City Council Goals 2025-2027 (Part 4 of 4)

This is the fourth part of my thoughts on the City of Richardson's Goal setting meeting. Let's see if I can get through Strategies and Tactics in this one.

City Council Goals 2025-2027 (Part 3 of 4)

This is the third part of my thoughts on the City of Richardson's Goal setting meeting. I'm finally getting to the Goals. The Council reviewed the existing goals:

Goals

To effectively, efficiently, and transparently manage city resources while maintaining and enhancing city services

To have residents and all stakeholders choose Richardson as the best place to locate, contribute, and engage

To have clear, effective, efficient, continuously improved, and consistently applied processes and policies that make it easy for residents, employees, and all stakeholders to interact with the City

To have well-trained, engaged, and innovative employees who deliver an exceptional customer experience while working in a safe, inclusive, and equitable environment

Source: City of Richardson.

City Council Goals 2025-2027 (Part 2 of 4)

The City of Richardson's City Council spends a day at the beginning of each term developing its Goals, Strategies, and Tactics. For the last several years, this was facilitated by Rick Robinson of Ramsey Consulting Group. He explained the terminology involved in strategic planning that would be used in this exercise. He started with Mission. He explained why he doesn't do mission statements for cities: "because every city has 99% the same mission — to create a clean, save place for people to eat, work, stay, play, visit, blah, blah, blah, alright?" Exactly. So let's move on.

City Council Goals 2025-2027 (Part 1 of 4)

My business management training came an eon ago at Texas Instruments. TI called its management system "Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics" (OST). An example of an Objective is to improve profitability. An example of a supporting Strategy is to focus on high growth markets. An example of a Tactic is a specific product development initiative. TI aligns its corporate goals with day-to-day operations throughout the company with a process called Policy Deployment.

POTD: Interior Design of a Lost Age

"City of canals
built its dreams in travertine.
Why not Richardson?"
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 09 11 Venice

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Doge's Palace in Venice, Italy.

"The Doge's Palace is a palace built in Venetian Gothic style, and one of the main landmarks of the city of Venice in northern Italy. The palace included government offices, a jail, and the residence of the Doge of Venice, the elected authority of the former Republic of Venice. It was originally built in 810, rebuilt in 1340 and extended and modified in the following centuries."

Imagine if the new City Hall being built by the City of Richardson had an interior design resembling this. Imagine if the new City Hall being built by the City of Richardson was being built to last a millennium. The last City Hall didn't last 50 years. We live in a throwaway society. That includes our architecture.

POTD: Bridge of Sighs

"Bridges often join,
but this one parts soul from sun.
Venice once wept here."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 09 11 Venice

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Venice, Italy. It shows the famous Bridge of Sighs connecting "the New Prison (Prigioni Nuove) to the interrogation rooms in the Doge's Palace...It was built in 1600...The view from the Bridge of Sighs was the last view of Venice that convicts saw before their imprisonment. The bridge's English name was bestowed by Lord Byron in the 19th century as a translation from the Italian "Ponte dei sospiri", from the suggestion that prisoners would sigh at their final view of beautiful Venice through the window before being taken down to their cells."

POTD: Horses of Saint Mark

"Replicas above,
but inside the real ones prance,
bold, undefeated."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 09 11 Venice

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Venice, Italy. It shows the original Horses of Saint Mark's Basilica. According to Google and ChatGPT, the horses are "from antiquity (believed to be Classical Greek, 2nd or 3rd century AD). But some say the evident technical expertise and naturalistic rendering of the animals suggest they were made in Classical Greece of the 5th and 4th centuries BC. They were looted from Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade in 1204 and brought to Venice. They stood atop the main balcony of St. Mark’s Basilica for centuries. In 1797, Napoleon took them to Paris after conquering Venice; they were installed atop the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel. They were returned to Venice in 1815, after Napoleon's defeat. In 1981, due to conservation concerns, the original horses were replaced with modern replicas, and the originals were moved indoors to the Museo di San Marco, where they can still be viewed today."

A bonus photo is after the jump.

