[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6529092,"mediaKeyId","3842940-6dd83225f8df90cbf208b89c82b1a790","parentId",3842940,"title","Richardson reviews draft Arts and Culture Master Plan; consultants push live music, marketing and affordable creative space","audioSeconds",642,"startMs",839000,"endMs",1481000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3842940-6dd83225f8df90cbf208b89c82b1a790&start=839&end=1481","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3842940-6dd83225f8df90cbf208b89c82b1a790/thumbnail_839000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6529092/Richardson/Dallas-County/Texas/Richardson-reviews-draft-Arts-and-Culture-Master-Plan-consultants-push-live-music-marketing-and-affordable-creative-space","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6529092-8fe2bcd152bcf25412f9978e95c3a886/orig.mp4?Expires=1771037615&Signature=FYGRfhkFmzfqjeUZgEerQfhZzp8ZViHQZ8T5KenI5G-v~JnQseWN7k6-oVYE~4tXTMODRnpwbJ472uK-fLdhXu0ZhVEwPmOVZmTwEwgxplg~Etvp9l6I~1jj42CHPB~unzr1m25sha4poRHe5Bpg1bpOl99lUiVEp17cQ8Ewyu3MQsX5qdG7j9HyLWLvzO6bqZgNQwxdWXg5knViXGogoDAg1bEBBUrmVWSOTX0bsgkHdeQkxXEAXHfmFboNrt1-2mWbAe-VoO-oZJTewM95XEA5jpgQ2LBDpFJOi8qSFY10Y8UTlKLNgah~5h0ZAkh4zAqtUtmrWW~S4Z9k3Kqijw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Richardson","date","2025-06-16T00:00:00Z","article","Consultants from Barry Dunn presented a draft Arts and Culture Master Plan to the Richardson City Council on a June meeting night, asking the council to review a year-long engagement process and provide feedback before staff brings the plan back for final adoption.

The plan’s authors said the draft emphasizes expanding live music and community events, modernizing the city’s arts grants process, boosting marketing and awareness of existing offerings, and exploring affordable studio and performance spaces for artists. Rich Newman, lead consultant, said the team prioritized recommendations that the city could act on and made an effort to carry forward elements from Richardson’s 2013 plan rather than replace it.

Why it matters: The draft frames arts and culture as both quality-of-life and economic drivers. Consultants presented engagement metrics and economic estimates intended to guide investments that could increase local visitation, support creative-sector jobs and address reported gaps in access and affordability.

What consultants presented
Barry Dunn consultants told the council the plan is the product of roughly 13 months of discovery and outreach. The team said its outreach included pop-up events, an online engagement portal, stakeholder interviews and meetings with grant recipients and the Cultural Arts Commission. Rich Newman said the project website had nearly 1,200 unique visitors and the process produced about 64 stakeholder interviews; the consultants reported an aggregate \"touch point\" total above 70,000 across social, in-person and online contacts.

On priorities, the consultants grouped findings into short-, mid- and long-term actions. Top priorities they listed were: more live music and outdoor performance opportunities; more community events; diversified programming to reflect a changing population; and modernizing the city’s grants program to reduce administrative burden for small and emerging organizations. Newman said, “If I heard that once, I heard it a 100 times. People want more live music.”

The draft recommends tactical steps such as developing a new arts brand and annual marketing strategy, redesigning the cultural arts website, establishing a regular cadence of meetings with partners (including the University of Texas at Dallas and the Convention & Visitors Bureau), auditing existing events for return on investment, and exploring a flexible, multipurpose community arts center (a black‑box theater/gallery/studio hybrid).

Council reaction and questions
Council members generally praised the outreach and the plan’s emphasis on actionable items. Council Member Dorian thanked staff and consultants and reiterated long-standing interest in an entertainment/cultural district in the city core and a shared, collaborative performance space in the interurban/downtown area. Council Member Justice and others asked for additional detail on the proposed overhaul of the grants application process; Newman said that auditors had found the application process was often onerous for small and emerging groups and that the consultant team would provide a recommended streamlined alternative for emerging artists.

Council Member Barrios pressed the consultants about affordable shared rehearsal and studio space, noting rising rents in older retail centers and the strain on smaller organizations. Newman said that options to address affordability — including low-cost studio rentals, artist stipends and incentives to attract creative industries — are part of the mid- and long-term recommendations.

Financial and engagement figures
The consultants presented several quantitative findings intended to show the arts sector’s local economic role and baseline demand:
- An estimated local arts and culture economic impact figure presented as approximately $5.8 million and the equivalent of roughly 203 full-time equivalent positions (consultant-provided estimate).
- Visitor/overnight stay data: the consultants reported about 627,000 overnight stays attributed to visitors in 2024 and estimated visitor spending in 2024 of roughly $184.3 million. The consultants cautioned the data are visitor estimates pulled from third-party sources and do not indicate visitor intent.
- Engagement metrics: the project website had nearly 1,200 visitors; the team ran pop-up events across city locations including Cottonwood Festival, University of Texas at Dallas and the Eiseman Center.

