POTD: Robben Island

"From prison’s deep shade,
To City Hall’s bright parade,
A new dawn was made."

—h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 10 23 South Africa - Part 1

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Robben Island, off the coast of South Africa at Cape Town. "Political activist and lawyer Nelson Mandela was imprisoned on the island for 18 of the 27 years of his imprisonment before the fall of apartheid and introduction of full, multi-racial democracy. He was later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and was elected in 1994 as President of South Africa, becoming the country's first black president."

Click for a bonus photo.

POTD: View from the Top

"At Africa's edge,
Mountain shadows kiss the sea.
Cape Town's sentinel."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 10 23 South Africa - Part 1

Today's photo-of-the-day is the view from the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa. Full disclosure: We took the cableway to the top. We didn't hike or climb.

Click for a bonus photo.

Feud: Bette and Joan (TV 2017)

Rotten Tomatoes

Feud: Bette and Joan (TV 2017): Voyeuristic look at two fading movie stars working (and feuding) on and off a movie set. Watching this felt like slowing down to gawk at a traffic accident. Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon are great, maybe because they know what it is to be fading movie stars. B-

Hulu

#VeryTardyReview

Council Recap: Interurban at the Crossroads

On August 12, 2024, the Richardson City Council deliberated an application by Clay Cooley VW to add a repair shop, a body shop, and a vehicle storage lot on their property in the Interurban District. Clay Cooley VW's vision is for a car-centric business located along a busy freeway. The City's vision for the district is at odds with that. There's already a major mixed-use development underway just south of this site, Belt+Main, for which Clay Cooley VW's dealership will act as a blockade against extension of that mixed-use neighborhood to the north.

Spoiler alert. After ninety minutes of deliberation, the City Council continued the hearing until September 23 to give the applicant time to...to do what, exactly? Mayor Bob Dubey punted that question to City Manager Don Magner, saying, "Don, would you please tell the applicant what we're asking him here?" And Magner punted that question to tomorrow morning, saying, "I think if it'd be okay with the applicant, I can follow up tomorrow, and we can put our thoughts together and give you some clear direction."

Council Recap: Imagine the Sky Full of Signs

On August 12, 2024, the Richardson City Council unanimously approved a variance from the existing sign control ordinance that limits sign heights to 20 feet. Clay Cooley VW wants its pole sign to be raised to 39' 7". In July, in a meeting that lasted only 5 minutes from gavel to gavel, a recommendation to approve the request was passed unanimously by the Sign Control Board (an oxymoronic name).

My Lady Jane (TV 2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

My Lady Jane (TV 2024): Henry VIII's kids (Edward, Mary, Elizabeth, and cousin Lady Jane Grey) vie for the throne. Alternate history that doesn't take itself seriously. Instead of religious war, there are Ethians (animal/human shape-shifters) vs Verities (normal humans). It took time to figure it all out, but when I did, it was a fun watch. B+

Prime

Council Recap: Budget Workshop

The Richardson City Council held two days of meetings to hear City Manager Don Magner present his recommendations for the 2024-2025 City budget. Highlights taken from the City's own slides:

• Property tax rate reduction of $.01877 to $0.542180
• Senior Tax Exemption increase of $15,000 to $145,000
• 3.95% increase in Streets, Alleys, Facilities and Parks Maintenance Programs
• 3.95% increase in the Economic Development Fund to $2,076,659; an increase in Economic Development Department funding of $78,434 to $1,280,818 (does not include the marketing position reassigned to the Communications Department)
• $1.9M for Home Improvement Incentive Program tax rebates
• $3.84 million in funding for pay-as-you-go capital replacements and $1.56 million for the IT replacement fund
• 3.0% merit-based market pay plan adjustment for all employees
• An increase the minimum starting salary for full-time and permanent part-time positions to $19.45
• Continued investment in public safety via 5.0% public safety steps, capital equipment replacement, mental health programs, expanded community programming, etc.
• Funding for Richardson Replants, ADA Transition Plan, Housing Needs Assessment, Citizen (CARES/CPA/CFA) and Neighborhood Association Programs, Network/Counseling Place support, Culturally Diverse Programming and Events
• 3.0% water and sewer rate increase
• $2.00 (+tax) per month rate increase to the residential solid waste rate
• $1.00 per month increase to the residential drainage fee to $5.25 per month
• Commercial drainage fee increase from $0.119 per 100 square feet of impervious area to $0.147 per 100 square feet
• Annual Arts Grants funding increased to $375,000
• Several fee adjustments to better position Sherrill Park to cover operational costs, equipment needs and fund a capital maintenance reserve
• Implementation of Phase 2 & 3 of Sherrill Park Master Plan via $6.0 million Certificates of Obligation

