May 24, 2019
Here 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 events at City Hall. 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

Early Voting for June 8 Runoff Election Begins Tuesday

Early voting for the June 8 Richardson City Council Place 3 runoff election takes place May 28-June 4. The Richardson City Hall/Civic Center is an early voting location for Dallas and Collin county Richardson residents.

Hours for early voting are as follows:
May 28-June 1—8 a.m.-5 p.m.
June 2—1-6 p.m.
June 3-4—7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Note: On Election Day (June 8), voters will vote at their precinct’s designated polling location, with the following location changes:

• Precinct 2701 will vote at Richardson Church of the Nazarene
  2101 E. Renner Road, Richardson, TX 75082

• Precinct 2702 will vote at Miller Elementary School
  5661 Coventry Drive, Richardson, TX 75082

For more information, visit www.cor.net/elections.

Heights Family Aquatic Center is Open May 25-27; Summer Season Begins May 30

Cool off at the Heights Family Aquatic Center tomorrow, Sunday and Monday, as it will be open to the public for Memorial Day weekend fun, from noon-8 p.m. The Center offers picnic areas, an all-ages interactive splash playground, double-flume water slide, current channel, vortex pool and lap pool.

The Heights Family Aquatic Center will open Thursday, May 30 for its regular summer schedule, with the remainder of the City’s pools opening for the season June 1 (Splash Day, at which admission to all City pools is free).

For more information, visit www.cor.net/aquatics.


BABIC Busy After Recent Storms

The City’s Brush and Bulky Item Collection (BABIC) service is asking for patience as crews work to respond to an increase in calls for cleanup of a large amount of storm-related debris in several neighborhoods. On average, BABIC workers respond to 600 calls a day, but after a big storm those calls can increase to more than one thousand a day. This week the city has received an increase in calls, with an average of more than 900 per day and more than 1,000 calls on Friday. 

If there are large limbs/debris in the public right-of-way or on personal property, call 972-744-4111 for BABIC pick-up. Material on personal property should be placed at the curb. If the debris is brush/limbs and can be recycled into mulch and compost, please indicate that in your request. Small piles of limbs and brush should be placed with trash for regular trash collection.

To view a recently-produced video about BABIC, click here.

City of Richardson Memorial Day Holiday Schedule
For the Memorial Day holiday May 27, City facilities and services will operate according to the following holiday schedule.

Public Facility Schedule for the Memorial Day Holiday

There will be NO solid waste, recycling or Brush and Bulky Item Collection (BABIC) service provided Monday, May 27. There will be NO make-up days for trash collection. The table below shows the make-up days for recycling service. 

Recycle Make-Up Days

No City Council Meeting Monday
Due to the Memorial Day holiday, there will be no City Council work session or meeting Monday, May 27. The Council will next meet Monday, June 3 for a work session at 6 p.m. For future agendas and meeting dates, go to www.cor.net/CityCouncil.


NTPGA Foundation Presents First Sherrill Park Scholarship

The first Sherrill Park Golf Course/Two Dads and a Coach scholarship, in the amount of $5,000, was presented last week to Berkner High School golf team member and senior Sam Kiely. The scholarship has been endowed through the Northern Texas PGA Foundation thanks to the generosity and support of Berkner alums Nathan and Bonnie Shea of Richardson and Kevin and Cristi Ryan, also of Richardson.

The words, “Two Dads and a Coach,” are in honor of Bonnie’s father, Coleman Looper; Kevin’s father, Terry Ryan; and Nathan Shea, who was the Berkner High School golf coach from 1990-1998. Looper and Ryan are longtime golfers at Sherrill Park Golf Course.

The scholarship will be awarded yearly to a senior on the Berkner High School golf team.

Custer Road/Belle Grove Drive Closures Expected

Southbound Custer Road between Twilight Trail and Belle Grove Drive may be closed to traffic daily from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. through mid-September for cable/fiber optic work. Northbound Custer Road in that area will be converted to two-way traffic to accommodate the closure. At the same time, the project may also close eastbound Belle Grove Drive from Custer Road to Civic Center Drive, with eastbound traffic diverted to westbound Belle Grove Drive.