Next steps
Consultants and staff asked the council for feedback. Don Magner (staff) said he would work with Mikaela Dollar, the city liaison, to incorporate council edits into a final draft for a future council meeting where the council may consider adoption. Newman said the team will provide more detailed recommendations for grants streamlining and suggested the city explore designation programs such as Music Friendly Texas and a possible cultural district application to the Texas Commission on the Arts.

Ending
Council members asked staff to return the document with refined language and, where requested, additional examples or benchmarks. No formal vote was taken; staff will incorporate changes and present the plan for formal action at a future meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Richardson - City Council Work Session - Jun 16, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Consultants from Barry Dunn presented a draft Arts and Culture Master Plan to the Richardson City Council, highlighting community outreach and recommending priorities including more live music, improved marketing and steps to create affordable creative spaces.","taxTitle","Richardson, Dallas County, Texas","taxId",2786,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6529083,"Richardson reviews Charter Review Commission proposals; council flags per-diem, misconduct process and bonding questions",24,6395000,6419000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3842940-6dd83225f8df90cbf208b89c82b1a790&start=6395&end=6419","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3842940-6dd83225f8df90cbf208b89c82b1a790/thumbnail_6395000.jpg","/articles/6529083/Richardson/Dallas-County/Texas/Richardson-reviews-Charter-Review-Commission-proposals-council-flags-per-diem-misconduct-process-and-bonding-questions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6529083-2df65a5a8bf5523892532bb8832b0377/orig.mp4?Expires=1771037615&Signature=oviP6--AMkwyrUYtJjivj1fe5rmsM9uww2YkeasmHTOVUHI8i2KHBB1VaWdS01o-mJ2fhtO0ZVUiAX4U97IC40FHYlzuAdq2XCXjwwL5WFiklnUaPkkRCScDZoDJr8DXUIh0KP7hse1mK9-RfUhlPsCy8QMdd6XPxrV5bUWEgyWa0VGow-sipaYL5ARIYlXejG2MOJ9vJfgMvNwIHr1uKzNHUvqSQr0z-2hKSBF6YIbcUJDQZM-xc2i5ILMs6-Xll--B4sxb906GlfM1GjnwndzETJUdPqqisgobw~MiSAbsQXBXSEyPsZXdhXmyfPzTn8a289je-iHCU-gc~oL9nw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Richardson City Council reviewed a batch of recommendations from the Charter Review Commission, hearing staff summaries and asking clarifying questions on several proposed charter edits that range from technical clarifications to policy-level changes.

The Charter Review Commission presented modifications across multiple articles of the city charter, and staff summarized several items that drew council attention: a recommended hybrid per‑diem schedule for council members, a statement of a formal misconduct-complaint process aligned with the city’s existing ethics ordinance, and revised language about bonds or insurance for the city manager and other officials.

Per-diem proposal
Commission work led staff to recommend a hybrid per‑diem approach intended to balance an update to compensation without frequent amendments. Don Magner summarized a model prepared by a commission member (Strecker) that the staff built on: set a $150 maximum per‑diem for years one through five and $200 thereafter unless a future commission recommends otherwise. Council members discussed the proposal but did not vote on a change; Magner suggested final decisions could come after public hearing and further staff work.

Misconduct complaint process
Council reviewed clarified language to codify a process for filing and investigating misconduct complaints against council members. The proposed text would require a written complaint filed with the city secretary, immediate notice to all council members (including the implicated member), review by the city attorney for sufficiency, and the ability for non-implicated council members to request an investigation; a public hearing could follow and an implicated member would not vote on any sanction. Pete Smith, the city attorney, said the draft aligns the proposed charter language with the city’s existing ethics ordinance and the processes the council has used previously in ethics matters.

Bonds, crime policy and insurance
Staff recommended moving bonding language from the city manager section into a single charter section governing bonds or insurance for city officials. The proposed language would allow the city manager to have either a surety bond or, at the council’s discretion, city‑paid crime/omissions insurance. Council members asked for a written memo from the city’s insurance provider comparing the coverages and costs of a surety bond versus a crime policy; the city committed to provide that comparison in writing prior to final decisions.

Board and commission participation in incentive programs
A raised issue: whether appointed board and commission members should be allowed to participate in city economic development incentive programs (for example, the Home Improvement Incentive program). The commission drafted language that would permit the council, by ordinance, to authorize certain programs to include board and commission members. Council discussion ranged from support for greater accessibility to skepticism about opening a broad permission that future councils could exploit. Several council members expressed concern about leaving broad discretion in the charter; a majority voiced preference to leave existing prohibitions in place rather than add a general allowance. No final change was adopted at the meeting.

Next steps and public hearing
Staff said they will draft ballot propositions for council review and will present follow-up briefings in July; the council asked for one piece of homework — a short report comparing petition threshold percentages used by other cities for citizen initiatives (qualified-voter vs. turnout-based formulas). The council also indicated it would take public input at the scheduled public hearing before making final determinations about potentially placing charter amendments before voters.