If I Were in Charge of the Olympics

I don't know a damned thing about gymnastics, and even less about scoring gymnastics, but there are some basic principles that any sport should adhere to, imo.

1. If judges take several minutes to compute a score, the athlete should be given at least as long to review the judges' work.
2. If the athlete is given only one minute to protest the scoring, the judges should be given no more than one minute to declare the protest came too late.
3. If the athlete is given only one minute to protest the scoring, another athlete shouldn't be given a whole day to protest that the first athlete's protest came too late to be considered.
4. If the athlete is given only one minute to protest the scoring, the governing body shouldn't be given five days to decide the original protest came too late to be considered.
5. Someone with a sense of fairness should be given however long it takes to realize that if the original scoring was, in fact, wrong, then correcting *that* mistake should carry more weight than correcting the mistake of accepting a protest that was submitted a few seconds too late.
6. Judges shouldn't be allowed to ruin what had been up to then a beautiful Olympics.

POTD: Art Against Apartheid

"Spiral staircase winds,
Apartheid’s dark turns to light,
Freedom's fervent fight."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 10 23 South Africa - Part 1

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA) in Cape Town, South Africa. I'm providing two photos. The first is an interior staircase, which I consider to be a work of art itself. The second, the bonus photo after the jump, is artwork from the long struggle against Apartheid. The museum has a large collection of such artwork.

Click for a bonus photo.

POTD: V&A Waterfront

"Sunset paints the pier,
Alfred's legacy is here,
Past and present cheer."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 10 23 South Africa - Part 1

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the V&A Waterfront (Victoria and Alfred Waterfront) in Cape Town, South Africa. It's "a mixed-use destination located in the oldest working harbour in the Southern Hemisphere. With Table Mountain as its backdrop, the neighborhood contains art, entrepreneurs, and sustainable design." If you know your history, you know that Queen Victoria's consort was named Prince Albert, not Alfred. So what's with the name, Victoria and Alfred? It's named after Queen Victoria and her son Prince Alfred. "Alfred, while serving in the British Royal Navy, visited Cape Town and ordered construction of a new harbour for the colony."

Ken Hutchenrider Defends Himself

The Richardson City Council held two days of meetings to hear City Manager Don Magner present his recommendations for the 2024-2025 City budget. I've had concerns about what impact a recent collapse in sales tax revenues and the cleanup costs from the May storm might have on the City's financial outlook. Magner listed high interest rates and lingering price increases from past inflation as additional concerns. Still, Magner pronounced, "I think it's a very good budget considering all of the factors that are working against us." I'll add, Whew! We escaped a budget catastrophe.

A Different Proposal for Form-based Zoning

Recently, in The Wheel I commented on a proposed redevelopment of Clay Cooley VW. I feared that it wouldn't foster the vision or conform with the form-based zoning for the Interurban District. It's adding a repair shop, a body shop, and a vehicle storage lot to its work underway to greatly enlarge the auto showroom already approved by the Richardson City Council.

Contrast that with another proposed redevelopment that came before the City Plan Commission on August 7. It's for "The Nest Wellness Village". This post is being written before that hearing, so by the time this is published, there will have been news that isn't included here. I just had some immediate thoughts that I wanted to get down on paper.

