Jan. 3, 2025

This is the latest edition of Week In Review — a series of weekly messages from the Mayor and City Council to help Richardson residents and businesses keep up to date on municipal events. If you would like to sign up to receive this in a weekly e-mail click here.

Throughout the year, the City Council or City Plan Commission will hold meetings on topics of significant interest to local neighborhoods or the community in general. Links to view all City Council or City Plan Commission meeting documents that may have topics of interest to you can be found here:

City Council | City Plan Commission

Discounted Memberships at City Rec Centers Available for a Limited Time
Richardson recreation centers are ringing in 2025 with 25 percent off all annual recreation memberships purchased during the month of January. The discount brings the cost of an annual individual adult membership for Richardson residents down to $70/year and family memberships to $150/year, a savings of $17.50 and $37.50 respectively.  

Membership comes with access to both recreation centers, which include cardio fitness areas, weight rooms, full-sized gyms including regulation-sized basketball courts, game rooms, free Wi-Fi, saunas, and locker rooms.  

Additionally, Senior Center-only memberships are available with fees starting at $25 for residents and $50 for nonresidents per year. It includes a fitness room, billiards and game area.  

Memberships are available for purchase inside each facility and online.  

Online membership purchase: www.cor.net/parksonline  

Three-Day Wildflower! 2025 Tickets Now on Sale  
Weekend ticket packages for the 2025 Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival, to be held May 16-18, went on sale online this week. General admission, three-day ticket packages are $40 through Feb. 10, a savings of $35 off the regular price. The “Friends of the Festival” VIP package, a three-day ticket package that includes several perks, is available for $400.   

General admission three-day packages include one ticket for each day of the festival, general admission seating at all stages and unlimited re-entry to the festival each day.   

VIP packages give festival goers the “rockstar treatment” and include:   

Kids ages 12 and younger are admitted free with the purchase of any general admission or VIP ticket.   

Ticket link: Tickets | WIldflower! Arts & Music Festival (wildflowerfestival.com) 

City’s Annual Student Art, Essay Contests Open 
Two annual student contests sponsored by the Richardson City Council began accepting entries Jan. 1: the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay Contest and the “Black History Month: Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion” Art Contest. 

Each contest is open to students (eligible grades vary by contest) who live in Richardson or attend school within the city. The essay contest ends Jan. 31 and the art contest ends Feb. 28. Rules and deadlines for each may be found online. Winners in each age category receive $200 and will be recognized at a future City Council meeting. 

Website: www.cor.net/ArtandEssayContest  

City Departments Prepare for Severe Winter Weather 
Next week’s forecast shows a possibility for extreme winter weather, and City departments are preparing by staging equipment and materials. Piles of sand to help de-ice and provide traction at intersections are in place and ready to load on spreaders. Bags of ice melt are also staged at several facilities to help make entrances to buildings safer. Emergency service personnel also have plans in place to open a warming center if needed.  

Response and Recovery Information
The best way to keep up with current information on Richardson’s extreme weather response and recovery efforts is by monitoring the City’s Richardson Today social media available on Nextdoor, Facebook and Instagram. In cases of emergency information, people are also asked to register for alerts that can be sent to their mobile device. (See links provided below.)  

Area Utilities
Area utility providers are also preparing. Electric utility provider Oncor provides an online storm outage map at stormcenter.oncor.com, and recommends any branches located near powerlines be trimmed on personal property to help avoid outages.  

Atmos Energy is also monitoring the weather and recommends its customers signup for text alerts.  

Fire and Health Safety During Cold Weather 

Anyone new to winter weather will want to follow the safety precautions outlined below to protect from harm and property damage:  

• Use Space Heaters Safely
  • Place space heaters on level, non-flammable surfaces.
  • Keep them at least 3 feet away from curtains, furniture, bedding and all other flammable materials.
  • Never leave them unattended.
• Never use an oven or a gas stovetop to heat your home
• Insulate Pipes:
  • Wrap exposed pipes to prevent freezing and bursting.
• Protect natural gas meters:
  • Remove snow and ice with a broom or brush; never kick or chip snow and ice away with a hard object.
• Ventilate Properly:
  • Ensure that gas appliances, like stoves and heaters, vent properly.
• Keep Pets Indoors:
  • Provide warm shelter for outdoor animals.

See below under Environmental for more ways to get ready for freezing temperatures regarding pipes, plants and more.  

