Richardson’s $200 million bond will likely include investments in infrastructure improvements, parks projects and fire facility additions.

City Manager Don Magner presented bond project recommendations to City Council at its Dec. 15 meeting.

Breaking it down: Magner recommended the following bond funding:

• Transportation and mobility: $17.6 million
• Streets: $114.6 million
• Sidewalks: $16.5 million
• Drainage: $16.5 million
• Public buildings: $36 million
• Parks: $22.2 million

Quote of note: “Seeing this level of focus on especially streets and alleys will really help us move the needle, and the additional element we added of concrete repairs will also make a big difference,” Mayor Amir Omar said.

What’s next: Council will continue to refine the bond program at the Jan. 5 meeting if necessary. They must call the bond election by Feb. 9, and after that the city will focus on public education on the bond until the May 2 election.

Secret Agent BBQ Catering and To Go opened its first storefront location in Richardson on Dec. 11.

Founder Ian Fleming has been serving barbecue around DFW with his food truck and catering company for years. His signature dish is brisket mac and cheese, alongside other menu offerings including brisket, ribs, turkey breast, pulled pork and handmade sides.

• Opened Dec. 11
• 1980 Nantucket Drive, Ste.103, Richardson

Check out a variety of senior-living communities and facilities available throughout Frisco.

The overview: Senior living facilities features different types of communities:

Independent-living communities cater to older adults with limited care needs. Most include amenities, such as fitness programs, housekeeping and communal meals.

Assisted-living communities specialize in providing care and supervision. These facilities frequently offer a full range of amenities as well as limited medical assistance.

Memory care facilities specialize in providing care to seniors with Alzheimer’s, dementia and other cognitive issues. Staff members are trained to help residents manage these diseases.

Hospice care is intended to relieve symptoms and suffering associated with a terminal illness in those who have been given six months or less to live. The patient must choose to forgo further curative treatment.

Nursing home/skilled nursing facilities provide care to those with illnesses or mental conditions requiring full time monitoring and medical care.

Plano residents could see new restaurants and retail coming to the intersection of McDermott Road and Ohio Drive.

The details: Plano Planning and Zoning commissioners approved a renewed concept plan for the 2.6-acre retail center at a Dec. 1 meeting. Applicant Richard Ferrell applied to renew the retail center’s concept plan, which was originally approved in 2023, as several lots are still in development, and city street design standards have changed since the original plan was approved.

Zooming in: Senior Planner John Kim said one lot has already been approved for a restaurant, but several lots are still being marketed for development. Ferrell noted that plans to bring a Waffle House to the property are “nearing completion,” according to city documents. Juan Vasquez, civil engineer for the applicant, said they are planning to start construction early next year, and the applicant is in conversations with different tenants for the remaining lots.

The Texas power grid is expected to hold up this winter, officials with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas said Dec. 9. This is due in part to “tremendous supply growth on the ERCOT grid,” ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas said, amid an influx of data centers coming to the state.

The overview: Since last winter, over 11,000 megawatts of generating capacity have been added to the ERCOT grid, Vegas said. That growth, which largely comes from battery storage and solar facilities, could be used to power about 2.8 million homes during periods of peak electric demand.

Zooming in: Under most weather conditions, there is a less than 2% chance of a grid emergency through February, ERCOT found.

However, Texas could be in trouble in the unlikely event that a repeat of Winter Storm Uri hits large parts of the state this winter, although ERCOT noted that the probability of such a severe storm happening again was "well under one percent." The February 2021 freeze devastated an unprepared power grid, resulting in nearly 250 deaths.