Wicked Little Letters (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Wicked Little Letters (2024): In a 1920s English town, a spinster receives a series of letters filled with foul language. Her neighbor, a young widow, is accused. A woman police officer investigates the crime. Three great performances carry the light, entertaining drama. B+

Netflix

Fallout (TV 2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Fallout (TV 2024): 200 yrs after nuclear war, people live underground in vaults. Above, there's a wasteland, where Lucy goes on a quest to find her missing father. The bad guys seem to be the ghouls, but really (spoiler) the bad guys are the ones running the military-industrial complex in the vaults. Based on a shooter videogame, it has more violence than plot or character development. C+

Prime

Richardson's Interurban District: "Coding the Vision"

Source: City of Richardson (2016).

I recently wrote about Clay Cooley VW repeatedly coming to the City of Richardson to ask for waivers, variances, and changes to the zoning on their property ("City Council Waits for a Sign"). Besides a 2022 request to expand the auto dealership, there are two outstanding requests for rezoning. One is to build a 39-foot pole sign and the other is to add a repair shop, a body shop, and a vehicle storage lot on the property. I'm back to add an important consideration that I neglected to mention in my post.

POTD: Pretty as a Picture

"From Table Mountain
Down to Cape Town's ocean blue,
New paths lie ahead."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 10 23 South Africa - Part 1

It's time to move to a new part of the world. Today's photo-of-the-day is from Cape Town, South Africa. That's Cape Town's famous landmark, Table Mountain, in the picture frame...and, of course, "L", pretty as a picture as always.

POTD: A Mosque Rises Out of the Atlantic Ocean

"Gathering of faith,
A hundred thousand hearts pray.
Moroccan splendor."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 22 Casablanca

Today's photo-of-the-day is of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco. It's a building of superlatives. From Wikipedia, "It is the second largest functioning mosque in Africa and is the 14th largest in the world. Its minaret is the world's second tallest minaret at 210 metres (689 ft). Completed in 1993, it was designed by Michel Pinseau under the guidance of King Hassan II and built by Moroccan artisans from all over the kingdom. The minaret is 60 stories high topped by a laser, the light from which is directed towards Mecca. The mosque stands on a promontory looking out to the Atlantic Ocean; worshippers can pray over the sea but there is no glass floor looking into the sea. The walls are of hand-crafted marble and the roof is retractable. A maximum of 105,000 worshippers can gather together for prayer: 25,000 inside the mosque hall and another 80,000 on the mosque's outside ground."

As the mosque rises out of the Atlantic Ocean, the sun begins to get low. With that, we bid adieu to Morocco.

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"). Feeling a bit like "Opposite Man," I thought I'd offer a list of the ten worst places to eat in Richardson last month. It's based on the City of Richardson's Health Department Restaurant Scores for last month. That is, each month features a different list.

Random Thoughts: Absolute Immunity

2024-07-01: "Supreme Court says Trump has absolute immunity for official acts only." -- Texas Standard
Remember when Trump said, "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters, OK?" I guess the part about not losing MAGA voters is still true. The only thing left in question is whether this Court would side with Trump that any shootings on Fifth Avenue are "official acts." But with this MAGA Court, is even that in question?
texasstandard.org/stories/supr...

2024-07-13: Headline: "Joe Biden avoids further gaffes at Detroit rally."
It's a low bar.

City Council Waits for a Sign

The bug infestation shows no sign of being exterminated. In fact, the big bug is being catered to. In 2013, it was AutoNation VW asking for a zoning change to allow them to expand their auto dealership in Richardson's Interurban District ("Lemon"). The City Council complied. For some reason, AutoNation didn't go through with their plans, but in 2022, the dealership, now Clay Cooley VW, was back again, asking for approval to expand the car dealership. Again the City Council complied. Now in 2024, Clay Cooley VW is back yet again, this time with two different requests. On August 12, the City Council will hear a request for Clay Cooley VW to add a repair shop, a body shop, and a vehicle storage lot on the property. Separately, they are asking for a variance on the height of their business sign, wanting to erect a 39 foot pole sign, despite an ordinance limiting pole signs to 20 feet.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024): Comedy requires novelty to elicit laughter. There's a new family living in the fire station, but they get overshadowed by the original characters who are still around, too, making for a too-crowded movie. Show your kids the original instead. D+

Netflix

City Council Lays an Egg

The World War I poster proclaims: "Uncle Sam expects you to keep hens and raise chickens...In time of peace a profitable recreation; in time of war a patriotic duty."