Website: www.cor.net/severeweather
City of Richardson Social Media Accounts: www.cor.net/social
Emergency Notification System: www.cor.net/alerts
Atmos Energy emergency line: 866-322-8667 (answered 24/7)
Oncor Outage Map: https://stormcenter.oncor.com/ 

Election Packets Available at City Hall for May 3 City Council Election
Election packets for prospective candidates for Mayor and Places 1 through 6 are now available for the May 3, 2025 election.  

Electronic election packets may be requested via e-mail at aimee.nemer@cor.gov. Additionally, packets are available to pick up in-person during regular business hours at Richardson City Hall, 2360 Campbell Creek Blvd., Suite 525. New candidates are encouraged to schedule an appointment with the City Secretary to review the packet and election procedures. You may schedule by e-mail or by calling 972-744-4290.  

The first day to file an application for a place on the ballot is Wednesday, Jan. 15, and the last day is Friday, Feb. 14, by 5 p.m. The City of Richardson City Council election is held every two years. 
 
Website: www.cor.net/elections 
Contact: City Secretary Aimee Nemer, aimee.nemer@cor.gov and 972-744-4290 

Earn Extra Points by Registering Now for Healthier Texas Community Challenge
The City of Richardson is set to participate in the 2025 Healthier Texas Community Fitness Challenge Jan. 13-March 9, and invites the community to join in. Formerly called the It’s Time Texas Community Fitness Challenge, the free, eight-week, statewide competition encourages individuals and organizations to earn points and win prizes for completing healthy individual actions such as working out, logging water intake and eating healthy meals. Actions/points are logged on a free app; register before Jan. 13 to start off with 250 extra points. People who sign up on behalf of their city or school district also earn points for that organization with every healthy action they submit.    

Several free, City-sponsored group fitness classes are planned to take place during the Challenge including yoga, drum cardio, and healthy cooking, and a walk/run event is scheduled for Jan. 25 at Huffhines Park.  

To register for the Challenge, click here, then download the free Community Challenge app to log activities and earn further points.     

Website: www.txcommunitychallenge.org    

U.S. Flags Flying at Half-Staff on All Public Buildings through Jan. 28; Jan. 9 is a National Day of Mourning
The City of Richardson, along with other municipalities and government entities, is flying the U.S. flag at half-staff due to the passing of former President Jimmy Carter on Dec. 29. He lived to be 100 years old.  

In a proclamation issued Dec. 29, President Joe Biden ordered flags across the U.S. to be flown at half-staff “in honor and tribute to the memory of President James Earl Carter, Jr. and as an expression of public sorrow.” He also appointed Thursday, Jan. 9 as a National Day of Mourning throughout the U.S., calling on Americans to assemble that day in their respective places of worship to pay homage to the memory of Carter.  

Flags are traditionally flown at half-staff for 30 days after the death of a president or former president, as per protocols set by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1954.  

 

Glenville Drive between Digital Drive and International Parkway may be narrowed to one lane with flaggers for the alternate movement of traffic from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. as boring work for fiber optic cable takes place along North Glenville Drive. The work is expected to wrap up by late April. 

Lane Closures Expected on Northbound Waterview Parkway near UT Dallas Campus 
The right lane of Waterview Parkway at Stewart Drive, and the bike lane of northbound  Waterview Parkway extended 240 feet south of Synergy Park Boulevard, may be closed to traffic from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. for fiber optic work. The work is expected to be complete by late April. 

Website: www.cor.net/Projects

Annual City Photo Contest Opens Next Friday 
The City’s annual photo contest opens next Friday, Jan. 10, with entries accepted through Sunday, Jan. 26. Sponsored by the Parks and Recreation Department, the contest is open to both residents and nonresidents, and is divided into three competition groups (Student, Amateur Adult and Proficient Adult). Costs are $5 per entry for students and $10 per entry for amateur adult and proficient adult. 

The 2024 Best of Division Winners & Judges Exhibit will be on display at Huffhines Recreation Center from Jan. 11-30. This year’s winners will be recognized at an awards ceremony Feb. 27 at the Eisemann Center, with the winning photos displayed at Huffhines Recreation Center Feb. 1-25.  

Website: www.cor.net/photocontest   

IQ Brew Jan. 9: “Remote Sensing and Machine Learning” 
The IQ^®HQ, 1302 E. Collins Blvd. 
Admission: Free (RSVP requested here as space is limited) 
Thursday, Jan. 9 
8:30-10 a.m. (Opening remarks begin at 9 a.m.)   

In this presentation, Dr. David Lary will delve into his insights on remote sensing from robotic aerial vehicles and machine learning. Dr. Lary is a Professor of Physics at UT Dallas at the Hanson Center for Space Science.  

