Matching Fund Beautification Program

Since 1972, the City of Richardson has made available the Matching Fund Beautification Program to citizens interested in beautifying public land in their neighborhood. The program was designed to encourage participation from citizens who want to contribute to the community and make the City of Richardson a more beautiful place to live. It is a budgeted program in which the cost of materials for the project is shared on an equal basis between the citizen group and the city.

The first step for a beautification project to be undertaken is a group of citizens (formal or informal) contacts Richardson's Parks and Recreation Department with a request, followed by an application. This application must be submitted by May 1 so the project can be included in the department's budget request for the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. The City Council approves the budget in September. The Matching Fund Beautification Program has funded at least one project per group every year requests are made. It appears to be a popular program with both the citizens and the City Council.

The city plans the project and sets a schedule. In addition to sharing the cost of materials for the project, both the citizens and the city provide the physical labor required to complete the project. The city handles hard construction, such as concrete work and the installation of an irrigation system and large plants, while the citizens plant the smaller vegetation.

Once the project is complete, the citizens keep the area weeded for a period of two years. In that second year, on the anniversary of the planting, the city assumes all responsibility for maintaining the beautification project.