit in-person interaction, while continuing to provide essential services to residents and the public. In an attempt to protect everyone in these uncertain times, the Utility Billing, Building Inspections and Neighborhood Improvement Services departments will be working with customers to handle business either online or via telephone:

Utility Billing

• Utility billing payments can be made online.
  
  
• Residents can call to make payments at (972) 771-7736.
  
  
• Utility billing new service applications can be downloaded and then you can call (972) 771-7736 to pay the deposit.

Building Inspections and
Neighborhood Improvement Services

• Obtain permits, certificates of occupancy, and contractor registrations here.
  
  
• Residents can also call for assistance at (972) 771-7709

Please direct questions regarding ballots by mail, voter registration, designated voting locations, voter identification requirements, absentee voting, precincts, etc. to the county elections office by calling (972) 204-6200 or visiting www.rockwallvotes.com online. Information concerning the Rockwall City Council municipal election may be directed to the City Secretary, Kristy Cole, by calling (972) 772-6406 or by email at kcole@rockwall.com

2020 Water Quality Report

2020 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report for the period of January 1st to December 31st 2020.
2020 Water Quality Report

Facts about Drinking
Water Disinfection

Disinfection of drinking water is critical to protecting consumers from disease-causing microorganisms, called pathogens, including bacteria or viruses. Disinfectants are very effective at inactivating (or killing) pathogens and have enormously benefited public health. For example, the incidence of typhoid fever was reduced by 1,000-fold in the U.S. in the last century by implementing the disinfection of drinking water. more...

Only Rain
Down The Drain

Do your part to help Keep Rockwall’s Waterways Clean!  Be on the lookout for pollutants that can damage our natural environment.  If you see any illicit/illegal discharges into our Inlets, Storm Sewers, Lakes, Creeks and Streams please report by calling (972) 772-6791.  Types of Illicit/illegal discharges:  Chlorinated backwash and draining associated with swimming pools, fertilizers, pesticides, lawn/landscape waste, household toxins, Industrial discharges, oil, anti-freeze, paint, cleaning fluids, sanitary sewer discharges, septic tank discharges, wash waters from commercial/industrial activities and washing machine discharges.

Open Forum is an opportunity for citizens to address the Council so that it can hear specific concerns or general comments. 

The Mayor and Council welcome any citizen wishing to address the City Council during the Open Forum providing that no public hearing is scheduled for the topic and comments be limited to (3) three minutes. 

The City Council does not typically respond to citizen concerns or take action during the meeting as a result of comments offered during Open Forum.  If directed by Council, the appropriate action to address a citizen’s concerns will be initiated by a member of the City Manager’s staff during normal business hours.

Let's Tackle
Kitchen Grease!

Why Should I help?

• Prevent grease buildups from blocking sewer lines.
  
  
• Stop sewer overflows into streets and storm drains
  
  
• Save money spent on costly cleanups of sewage spills.
  
  
• Reduce the number of times you have to clean your
  grease trap (food services).
  
  
• Protect the quality of our water.
  
  More (English)... | More (Spanish)...

Emergency Alert and
Preparedness Program Details

Rockwall, Texas – Rockwall County Emergency Management is currently utilizing a communications service that allows us to send important, valuable safety information directly to residents using the latest technology. more...

City of Rockwall Performs Regular Test of Outdoor Emergency Warning Siren

The City of Rockwall conducts regular tests on the first and third Wednesday of the month at 2:00 p.m. unless there is severe weather approaching or already in the DFW area.

For more information, please contact:
Joey Boyd
Director of Internal Operations
Phone: (972) 772-6408
Email

City of Rockwall gets
an "Excellent” Rating
for Transparency

The City of Rockwall received an excellent rating and ranked among the best in this area related to transparency in handling and responding to requests for public information. The City was one of 113 local agencies audited by The Dallas Morning News over a period of one year, a study in which the newspaper assessed how well state laws were followed regarding open access to information about how taxpayer money is spent and whether best practices were followed.