Week in Review, Sept. 11, 2026

Sept. 11, 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

Ray Noah Presented with Key to the City
This week, the Richardson City Council presented former Mayor, Municipal Court Judge and longtime regional leader Ray Noah with the Key to the City, Richardson's highest symbolic honor. The presentation took place at the Raymond D. Noah Municipal Court Building, which was dedicated in Noah's honor in 2011 in recognition of what was then 40 years of service to the City.

Noah's service to Richardson spans generations. He served on the City Council and as Mayor during one of the most transformative periods in the community's history, later continuing his service as Presiding Municipal Judge and as a charter member of the DART Board of Directors, where he spent 28 years helping advance regional transportation and cooperation across North Texas.

The newly designed Key to the City reflects Richardson itself, incorporating 1873, the year the community was founded; circuitry representing the city's technology and innovation heritage; wildflowers representing Richardson's longstanding commitment to quality of life; and piano keys representing the city's dedication to arts and culture.

See video from the presentation

Richardson Public Library Prepares for Move Home
The Richardson Public Library will close at 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, as staff begins moving the collection, equipment and services from the temporary location at 2360 Campbell Creek Blvd. to the renovated Library at 421 W. Arapaho Rd. The City anticipates announcing a reopening date in October.

Important dates include:

Due dates for materials checked out before the closure will be extended until the Library reopens. The book drop will not be available during the move.

Most in-person programs and services including holds pickup, donations, notarial services and 3D printing will be paused. Monthly book clubs and the Halloween Spookilicious program will continue as scheduled at City Hall.

Digital resources, including e-books, audiobooks, reference databases and language-learning tools, will remain available through the myRPL Digital Library. Library customers are encouraged to make sure their cards are current before the closure.

Library staff will remain available by phone during normal operating hours and by email at [email protected].

Learn more about the Library renovations

Richardson Reads One Book Author Events are Next Week; Tickets Still Available
Kate Messner, author of the 2026 Richardson Reads One Book selection, "The Trouble with Heroes," will be in Richardson next week for two events. The events include a free lecture at the First United Methodist Church, as well as a luncheon and book signing at the Eisemann Center. Tickets for both events are still available.

Author Lecture Information
Location: First United Methodist Church Richardson, 503 N. Central Expy.
Cost: Free; ticket required
Date: Tuesday, Sept. 15
Time: 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:45 p.m.)

Author Luncheon and Book Signing
Location: Eisemann Center, 2351 Performance Dr.
Cost: $40.50 (covers lunch cost)
Date: Wednesday, Sept. 16
Time: 11 a.m.

Visit the Richardson Reads One Book website
Get a free ticket to the author lecture
Purchase tickets to the luncheon

New Library Card Designs Debuted
September is Library Card Sign-Up Month, and the Richardson Public Library recently unveiled three new Library card designs. The art on the cards was submitted as part of the contest to design new cards. The three new cards feature artwork by Robyn Rubio, Adeline Lee and Sarah Edwards. The Library plans on releasing additional card designs later this year.

Library cards are free for Richardson residents. To receive a card, visit the Circulation Desk near the Library's front doors and ask for a registration form. In addition to filling out the form, you will need to present:

Please note that Richardson Public Library Cards are NOT "forever" cards; they must be renewed every three years, in person, with a valid photo ID and proof of current home address.

Visit the Library website

Tax Rate Hearing Monday
A public hearing on the tax rate will take place at the City Council meeting on Monday, Sept. 14, at 6 p.m. It is the first public hearing to be held related to the Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget; a budget hearing is scheduled for Sept. 21. A tax rate of $0.54218 per $100 valuation has been proposed by the City Council, which is the same tax rate that was adopted for the current fiscal year.

The Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget goes into effect Oct. 1. All budget meetings are open to the public and held at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chamber at Richardson City Hall, 2360 Campbell Creek Blvd., Suite 525. Meetings are also broadcast live on the City website. On-demand video of the proceedings will be available on the website beginning the next day.

View Council meetings live or on-demand
Find more information on the City Budget

Richardson Fleet Technicians Compete at FleetCon Competition
City of Richardson fleet technicians Juan Trevino and Cliff Janson represented the state of Texas at the 2026 FleetCon Top Tech Challenge last month in Colorado, with Janson coming in second place overall. Trevino and Janson earned the two spots available to represent Texas after coming out on top in state competitions held earlier this year. They competed against six other technicians from Arizona, Colorado and Nevada in written and hands-on maintenance challenges.

In addition to Janson's second place finish, Trevino completed the second challenge, diagnosing and fixing a service body pickup that would not start, with the fastest time among all eight technicians.

FleetCon is the annual conference sponsored by the FleetPros Association. The Texas chapter of FleetPros covered Trevino's and Janson's travel expenses as they represented both Richardson and the State of Texas at the competition.

Miss Texas Named Miss America
Last weekend, Miss Texas Regan Hutsell was crowned the 2027 Miss America, becoming only the fourth Miss Texas to earn the national title in the competition's 105-year history. Hutsell, a former Radio City Rockette who has also performed with the Birmingham Royal Ballet, was crowned Miss Texas in June at the Eisemann Center right here in Richardson.