A century later, the Richardson City Council spent over an hour discussing updating the City's animal ordinances, much of the time spent on setting a limit on how many chickens one household can keep.

POTD: Beach Tricks

"Casablanca's shore,
In the air, a fleeting flip,
A moment to soar."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 22 Casablanca

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Atlantic Ocean beach in Casablanca, Morocco. Just a young man doing a back flip in the sand. That is all.

POTD: Palm Grove of Marrakesh

"The camel has a single hump;
The dromedary, two;
Or else the other way around.
I'm never sure. Are you?"
— Ogden Nash

From 2023 09 20 Marrakesh

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Palm Grove of Marrakesh, Morocco, which dates back more than 1,000 years. The grove is "a palm oasis of several hundred thousand trees outside of Marrakesh, Morocco. Situated at the edge of the city's northern section, it measures 5 miles (8.0 km) in length, and covers an area of 54 square miles (140 km2). It is known for its eponymous palm trees and resorts and camel rides."

In case it's not obvious, that's "L" ahead of me on a camel ride in the desert.

Ripley (TV 2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Ripley (TV 2024): Crime story set in Italy in 1961. A grifter hired to convince a rich man's son to return to the US instead cons him for money. The film noir look (moody B&W shots of moonlight, stairs, water, blood, and a cat) make this a stylish thriller, but with a plot that strains credulity. B+

Netflix

The Signal (TV 2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Signal (TV 2024): Germany. Astronaut picks up signal from aliens. Governments want it kept secret, making her and her family targets. The best part is the family drama. The worst parts are the lack of believable explanations for the govt response and for the aliens themselves. C+

Netflix

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"). Feeling a bit like "Opposite Man," I thought I'd offer a list of the ten worst places to eat in Richardson this month. It's based on the City of Richardson's Health Department Restaurant Scores for last month. That is, each month features a different list.

POTD: Morocco Earthquake

"Marrakesh trembles,
Earthquake's force shakes ancient walls,
Medina's heart breaks."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 20 Marrakesh

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Marrakesh, Morocco. According to Reliefweb, "On 8 September 2023 at 22.11 UTC powerful earthquake of magnitude 6.8 struck Morocco at 18.5 km depth. The epicenter was in the High Atlas Mountains, 71km (44 miles) south-west of Marrakesh. Marrakesh, with a population of 840,000 inhabitants is the most impacted city."

We were on a tour of Portugal and Spain, and scheduled to go to Morocco, when the earthquake struck. All travel to Morocco was suspended for at least a week while authorities rushed relief aid and assessed the damage. Damage was heaviest in the Atlas Mountains, which was not on our itinerary. There was lesser damage in Marrakesh, which was on our itinerary. Our tour was scheduled to go to Morocco in a week. Finally, word came from out tour company that we could choose to go or not. Everyone chose to go. The photo-of-the-day shows damage to buildings in the medina, a heavily touristed area in the heart of Marrakesh.

Click for a bonus photo of damage to the old city wall of Marrakesh.

POTD: Jemaa el-Fnaa in Marrakesh

"Market's vibrant pulse,
Bustling heart of Marrakesh,
Energetic beat."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 20 Marrakesh

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Jemaa el-Fnaa, the huge square and marketplace in Marrakesh's medina quarter. It is the heart of Marrakesh.

