August 2016 – 2nd Edition
August 2016 – 2nd Edition
Homeowner Revitalization Awards
Nominations for the annual Revitalization Awards are being accepting through September 16, 2016. Find out more HERE.
City Budget Proposed – Final Hearing on Aug. 29
The City Manager presented the 2016-2017 budget to the City Council. Key provisions of the proposed budget include:
- A one-cent reduction in the tax rate for a rate of $0.62516
- An increase in the Senior Exemption from $60,000 to $70,000
- A $939,896 increase in the funds dedicated to street maintenance for a total of approximately $3.26 million
- The acceleration of the 2015 General Obligation Bonds for the Public Safety Complex project and addition of the Fire Station 1/Administration Building reconstruction
- A new annual alley maintenance initiative of $652,000
- An 8.25 percent rate increase in water and sewer services
- An increase in the residential solid waste rate by $3 and related commercial rate adjustments to help offset the increasing costs of recycling services
Public hearings on the proposed tax and budget were held August 22 and 29 before adoption on September 12. A copy of the 2016-17 Proposed Budget is available HERE.
Rainwater Management Update
The status and future plans for the Drainage Utility Program, which manages rainwater drainage throughout the city, was presented to the Council in June. The program budget of $2.7 million is the same as in the last three years.
Police Update
The Richardson Police Department wishes to thank the Richardson community
for the support it has shown over the last month with blue ribbons, notes, and baked goods. RPD employees established an online fundraiser that collected over $10,000 in eleven days to assist the families of the Dallas officers killed. The RPD provided assistance to the Dallas Police Department and DART police after the shooting deaths of five law enforcement officers.
Walking Trails Update
The Duck Creek Trail Extension was approved by the Council to connect the Owens Trail, the existing Duck Creek Trail and Glenville Trail to the Central Trail. This will allow users to travel along a continuous trail from Huffhines Recreation Center to Collins Boulevard and DART’s Arapaho Center Station. The project will be paid in part with federal grant money. City staff will be working with Dallas County on an agreement to share the engineering and design costs. Construction is planned to begin in late 2017 or early 2018, with completion in the spring of 2019.
City Swimming Pool Maintenance Review
The Parks and Recreation Department selected a consultant to conduct on-site reviews of pool infrastructure and mechanical systems. Plans call for results of the review to be presented in 2017. They will be used to establish a multi-year maintenance strategy.
Mosquito Control
The City practices integrated mosquito control with the intent to disrupt the mosquito life cycle in its early stages year-round. The effort increases from April through October, the most active mosquito season in North Texas. No human cases of West Nile Virus have been reported in Richardson. The City’s weekly newsletter lists each week’s spraying plans and they can be viewed HERE.
Pet Adoptions Encouraged
The Richardson Animal Shelter participated in the third annual North Texas “Clear the Shelters” event in July. The shelter waived adoption fees for all adoptable pets. From the Richardson shelter 39 animals were adopted and an estimated 45,000 animals were adopted on this day from more than 680 shelters across the country.
Millennial Education about City Opportunities
The Richardson Economic Development Partnership (REDP) launched a new talent attraction campaign and website in an effort to encourage millennials to “live, work and eat” in Richardson. The campaign is developed to attract young, tech-savvy workers to help fill current area job needs. The website provides information to young professionals about places where they can work, live and dine in Richardson: RealRichardson.com
Chamber of Commerce Recognized
The Richardson Chamber of Commerce has earned five-star accreditation status by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. This is the second consecutive time the Chamber has received the recognition. Only 31 of the 338 chambers in Texas are accredited and only 12 have achieved the prestigious five-star rating. In the United States, only one percent of chambers receive the five-star rating.
Recycling Update
A video on the journey of Richardson’s recyclable materials can be viewed online at the following link. Additionally, what can and cannot be recycled is also online in a printable format.
Homeowner Videos Help Police Fight Crime
The Richardson Police Department, in an effort to fight crime, is asking residents who own active video surveillance cameras to volunteer their information and complete an online form that has basic questions about their video system’s capabilities. You can sign up .online here
Home Foundation Information Available
The Building Inspection Division has created a webpage with foundation best practices that can be seen here.
