City of Richardson, TX
10/09/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/09/2026 16:20
Week in Review, Oct. 9, 2026
Oct. 9, 2026
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
Library Closes Sunday, Oct. 11
The Richardson Public Library will close at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 11, as staff begin the move to the newly renovated Library at 421 W. Arapaho Rd.
Sunday will be the last day for customers to check out materials and pick up items on hold before the closure. Due dates for materials checked out before the move will be extended until the Library reopens. The book drop will also be unavailable during the closure. Monthly book clubs, and the Halloween Spookilicious program will continue as scheduled at City Hall.
Library customers will still have access to digital resources, including e-books, audiobooks, reference databases and language-learning tools, through the myRPL Digital Library. Customers are encouraged to make sure their Library cards are current before Sunday's closure.
Library staff will remain available by phone during normal operating hours and by e-mail at [email protected].
Learn more about the Library renovations
National Night Out Brings Community Together
Richardson residents gathered at parks and neighborhoods across the City Tuesday evening to celebrate National Night Out. Hundreds of people attended registered parties, where Richardson Police officers stopped by to visit with neighbors.
Several gatherings also welcomed Richardson Fire Department personnel, costumed characters, Richardson City Council members, Miss Richardson Sarah Bachman and Miss Texas Stephanie Wendt.
As part of the evening, the Richardson Police Department held its annual Can-Do Food Drive, collecting more than 6,400 pounds of food to benefit the community.
This year marked Richardson's 37th year participating in National Night Out, a nationwide program created by the National Association of Town Watch to promote police-community partnerships, neighborhood camaraderie and crime prevention while helping enhance quality of life.
Learn more about National Night Out
3,472 Pounds Donated During Annual Peanut Butter Drive
The Richardson community donated 3,472 pounds of peanut butter and other nut butters at local collection sites as part of the North Texas Food Bank's annual Peanut Butter Drive.
The donations were delivered last week to Network of Community Ministries, a North Texas Food Bank partner agency serving the Richardson area. The peanut butter will help stock shelves at Network's main headquarters and support its mobile market, which serves local schools.
Community members also supported the drive through online purchases, adding to the overall impact of this year's efforts.
Richardson is one of several North Texas cities that participate in the annual drive, which provides an important pantry staple to local families in need while helping raise awareness about food insecurity across the region.
www.thenetwork.org
www.ntfb.org
Richardson Chamber of Commerce Recognized for 80 Years of Service
The Richardson Chamber of Commerce marked 80 years of service to the community with a proclamation presented at Monday's City Council meeting.
Founded in 1946, the Chamber has helped shape Richardson through its involvement in major community initiatives, including advocating for DART service, supporting efforts to establish The University of Texas at Dallas, helping organize the Richardson Symphony and participating in development of the Eisemann Center.
The Chamber also supports leadership development through Leadership Richardson, a program that has prepared more than 1,400 participants for community leadership roles since it was established more than four decades ago.
Police Department Receives Best Practices Accreditation Certification
The Richardson Police Department earned re-accreditation through the Texas Police Chiefs Association (TPCA) Best Practices Accreditation Program. Police Chief Gary Tittle accepted a certificate recognizing the achievement during Monday's City Council meeting.
TPCA Assistant Director Scott Rubin presented the certificate, recognizing RPD's continued Accredited status and commitment to maintaining professional standards and continuously improving its practices and procedures.
The voluntary accreditation process takes place every four years and requires participating Texas law enforcement agencies to demonstrate compliance with established best practices for police operations, policies, procedures and organizational processes.
City Staff Conduct Annual Emergency Activation Exercise
Today, City employees from nearly every department participated in an annual emergency preparedness exercise coordinated by the City's Office of Emergency Management at the Emergency Operations Center, the facility used to coordinate the City's response during major emergencies.
The exercise provided employees an opportunity to practice emergency response procedures, strengthen coordination between departments, test communication systems and reinforce their responsibilities during an emergency.
The annual exercise is part of the City's ongoing commitment to emergency preparedness. Throughout the year, employees also participate in additional training specific to their roles, including training on the Incident Command System, to help ensure the City is prepared to respond effectively when emergencies occur.
Richardson Hosts Third Annual Industry Day
Students from Richardson ISD and Plano ISD got a firsthand look at local career opportunities this week as part of the City of Richardson's third annual Industry Day, which expanded this year into a weeklong program.
Industry Week gave students the opportunity to tour local workplaces, explore potential career paths and connect with professionals in a variety of industries. Participating employers included Texas Instruments, Halff, Zipline and the City of Richardson's Facilities & Fleet and Public Services departments.
The program highlights the collaboration between the City, local businesses and educational partners to help students better understand career opportunities available in their community while preparing the next generation of professionals.