Lane Closures Expected on Renner Road in Northeast Richardson

The left lanes of westbound and eastbound Renner Road between Mackenzie Lane and North Star Road may be closed to traffic from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. daily through late August. An extra lane is being added to westbound Renner Road in that area and sidewalks are being replaced at all four corners of the intersection of Renner Road and Mackenzie Lane.

DART Platform Extension Work Rescheduled to Begin Next Week

DART’s platform extension project, scheduled to begin at Galatyn Park Station in March, is now expected to start next week.

The project will lengthen rail station platforms to enable more cars on DART trains. Work is expected to continue for the next four months. Rail service will not be disrupted but riders need to be aware that there will be an active construction zone at that station.

Users of the Galatyn Park shuttle buses should note that the drop-off/pick-up spot at Galatyn Park Station will be moved slightly to the north.

For questions or concerns, contact the DART customer care center at 214-749-3333.

www.cor.net/projects

Public Meeting May 30 Re: Dallas County Vote Centers
Dallas County Elections officials are hosting a public committee meeting Thursday, May 30 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Civic Center to provide information and gather public input on implementing new election day voting procedures scheduled to take effect in November. Changes include the creation of vote centers, which will replace precinct-specific polling locations, as well as new voting equipment and computerized poll books that will improve check-in procedures. Registered Dallas County voters will be able to vote at any of the vote center locations in Dallas County.

Public feedback is also being gathered via an online survey. To complete the survey, click here. For more information, visit www.dallascountyvotes.org.


“Summer Sizzle Reel” Community Event at Eisemann Center Monday
Kick off the summer with the second annual “Summer Sizzle Reel,” Monday, May 27 beginning at 1 p.m. at the Eisemann Center. The free event includes hands-on activities for all ages, interactive booths by local community organizations, first responder vehicles open for exploring, and the 1989 PG-rated movie, “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” at 3 p.m. in the Hill Performance Hall.

A free ticket is required for admission; to reserve, click here. Concessions will be available for purchase inside the Eisemann Center and free Kona Ice Chillers will be served outside from 1:45-2:45 p.m.


“Dive-In Movie” May 31

Heights Family Aquatic Center will host a Dive-In Movie Night Friday, May 31 with a showing of the 2016 PG-rated animated movie, “The Secret Life of Pets,” beginning at 8:30 p.m.

Tickets are $7; purchase in advance (recommended due to the event’s popularity) at Heights and Huffhines recreation centers and at Heights Family Aquatic Center during normal business hours. Gates will open for the Dive-In Movie at 8 p.m. For more information, call 972-744-7893.

Learn Audacity Tomorrow Morning

Adults and teens are invited to learn how to record and edit multi-track audio with Audacity, Saturday, May 25 from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in the Basement Training Room. Students will learn to navigate Audacity and access its core resources, improve audio quality, edit sounds and voices (such as "chipmunking" a voice) and start generating an original audio recording. Laptops are provided or you may bring your own.

Admission is free, but registration (with a valid Richardson Public Library card) is required. Call 972-744-4359 for more information and to register. 

Ramadan Dinner and Discussion Set for May 30 

Richardson residents are invited to gather for a special community event to learn the tradition of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan through an upcoming event created by the Dialogue Institute of Dallas and hosted by Richardson Interfaith Alliance member Arapaho United Methodist Church.

The Ramadan Dinner and Discussion event is free and will be held Thursday, May 30 at 7:15 p.m. at the Arapaho United Methodist Church, 1400 W Arapaho Road.

For more information and to see a video produced by the City's Communications Department, visit www.richardsontoday.com.
 

At the Eisemann Center

• Leslie Jordan May 29
  7:30 p.m. in the Bank of America Theatre. Tickets are $39-$69.
  The Emmy-winning actor, comedian and playwright takes the audience on a ride through the chapters of his life, a part coming-of-age story, part light-hearted Hollywood expose’ full of Southern charm.

Unless otherwise noted, tickets to Eisemann Center events are available at the Eisemann Center Ticket Office, 972-744-4650 and at www.eisemanncenter.com.


“CityLine Live” Spring Outdoor Music Series Wraps Up May 31

CityLine Live, a free outdoor music series at CityLine Plaza, has three dates left for its Spring lineup: tonight, tomorrow night and Friday, May 31, from 6-9 p.m. The concerts take place at CityLine Plaza, 1150 State St.