MurderBot (TV 2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

MurderBot (TV 2025): A security robot on a scientific mission to another planet hacks its own "governor module" and gains free will. He doesn't have anything interesting to say. Everything he knows about being human comes from downloading a soap opera, "Sanctuary Moon." C+

AppleTV+

Book Review: The Silk Roads

From The Silk Roads: A New History of the World, by Peter Frankopan:

Amazon

"These tremors were carried along a network that fans out in every direction, routes along which pilgrims and warriors, nomads and merchants have travelled, goods and produce have been bought and sold, and ideas exchanged, adapted and refined. They have carried not only prosperity, but also death and violence, disease and disaster. In the late nineteenth century, this sprawling web of connections was given a name by an eminent German geologist, Ferdinand von Richthofen (uncle of the First World War flying ace the 'Red Baron') that has stuck ever since: 'Seidenstraßen'—the Silk Roads."

POTD: Piazza San Marco

"Acqua Alta comes.
Tourists tiptoe through water,
leaving small ripples."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 09 11 Venice

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Venice, Italy. It shows the central square, Piazza San Marco. In yesterday's POTD, I described the city as "Venice floating low," referring to the city's penchant for flooding. The Piazza San Marco is not meant to be submerged, but it often is, due to climate change, high tides and sinking land. The day we were there started with one small puddle (small in relation to the huge size of the square). But during the afternoon, it had grown to fill most of the square. That's not good for the city. That's not good for tourism. But it is good for capturing photos like this.

A bonus photo is after the jump.

POTD: Venice by Sea

"Venice floating low.
An old painting comes to life,
aged and elegant."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 09 11 Venice

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Venice, Italy, a city "built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are linked by 438 bridges." This photo shows San Giorgio Maggiore. It's one of the first views most people have gotten of Venice for centuries, arriving by sea.

POTD: River Scenes in Ljubljana

"Tour boats glide softly,
beneath cafés and willows,
boys balance with joy."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 09 10 Ljubljana

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Ljubljana, Slovenia. It shows river scenes in the heart of the country's capital city. Needless to say, I love how Ljubljana's downtown features its river.

Bonus photos are after the jump.

Heads of State (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Heads of State (2025): The US President (John Cena) and UK Prime Minister (Idris Elba) turn action heroes in order to thward a plot to destroy the NATO alliance. Cena and Elba lack chemistry. The plot lacks plausibility. The humor mostly fails to land. The action scenes lack originality. Meh. C+

Prime

Charter Changes One Step Closer to Voters

Artist: John Trumbull.

On July 14, 2025, the Richardson City Council held a worksession where they reviewed draft language for amendments to the City Charter. That language would be placed on the ballot in the November election for the citizens of Richardson to approve or reject.

The Charter Review Commission recommended 48 amendments. Of those only four contain substantive changes. A fifth contains a requirement that the city have an ordinance setting out a Code of Ethics. That is substantive, but because the City already has a Code of Ethics, nothing will need to change. It does prohibit any future City Council from repealing the Code, and for that it is important, maybe the most important amendment, as it emphasizes the importance of a Code of Ethics to the people of Richardson. All of the other amendments are minor changes to clarify the language or to use consistent language in different parts of the charter. The council deliberated on the four substantive amendments and reached a consensus on the direction they'd like to see the City Manager take on the final draft wording of the propositions.

On July 28 a final draft of the amendments will be presented to the council for their approval. Then, on August 11, an ordinance calling an election in November, 2025, will be presented for council's approval.

Adolescence (TV 2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Adolescence (TV 2025): 13 year-old boy is charged with murdering a female classmate. He denies doing it, but there's video evidence. Each episode is shot in a long single take, increasing the story's own inherent tension. It's technically brilliant and the acting is superb. A+

Netflix

Book Review: Wild Chocolate

From Wild Chocolate, by Rowan Jacobsen:

Amazon

"Cacao is ridiculously rich. Coffee beans have about 12 percent fat. Whipping cream has 35 percent. Cacao beans have 55 percent, and these Criollo beans top out around 60. They are butter bombs. That makes them extra delicious, and it also helps the chocolate to defy gravity in the right hands."