Each year, the Miss Texas titleholder crowned in Richardson becomes part of our community, taking part in City events such as National Night Out, State of the City, the Christmas Parade, Santa's Village and Family 4th.

North Texas Giving Day is Thursday
North Texas Giving Day, the region's largest community-wide online giving event, takes place next week on Thursday, Sept. 17. The platform makes it easy to browse almost 3,400 verified North Texas nonprofits and donate to multiple organizations in a single transaction.

Several local nonprofits participate, including local arts and theater groups, and entities that directly support municipal services such as the Library, Animal Shelter, Eisemann Center, and Fire and Police Departments.

Since its inception in 2009, North Texas Giving Day, coordinated by the Communities Foundation of Texas, has raised more than $712 million to support regional nonprofits.

Visit the North Texas Giving Day website

Nominations Open for 2026 Community Revitalization Awards
Nominations are open for the 2026 Community Revitalization Awards, which recognize residential and commercial property owners who have enhanced the community through significant property improvements.

Eligible projects include:

Anyone may submit a nomination, including the property owner. Nominations are due by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4.

The Richardson City Council created the awards in 1994. Since then, more than 350 properties have been recognized.

Learn more or submit a Community Revitalization Award nomination

Spring Valley Lane Closure Necessary for New Streetlight Installation
The right lane of eastbound Spring Valley Road between Greenville Avenue and Abrams Road may be closed to traffic from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. for the installation of new streetlights. The work is expected to wrap up by early December, weather permitting.

Road Repair to Cause Lane Closures on Coit Road
The right lane of northbound Coit Road between Huntington Drive and Campbell Road, and also the right turn lane of northbound Coit Road on to westbound Campbell Road may be closed to traffic from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. for road work that is necessary after a gas leak was repaired. The work is expected to be complete by late October, weather permitting.

To see what is coming up in Richardson, subscribe to our free weekly Things to Do newsletters. The newsletter comes out each Wednesday and will help you plan your weekend and find things to do locally.

Sign Up: Link

Monarch Migration Has Begun; City's Butterfly Gardens are Ready
Monarch butterflies have begun their annual southbound migration, heading from Canada and the northern/Midwest U.S. to their winter home in Mexico, and have already been reported in North Texas.

Richardson is a great place to spot them, as the City has been a Mayors' Monarch Pledge city since 2015 (a program of the National Wildlife Federation), recognizing that the butterfly is an important part of our ecosystem. The Parks and Recreation Department has established dedicated butterfly gardens in four parks-Berkner, Prairie Creek, Durham and Yale-and includes butterfly-friendly "pollinator plants" (that attract and feed butterflies) in park and landscape projects wherever feasible, such as at Collins Park and CityLine Park.

Scientists rely on the help of "citizen scientists" to understand the monarch's conservation needs.

Report sightings and follow the monarch migration
Learn more about monarchs in Richardson

Lawn Care Suggestions and other September 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 September.

September is the time to fertilize warm season turf grasses for the final time this year, and apply a pre-emergent herbicide to control weeds over the winter. The DCMGA's list of tasks also includes:

Planting

Pruning

See the Dallas County Master Gardener's September Garden Tasks

www.cor.net/EPI

Admin Secretary I - Facility Maintenance ($43,680-$68,653 Salary)
The Facilities and Fleet Department is looking for an individual who can perform advanced clerical work requiring a specialized knowledge of departmental operations. Assist with capital improvement construction contracts. Oversee the City's right-of-way permits process. Process department payroll, work orders, invoices and procards. Operate multi-line telephone console. Serve as back-up relief for department receptionist with frequent, direct public interaction. Perform other related work as required. High School Diploma required, Associate's or Bachelor's Degree is preferred. Must be certified as a notary public or be able to obtain certification within 6 months of employment.

Parks Maintenance Helper II ($43,680-$51,363 Salary)
The Parks and Recreation Department is looking for an individual who can perform manual labor tasks safely in all sections of the Parks Department. Perform other related work as required. Completion of 11th grade required; High School diploma or GED preferred. A Texas Driver's License Class C is required. A Texas Commercial Driver's License Class A or B will also be accepted.

Public Safety Officer PT ($21.85/hr to $25.13/hr)
The Police Department is looking for an individual who can perform non-emergency public contact functions within the Richardson Police Department. This job function will be performed both in the station and in the field. High School diploma required; GED acceptable if augmented with 60 college credit hours. Texas Driver's License without restriction (except "A") required. Must be a US citizen. Must be 18 years of age.

www.cor.net/Jobs

Pet of the Week
Golda is a sweet and friendly 9-year-old pitbull with a heart of gold. Despite her age, Golda's gentle nature shines through, making her the perfect companion for someone looking for a calm and loving friend. As a senior dog, she enjoys leisurely walks and plenty of cuddle time. Golda would thrive best as the only pet in a home where she can soak up all the attention. Adopting Golda means giving her the chance to spend her golden years surrounded by love and care.

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

City Council Links

Council Members
Meeting Agendas and Documents
Videos

To read previous Week in Reviews,

visit www.cor.net/WIR.