The event is open to the public and attendees may bring blankets and picnics. For more information including the complete lineup of performers, visit www.citylinedfw.com.


Richardson Community Band Outdoor Concert Series Begins Sunday

Enjoy a Memorial Day tribute when the Richardson Community Band begins its free 2019 outdoor concert series Sunday, May 26 at 7 p.m. near the Civic Center fountain. Lawn chairs, blankets, dogs and picnics are welcome. Parking is free and available in the nearby Library and Civic Center lots.

For a complete schedule of the band’s summer concerts, go to www.richardsoncommunityband.org.


Sign-ups Open for RCT Summer Musical Theatre Camps

Repertory Company Theatre’s School of Musical Theatre, 770 N. Coit Rd., will offer four weekday camps for children and teens this summer, beginning in June: “Alice in Wonderland, “Mamma Mia, “Matilda” and “Xanadu Jr.” Camps range in age groups from 8-12 and 12-18. The camps will culminate in performances (some on Saturdays).

For more information, visit www.rcttheatre.com. 

www.cor.net/cpi 

Save the Date: Paper Shredding, Electronics Recycling June 1

The electronics recycling and shredding event originally scheduled for April 13 has been rescheduled for June 1 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at Richardson Square Mall, southeast corner of Plano Road at Belt Line Road (see map). Drop off documents and electronic devices (cell phones, flat screen TVs and monitors, audio/video equipment, peripherals) or anything electronic related (EXCEPT old tube-style CRTs and TVs).

The event is open to the public and is a fundraiser of the Richardson Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association. Cost is free except for businesses wishing to shred large amounts of paper. They will be asked to donate a minimum of $5/box of paper. Note: Please remove paper from three-ring binders prior to arrival. For more information, visit www.rcpaaa.org.


Residential Cooking Oil/Grease Collection Event June 1

Keep used cooking oil and grease out of the water system (and out of the landfill) by bringing it to one of the City’s biannual oil and grease collection events. The collection originally scheduled for April 13 has been rescheduled for Saturday, June 1 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at 551 N. Plano Rd., southwest corner of Plano Road and Columbia Drive (see map). Bring cooled oil and grease in a rigid plastic container with screw-top lid (the container the oil came in may work)—just drive up, drop container(s) in the collection bin and drive off (do not pour out the oil/grease).

American BioSource recycles the oil/grease into bio diesel fuel, which reduces greenhouse gasses and carbon emissions released into the air.

Mosquito Control Tips Featured in New Video

Richardson’s annual, seasonal Mosquito Abatement Program, part of the Health Department, is now in full swing, with weekly testing of surveillance traps in 12 areas of the City and nighttime spraying in any areas where test samples come back positive. Citizens can do a lot to help keep the mosquito population in check, prevent the spread of disease and lessen the need for spraying—click here to view a video that offers several ideas.

For continual, hard-to-drain standing water near the house such as tree holes or water gardens, the City offers a free, two-pack of “Mosquito Dunks^®”, small, fish-safe insecticide rings that can be placed in the water and are effective for 30 days in killing mosquito larvae. The packs are available at Water Customer Service at City Hall, while supplies last, during regular business hours. The packs are also sold at local home improvement and garden retailers.

www.cor.net/epi

Meter Maintenance Technician ($2,750-$4,171 monthly)
Public Services is seeking individuals interested in performing preventative maintenance and meter exchanges.

Maintenance Helper II ($2,316-$3,196 monthly)
Public Services has multiple job openings in Streets, Water and Wastewater for individuals who love working outdoors doing repair and construction to streets, water distribution and wastewater collection systems.

Recreation Support Technician-part time ($8-$13.75 hourly)
Huffhines and Heights recreational centers are seeking individuals interested in assisting with instructors, programs and activities as well as enrolling students and providing information to patrons.

Kiara is still looking for a furever home! She is a lady who loves to lounge about and is ready to be promoted to her own corner window in a forever home. Kiara’s been interviewing prospective family members since March and knows that her new family is out there. She is about 3 years old, spayed, fully vaccinated, great with kids, friendlyand house trained. Please come visit with her today!

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