West Shore Drive Traffic Shift Begins for Waterline Installation
The northbound lane of West Shore Drive between Arapaho Road and Melrose Drive will close beginning Oct. 12, or shortly thereafter, as crews install a new waterline. Traffic will be limited to one-way southbound travel on the west side of the roadway, and on-street parking will not be permitted within the active construction area.
Traffic Shift on Custer Parkway Begins Oct. 12
Southbound traffic on Custer Parkway between Lookout Road and Canyon Creek Drive will shift to the newly constructed southbound roadway beginning Monday, Oct. 12. One lane will remain open in each direction, with traffic using the outside lanes while the inside lanes are closed for median improvements, landscaping and irrigation work. Drivers should use caution and watch for changing traffic patterns.
Sign Up: Link
October Garden Tasks
The Dallas County Master Gardener Association, Inc. (DCMGA), a division of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, has released its Garden Task List for October.
October is a great time to prepare gardens and landscapes for cooler weather. Consider planting fall color, cool-season vegetables, shrubs and hardy perennials, while also tending to lawns, removing spent summer plants and gathering fallen leaves. The DCMGA's list of tasks includes:
Planting:
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Plant daffodils from late October to mid-November
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Plant Pansies, flowering kale and cabbage, dianthus, cyclamen and violas for fall color as the weather cools at the end of the month
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Plant cool season fescue grass by mid-month or overseed established fescue lawns if needed. If you choose to overseed a Bermuda lawn with winter ryegrass, do so by md-month
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October to January is the time to plant trees and shrub that are "balled and burlapped"
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Plant cilantro, garlic, leaf lettuce, parsley, radishes, spinach and turnips
Pruning:
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Prune dead wood from trees and shrubs but wait until the dormant season for major re-shaping. Tidy the garden by removing spent summer annuals, pruning dead bloom spikes off warm season perennials and re-shaping overgrown perennials later in the season
Plant Care:
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Fertilize established fescue lawn according to soil test recommendations
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As the weather cools, bring potted tropical and houseplants inside, inspect for insects which could multiply rapidly indoors
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Mulch or gather leaves regularly as they drop, as a thick leaf layer on lawns can promote insects and diseases and delay winter dormancy. Add excess leaves to the compost pile or shred leaves and use as mulch in beds
See the Dallas County Master Gardener's October Garden Tasks
Save the Date: National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is Oct. 24
The Drug Enforcement Administration's Fall National Prescription Drug Takeback Day is Saturday, Oct. 24. The Richardson Police Department is hosting a drive-through/drop-off Drug Take Back event from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Richardson Police Department Headquarters Parking Lot (200 N. Greenville Ave). The event keeps medications out of reach of pets and children and out of our water system.
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Bring unused or expired prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceutical products in consumer containers
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Liquids, such as cough syrup, should be tightly sealed to prevent leakage
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Intravenous solutions, injectables and syringes will not be accepted due to potential hazard posed by blood-borne pathogens (instead, place anything sharp into a thick, plastic laundry detergent jug with the lid sealed with heavy-duty tape; label "Do not open or recycle," place in a trash bag and put in regular garbage)
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Pressurized metal cans, such as asthma inhalers and saline spray are also not accepted as they can explode when put in the incinerator
More information about the DEA National Drug Take Back Day
911 Dispatcher ($57,524 - $79,894 Salary)
The Police Department is looking for an individual operate various telecommunications equipment, dispatch and deploy public safety units, notify other support services and provide pre-arrival emergency medical instructions. High school diploma or G.E.D. certificate required. CPR certification and Emergency Medical Dispatch certification (through IAED), TCOLE Basic Telecommunicator Proficiency Certificate and TX Telecommunicator License required, or must be obtained within one year of hire. Texas Driver's License, Class C, required.
Driver/Loader, SWS Recycling ($46,405 - $61,513 Salary)
The Public Services Department is looking for individuals who can drive and operate residential refuse and or recycling collection equipment. Work in a small crew to collect, load, transport, and dispose of refuse, garbage, recycling, and brush. Applicable Texas Commercial Learner's Permit is required within 1 month of hire. Texas Commercial Driver's License, Class B, is required within 6 months of hire.
Custodian (PT) ($21.00/hr - $22.93/hr)
Facilities Services is looking for an individual who can clean facilities and perform event setups and breakdowns. Work schedules will vary between days and evening. However, schedules may change due to the needs of the division and employees may be required to work weekends. Perform other related work as required. Completion of eleventh grade required; High School Diploma or G.E.D. preferred. Texas Driver's License, Class C required.
Pet of the Week
Mabel is a 3-year-old Pitbull/Boxer mix with a heart full of joy. This friendly and curious girl loves exploring her surroundings and is always eager to make new friends. Mabel thrives on interaction and would be a fantastic companion for someone who enjoys active days and cozy evenings. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious, and she can brighten any room with her cheerful demeanor. Mabel is ready to find a forever home where she can share her boundless love and zest for adventure.
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City of Richardson, TX published this content on October 09, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 09, 2026 at 22:20 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]