Ending
The council did not adopt any charter changes at this meeting. Staff will prepare draft propositions and additional materials for council review and will publish the proposed language in advance of the public hearing and any vote to place amendments on the ballot.","Council considered draft charter amendments from a citizen Charter Review Commission covering a range of technical and policy changes, including a hybrid per‑diem proposal, a formalized misconduct complaint process, and new language giving council flexibility on manager bonding or insurance. Council members asked for clarifying language and asked",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6529088,"Richardson budget update: officials cite a $3.2M property-tax impact and stronger-than-expected sales tax",244,4441000,4685000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3842940-6dd83225f8df90cbf208b89c82b1a790&start=4441&end=4685","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3842940-6dd83225f8df90cbf208b89c82b1a790/thumbnail_4441000.jpg","/articles/6529088/Richardson/Dallas-County/Texas/Richardson-budget-update-officials-cite-a-32M-property-tax-impact-and-stronger-than-expected-sales-tax","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6529088-f1082f86780a081601d14c297adebf71/orig.mp4?Expires=1771037615&Signature=Le~aUWlfqyLu562AeGUz9a3vkJ~CHZ~a0WW3XH6aBY5vzX72aEi1hhyq58sdrCOl7AkpjEmEaSNXNMBIaDWz8XitXbjwAKhvruutqLTEUPB34SK~y4yg6DlUw7v8KAz6PH1FB1-Ih-rEmcp4gWUF4HjMWCsLVNmh840bd~vfi0~lu1XxxJZVNZRWnQTaFa43Msd9~eDS5i3TwZkIjSkvdOnXxEq8R49w0ntVNYLStms1t90LN2udAKJP3Cs2C6tvhEv7NbQ219tDh~j7mpMmciQN32HBQPilLeoYxkO763anNRGAovmhjUZJatFmRqdeR7QIOp3yk5PqoEZ-jXZq7A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Richardson finance staff briefed the City Council on the second-quarter performance of the city's five main operating funds, reporting a midyear revenue shortfall tied primarily to property-tax roll adjustments but noting sales-tax strength that helped stabilize the general fund.

Budget officer Bob Klimar presented the report and told council the primary pressure point is property-tax revenue: \"revenue from current year taxes is expected to be down $3,300,000,\" he said, attributing the shortfall to a combination of a court-ordered exemption for a university‑affiliated residential property and a post-certification correction by the Collin Central Appraisal District (CCAD) that reintroduced a large tax abatement to the roll. Klimar said CCAD's supplemental adjustment removed roughly $592 million of value from the certified roll in the supplemental filing; that change translated to an estimated revenue loss for this fiscal year of about $3.2 million across city funds, with roughly $1.9 million affecting the general fund and $1.3 million affecting debt service.

At the same time, Klimar reported sales tax receipts were above budget and above last year’s receipts. He said sales tax was about $1.1 million above last year and roughly $2.7 million above the budgeted target for the year as of the second quarter; the city’s top 50 sales taxpayers account for roughly half of its sales-tax revenue, and those large accounts showed mixed trends.

Other fund highlights
- Water and sewer revenues are running ahead of targets in part because of irrigation-related and large‑meter usage; an unanticipated eight-inch meter installation at UTD also affected installation charges.
- The golf fund trailed targets in rounds played earlier in the year but produced unusually strong months after both courses reopened; staff said they expect the fund to meet minimum fund balance policy by year end.
- Hotel‑motel revenues are down modestly year over year, influenced by room remodels at two properties and reduced weekday business travel at economy hotels; the Iseman Center’s activity is up but slightly below plan.

Klimar and other staff outlined next steps: staff will continue to monitor revenues and expenditures, apply one-time receipts where available, and provide a more complete revenue forecast for FY26 in late July after the certified property rolls are finalized. Klimar noted the city faces longer-term pressure from rising water and wastewater costs and national economic uncertainty that could affect sales tax going forward.

Questions from council and staff response
Council members pressed staff for detail about the CCAD adjustment and how the city could reduce exposure to similar surprises. Klimar and the city manager described the issue as a supplemental roll correction by the appraisal district that was discovered after the city adopted its budget; staff said they rely on the appraisal district’s certified rolls during the budget cycle and that large supplemental adjustments can affect midyear projections.

No action was taken; the report was received and staff will return with updated revenue expectations and departmental budget deep dives ahead of FY26 planning.","City budget staff reported second-quarter FY25 results to council, saying a large abatement and post-certification adjustments reduced property-tax revenue projections by roughly $3.2 million while sales tax and other receipts helped offset the gap; staff will present revenue expectations for FY26 in July.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Richardson reviews draft Arts and Culture Master Plan; consultants push live music, marketing and affordable creative space

Richardson reviews Charter Review Commission proposals; council flags per-diem, misconduct process and bonding questions

Richardson budget update: officials cite a $3.2M property-tax impact and stronger-than-expected sales tax