What Did We Learn from a Rare Vote by the City Council?

Source: Nay Café by Google Street View.

The Richardson City Council voted unanimously on August 11, 2025, to deny a request for a special use permit for a smoking establishment for an outdoor patio in conjunction with a restaurant.

POTD: View of Roman Forum from Palatine Hill

"Forum far below,
Empire sprawls in ruined grace
'neath Palatine Hill."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 12 22 Rome

Today's photo-of-the-day is of the Roman Forum from the Palatine Hill. The Palatine Hill, "relative to the seven hills of Rome is the centremost, one of the most ancient parts of the city; it has been called 'the first nucleus of the Roman Empire.' Imperial palaces were built there, starting with Augustus."

A bonus photo (by Dessy) of Ellen and me on the Palatine Hill is after the jump.

POTD: Temple of Antoninus and Faustina

"Past and present meet,
Where love was once deified,
Another two stand."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 12 22 Rome

Today's photo-of-the-day is of John and Dessy posing in front of the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina in the Roman Forum. "The temple was constructed by the Emperor Antoninus Pius, beginning in 141 AD. It was initially dedicated to his deceased and deified wife, Faustina the Elder. Because of this, Faustina was the first Roman empress with a permanent presence in the Forum Romanum. When Antoninus Pius was deified after his death in 161 AD, the temple was re-dedicated to both Antoninus and Faustina by his successor, Marcus Aurelius."

Dept. Q (TV 2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Dept. Q (TV 2025): Scottish police procedural. Matthew Goode plays an insolent cop who gets banished to the basement and told to work on cold cases. He assembles a team of misfits and digs into a nasty case. Great show to watch when Slow Horses is between seasons. B+

Netflix

Richardson's 2025-2027 Key Tactics

Source: Ramsee Consulting Group.

In my fourth installment of what happened during the Richardson City Council's 5-hour goal-setting worksession, I reported this about the tactics the council came up with:

After a lunch break, the council broke into two groups of four (with the City Manager added to the seven council members). They were tasked with coming up with their top ten or so tactics. I was confused. There are 13 strategies, but only 10 tactics? Rick Robinson explained that council will decide the top ten tactics, but staff will come back with a long, full list of tactics. When the council came back together they had eight unique tactics, which I wasn't able to capture. Rick Robinson will take the list and do some combining and type them up. The council as a whole then talked about other tactics they wanted to add. Individual council members offered individual tactics. There was little attempt at voting to accept or reject the ideas offered, only some wordsmithing, as always, so I don't know how this discussion will move forward. It seemed to me they ran out of time to produce what I most wanted, a SMART set of short-term action items for the next two years.

Source: Ramsee Consulting Group.

At the August 11, 2025, Richardson City Council meeting, we got to see more. Not the final version, but more.