The Beekeeper (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Beekeeper (2024): A "beekeeper" is a special forces operative charged with protecting US interests (the hive). Oh, the title character is also a literal keeper of bee hives. Silly. He becomes a one-man wrecking ball meting out extra-judicial vengeance against some bad guys. All who try to follow the law (police, FBI, CIA) become his victims, too. C+

Prime

Robert's Rules of Disorder

Richardson City Council meetings have never been a shining example of parliamentary procedure. Under Mayor Bob Dubey, things have only gotten worse. I've long thought that someone well-versed in Robert's Rules of Order would be able to bend the Council to his will through skillful use of these arcane rules of parliamentary procedure. The July 15, 2024, meeting was a case in point. But was it happening by cunning or more likely, merely by accident? Let's go to the transcript.

Bob Marley: One Love (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Bob Marley: One Love (2024): Biopic of the Jamaican reggae star. The intersection of religion and politics is skimped on. So, too, is Marley's complex personal life, except for one explosive scene with his wife about infidelity. But see it for the music. B+

Prime

Council Recap: "Heads in Beds" Prevails

"City council overrode a decision by plan commission in vote to supersize residential portion of massive mixed-use development." That's how TheRealDeal summarized the Richardson City Council's unanimous vote to allow a boost of 1,175 apartments at CityLine, for a total of 5,100. The City Plan Commission had previously denied the request 5-2, with one commissioner citing the desire to see "more creative retail or entertainment uses." City Manager Don Magner put his finger on the scale by saying the proposal "creates a path forward that's based in market reality," with the market reality being that right now, money is available for wood-frame apartments, so that's what we ought to build, tying up that land for the next fifty years. That's how developers think. That's not how City Councils should think.

POTD: Majorelle Blue

"Majorelle's retreat,
Colors bloom in desert's heat,
Art and nature blend."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 20 Marrakesh

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Marrakesh, Morocco, specifically the Majorelle Garden. It was designed by the French artist Jacques Majorelle in the 1920s and was restored in the 1980s by Yves Saint-Laurent. Majorelle trademarked the name Majorelle Blue for this intense shade of blue.

Click for a bonus photo.

POTD: Palm raising in Marrakesh

"In Marrakesh streets,
Inspired by a distant scene,
Palm recalls a flag."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 20 Marrakesh

According to the Pulitzer Prizes, "Perhaps no Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph is better known than Joe Rosenthal’s picture of six U.S. Marines raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima. It was taken on Friday, Feb. 23, 1945, five days after the Marines landed on the island."

Famous enough that I wasn't surprised to see this homage on a wall in faraway Marrakesh, Morocco, of all places.

The Sympathizer (TV 2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Sympathizer (TV 2024): Black comedy about the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Everyone comes out looking bad: South Vietnamese army, Communists, CIA, Hollywood, and Robert Downey, Jr, playing four roles in the same over-the-top way. B-

Max

Dark Matter (TV 2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Dark Matter (TV 2024): Bad Jason steals good Jason's identity and family. Good Jason has to find him in an infinity of universes and defeat him. Good presentation of the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, but with an infinity of worlds, why care about any one in particular? B+

AppleTV+

Student Housing is At Risk Again

Rendering of ATRE Waterview Mixed-Use Development

In December, 2022, when we last checked in on the long-running saga of one Richardson man's quest to build student-purposed housing just north of UT-Dallas, things were looking up, but with a big catch ("Breakthrough in Student Housing").

The catch was that City Council insisted on starting construction on a hotel and traditional apartment along with some retail before agreeing to issue a certificate of occupancy for the first phase, student-purposed housing.

POTD: Hey, Hay

"Bales stacked skyward high,
Overloaded truck sways slow,
Endless road ahead."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 20 Marrakesh

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Moroccan highway somewhere between Fez and Marrakesh. That is all.

POTD: Nice Bright Colors

"Kodachrome, they give us those nice bright colors
They give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world's a sunny day, oh yeah
I got a Nikon camera, I love to take a photograph
So mama don't take my Kodachrome away."
— Paul Simon

From 2023 09 20 Marrakesh

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Moroccan countryside, somewhere on the highway between Fez and Marrakesh. I don't know anything about the place in the photo. Its colors were what caught my eye then and I still think it makes for a good photo-of-the-day. All the world's a sunny day.

