Richardson City Council is planning new ways to connect with residents and receive public input.

The overview: Council members discussed hosting quarterly town halls, making video recaps of meetings and streaming meetings on Facebook in order to increase public engagement at the Oct. 12 meeting. Town halls would provide another opportunity for scheduled conversations with residents, City Manager Don Magner said, while video updates and Facebook streaming could offer new avenues for residents to understand council actions.

A closer look: Council members agreed to host quarterly city-sponsored town hall meetings, one in each district. Mayor Amir Omar would moderate the meeting and field questions from attendees, with any to all council members having the option to attend.

Sire & Sons Smokehouse is set to open on Richardson’s Main Street in November, owner Huzaifah Ali confirmed.

The details: The barbecue restaurant will serve brisket, sausage, burgers, loaded fries, nachos and other barbecue staples, Ali said.

Quote of note: “The name comes from the fact that everyone involved in the restaurant is tied together by fathers and sons, so this place is really about family,” Ali said in a message. “Above all, we want it to be a spot where the Richardson community can gather around good food, especially in an area where halal BBQ is sought after!”

• 107 E. Main St., Richardson

A new apartment building is planned for construction near Plano’s Preston Road, while Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Allen plans updates on its third floor. Check out some of the latest construction filings with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

1. Pearl Towne Crossing in Plano

A new apartment building with a leasing office and parking garage is planned near the intersection of Park Boulevard and Preston Road in Plano, per a TDLR filing. The 506,000-square-foot facility is estimated to be completed in 2029.

• Location: 4701 W. Park Blvd., Plano

• Estimated timeline: Jan. 11, 2027-April 27, 2029

• Estimated cost: $68.2 million

2. Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Allen

Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Allen will add a new patient care unit with 25 patient rooms and supporting spaces on its third floor, per a TDLR filing.

• Location: 1105 N. Central Expressway, Allen

• Estimated timeline: Jan. 5, 2027-Sept. 5, 2027

• Estimated cost: $10.2 million

Texans interested in casting their midterm election ballots before Election Day can do so from Oct. 19-30, the state's early voting period.

The overview: Registered voters can visit any polling place in their county during early voting. They will receive a ballot with federal, state and local races—from the U.S. Senate and Texas governor to city and school district officials.

Dates to know

• Oct. 19: Early in-person voting begins

• Oct. 23: Deadline to apply to vote by mail

• Oct. 30: Early in-person voting ends

• Nov. 3: Election Day

Something to note: Local election officials are also working through a backlog of voter registrations after the Texas Department of Public Safety failed to send some registration records to counties, according to previous reporting. Texans who registered before the Oct. 5 deadline but do not appear on the rolls can still cast a provisional ballot, per the secretary of state.

More details: To check out candidate Q&As and review all races on local ballots, visit communityimpact.com/voter-guide.