Dr. David Lary Lab: MINTS| Multi-Scale Integrated Intelligent Interactive Sensing 

At the Eisemann Center:

• “Shen Yun: A Heavenly Gift” Tonight thru Sunday
  Hill Performance Hall
  Tickets: $80-$200 (tickets)
  Jan. 3-5
  Tonight (Friday) at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m.
  
  Shen Yun invites you to travel back to the magical world of ancient China. Experience a lost culture through the incredible art of classical Chinese dance, and see legends come to life. Shen Yun makes this possible by pushing the boundaries of the performing arts, with a unique blend of stunning costuming, high-tech backdrops and an orchestra like no other. Presented by Southern USA Falun Dafa Association.
  
  
• First Fridays: North Texas Woodworkers Exhibit
  Green Mezzanine Gallery
  Admission: Free
  Exhibit runs through Jan. 26
  Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and during all public events; reception tonight 6-8 p.m.
  
  Join us for First Fridays, a free monthly art reception celebrating the current collection in the Green Mezzanine Gallery. This month features "The Beauty of Craftsmanship" by the North Texas Woodworkers Association, showcasing 40–50 exquisite pieces from hobbyists and professional artisans of this Plano-based organization. Stroll the gallery, meet the artists, and enjoy light bites with fellow art enthusiasts. Learn more at www.ntwa.org.  

Repertory Company Theatre Hosts REP Company Auditions Jan. 11 
Community members ages 16+ who act and/or sing and dance are invited to audition for Repertory Company Theatre’s (RCT) 80-member REP Company for 2025. RCT directors cast the year’s shows from the REP Company. Auditions will be held Saturday, Jan. 11 at RCT’s headquarters, 770 N. Coit Rd., on a first-come, first-served basis from 1-5:30 p.m. Call backs are Sunday, Jan. 12 at 1 p.m. 

More information/list of upcoming shows: www.rcttheatre.com

Get Pipes, Plants Freeze-Ready 
With freezing (and below freezing) temperatures predicted for next week, it’s time to do some preparation work to protect plants, pipes and landscapes. Here are some tips from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and the American Red Cross: 

More information: www.rdcrss.org/1ObECQV
Video: 4 P’s 

Holiday Box Recycling, “Tree-cycling” Continues through Feb. 7 
Turn your Christmas tree into mulch and compost and keep large gift boxes out of the trash (and out of sight of would-be thieves) through the City’s Tree Cycling and Holiday Box Recycling programs. Both programs began last month and continue through Feb. 7.    

Trees may be dropped off 24/7 at the Municipal Service Center, 1260 Columbia Dr., or set out at the curb and picked up as part of the City’s weekly Brush and Bulky Item Collection (BABIC), to be turned into mulch and compost. Trees must be natural (not artificial), unflocked and all decorations, nails etc. must be removed. The mulch and compost are created thanks to a regional partnership between Richardson, Plano, Allen, McKinney, Frisco and Texas Pure; it is used in landscaping by the cities and offered to the public for purchase. Residents of the five member cities receive a discount.    

Boxes (flattened) may be dropped off at the following locations:  

Website: www.cor.net/boxandtreerecycling   
Contact: 972-744-4111 for BABIC pick-up; be sure to request that the tree be collected for composting.   

Combination Inspector – Residential Building ($63,567 - $86,087 Salary) 
Building Inspection is looking for an individual to inspect buildings, construction sites and construction components for compliance with Building, Electrical, Plumbing or Mechanical codes and laws by making routine field inspections throughout the construction period. Master or Journeyman Plumbing license required. 

Customer Service Rep – Billing ($41,600 - $57,634 Salary) 
Water Customer Service is looking for an individual who can maintain customer billing records, respond to utility billing inquiries and assist in billing preparation. Assist in answering accounts receivable billing questions. Provide switchboard backup, and work in the cashier position as assigned.     

Custodian – Part Time ($18.89/hr to $21.72/hr) 
Custodial Services is looking for an individual to clean facilities and perform event setups and breakdowns. Texas Drivers License, Class C required. 

www.cor.net/jobs

Pet of the Week
Polk is a sweet 3-year-old American Bulldog who has been waiting for his forever home since June, and he’s ready to steal your heart! Polk is smart, fully potty trained and gets along great with other dogs. Plus, he absolutely loves treats! If you’re looking for a loyal companion who will bring joy and snuggles to your life, come meet Polk today! 

For information about animals available for adoption, visit the Animal Shelter’s web page here.

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