Fancy Dance (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Fancy Dance (2024): Set on the Seneca-Cayuga reservation in Oklahoma, a woman goes missing and her sister can't get authorities to care, while she cares for her 13-yr-old niece who looks forward to the mother-daughter dance at the upcoming powwow. A look at indomitable human spirit. B+

AppleTV+

Shogun (TV 2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Shogun (TV 2024): Adaptation of James Clavell’s 1975 bestseller about Japan in 1600. More culturally sensitive than the novel. This one is more about power dynamics in feudal Japan than romantic liaison. It's an American production that feels like a Japanese one. Outstanding sets, costumes, and cinematography. B+

Hulu

Richardson Says No to LEED

During two meetings in which the Richardson City Council reviewed progress on building a new City Hall, the question of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification came up twice, both times in questions asked by Councilmember Curtis Dorian.

Random Thoughts: AI-Generated News

2024-06-01: Today's example of irony: A news story about elections in India from a news source that uses a fountain pen for a logo and a motto of "Dare to Write" ends with this disclaimer: "This is AI generated news with no Human interference."
greatandhra.com/politics/india...

2024-06-01: MaryAnne Doty's comment: "Maybe it's time for Tree the Town to help replace all the mature trees we lost in Richardson this week."

POTD: The Chouara Tannery

"Not just history,
Fez breathes, works, and lives today,
Vibrant, real, and true."
—h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 19 Fez

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Fez, Morocco. "The Medina of Fez is listed as a World Heritage Site and is one of the world's largest and oldest urban pedestrian zones." But it's not touristy like a Disney Main Street. It's real. People live there. They shop there. They work there. There's even industry there like the Chouara Tannery, whose founding is lost in history, but possibly dates back to the earliest days of Fez in the 8th Century.

Click for a bonus photo.

POTD: Yes, Walk Down the Alleys

"Ancient alleys wind,
Fez's narrow paths invite,
Labyrinth of time."
—h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 19 Fez

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Fez, Morocco, founded in the 8th Century, and now the second largest city in Morocco. "The Medina of Fez is listed as a World Heritage Site and is one of the world's largest and oldest urban pedestrian zones (car-free areas)." It's car-free because it's impossible for cars to get into the maze of narrow alleyways. It's my favorite old city in all the world. So, yes, walk down the alleys. Get lost. It's hard not to. Who knows what surprises you'll find around every corner?

Click for bonus photos.

TIL: Why Democrats are Losing

Homeless man in downtown Phoenix

They say, when you're explaining, you're losing. Here I'm going to be explaining what I learned today about why Democrats are losing. That should tell you something about how stupid I am. But here goes anyway.

Hit Man (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Hit Man (2024): A unique Richard Linklater film, a true-crime/rom-com/mystery? A boring professor works undercover for police pretending to be a hit man. When he falls for a woman who wants her husband dead, things get complicated. Based (mostly) on a true story, the plot keeps you guessing how it will end. A-

Netflix

OK, Mr. Critic, What's Your Alternative?

After I posted my review of the City of Richardson's proposed new City Hall, I expected to receive critical responses in return along the lines of, "OK, Mr. Critic, what's your alternative?" Usually, I duck such questions, but this time, I'm going to offer an answer, one that I expect will be surprising. My alternative is a building right here in Richardson. It isn't built yet, but it will be. After the jump, what I'd like to see instead.

Richardson's new City McHall

The Richardson City Council reviewed plans for a new City Hall during its June 17, 2024, meeting. This was the second time renderings of the new building were reviewed, the first time being February 5, 2024. Then, I said, "My guess is the City Hall will look fortress-like from Fountain Plaza, but the rest of the views are more than acceptable to me." I also reported that the architecture team said, "The materials to be used on the exterior walls are not yet decided. 'We're intentionally trying to be very nebulous or non committal about what the exterior materials will be at this moment.'" Well, we now have a better understanding of the view and the materials. I'm sorry to say my overall grade for the plan has gotten worse.