POTD: Stacked Boxes

"Containers at rest.
Order pressed against the sky.
Stacked intentions wait."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 09 10 Ljubljana

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Ljubljana, Slovenia. It shows stacked shipping containers at the port where our cruise ship docked. No story here, just a captivating image of geometric regularity imposed by humans on a natural landscape.

POTD: Beyond Net Zero in Slovenia

"One small capital
turns a climate tale around —
Slovenian green."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 09 10 Ljubljana

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Ljubljana, "the capital and largest city of Slovenia, located along a trade route between the northern Adriatic Sea and the Danube region, inhabited since prehistoric times. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center." It's also progressive regarding its movement away from fossil fuels, judging by these snapshots from around town.

More photos after the jump.

POTD: Sea Organ

"The tides softly play
Adriatic Sea music,
symphonies of waves."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 09 09 Zadar

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Zadar, Croatia. It shows that city's Sea Organ, "an architectural sound art object located in Zadar, Croatia and an experimental musical instrument, which plays music by way of sea waves and tubes located underneath a set of large marble steps...The waves interact with the organ and create somewhat random but harmonic sounds."

More photos after the jump.

North of North (TV 2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

North of North (TV 2025): Warm-hearted, character-driven dramedy set in the Canadian arctic. Borrows in a good way from "Northern Exposure", "Parks and Recreation" and maybe "Schitt's Creek." It grows on you as you become familiar with the characters and relationships. A-

Netflix

Captain America: Brave New World (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Captain America: Brave New World (2025): Mostly a tired international thriller only loosely tied to the Avengers. Marvel has lost its magic. Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford have plenty of scenes together, but their charisma doesn't mesh. Are they allies or enemies? C-

Disney+

POTD: Bright Orange Roofs

"From damage to gem,
Dubrovnik doesn't forget—
It only rebuilds."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 09 08 Dubrovnik

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Dubrovnik, Croatia. "In 1991, during the Croatian War of Independence, Dubrovnik was besieged by the Yugoslav People's Army for seven months and suffered significant damage from shelling." Dubrovnik's iconic orange tiled roofs have since undergone repair and today have an orange-red shine, brighter than before. Once again, Dubrovnik is one of the Mediterranean's top tourist destinations.

POTD: Watching the World Go By

"In a rear courtyard,
Smoking grandmother keeps watch,
While clothes dry on line."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 09 08 Dubrovnik

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Dubrovnik, Croatia. Dubrovnik is heavily touristed, but as this photo shows, there are still locals behind the walls who make Dubrovnik their home.

A bonus photo is after the jump.

POTD: Dubrovnik Rebuilt

"Dubrovnik stands proud,
A jewel cupped by the coast—
Stone walls kiss the sea."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 09 08 Dubrovnik

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Dubrovnik, Croatia. Dubrovnik is a walled city on the Adriatic coast. You can explore the city on foot. You can walk the walls that surround the city. Dubrovnik is a gem from any angle.

The Worst Places to Eat in Richardson Last Month

Graphic by City of Richardson.

The City of Richardson is rightly regarded as having some of the best, most diverse, dining options in north Texas ("Eat & Drink"). But that doesn't mean every restaurant in Richardson exceeds in every measure. Here is a list of the ten worst places to eat in Richardson last month, based on the City of Richardson's Health Department Restaurant Scores for last month. Not all Richardson restaurants are included in this ranking. Each month, different restaurants are visited by the Health Department. Only those visited last month are ranked here. Only the bottom ten are shown^*.

^* This month, thirteen restaurants are listed. Five restaurants tied for ninth place with a score of 81, which is objectively good.

Random Thoughts: US Marines invading Los Angeles

2025-06-10: US Marines invading Los Angeles shows the folly of 2nd Amendment supporters saying it's needed to oppose government oppression. It's tragic how many school kids have given their lives for a theory of the 2nd Amendment that's proven to be a fiction all along.