[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6462246,"mediaKeyId","5811779-1f290295df47384c9e957dbed5c81f3c","parentId",5811779,"title","City staff recommends approving negotiated settlement in Atmos Energy rate‑review filing; council members press on affordability and service","audioSeconds",670,"startMs",2716000,"endMs",3386000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5811779-1f290295df47384c9e957dbed5c81f3c&start=2716&end=3386","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5811779-1f290295df47384c9e957dbed5c81f3c/thumbnail_2716000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6462246/Richardson/Dallas-County/Texas/City-staff-recommends-approving-negotiated-settlement-in-Atmos-Energy-ratereview-filing-council-members-press-on-affordability-and-service","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6462246-26104b0f21f169ebdd76b77efff098d9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770663052&Signature=orJoUXpo3jzF4d9TBbTzniD8uwnZPJ8rVPWy5wYgYwgxHXwBqrkCSbUi-gWfl-lPLpNEabYIR6TZXph81kjMDYI3Lyeq-O~9epeY9WusGDIs4a1yma5epehWGVnfYhXqucKn9CP~PwZH5zDpIKvP7vKn~UWG6mmMNdt-8E4ME7uy4iy-t5wel5STdlzrT4u2dVPjOgtVjSPvemr-BnThLZDmm5yeqhmP6B6tMczETFrDUwhptC9YsG5ptW~Q5NZ-qYbyrYsFjLX6f44NiMpjSOwSWVnRKZmDCwBrNFe-j1vE0HCpnwh8ad7xdP113XSLKm-bFTDKbR8enNSjeikKRQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Richardson","date","2025-09-22T00:00:00Z","article","City staff and outside consultants told the Richardson City Council the Atmos Energy Rate Review Mechanism (RRM) filing submitted in April produced a negotiated settlement that reduces the utility’s initial filing from about $245 million in requested annual revenue to just over $205 million, and staff recommended the council adopt that settlement during the RRM review process.

Why it matters: The settlement, if approved, would change Atmos billed rates for customers in Richardson and surrounding MidTex service territory; staff said the average residential customer would see about a 9.3% increase in their bill (roughly $8 per month based on average usage) and the average commercial customer about 6.6% (roughly $26 per month). Council members raised sharp questions about affordability, the split of the increase between fixed customer charges and volumetric consumption charges, and the limits of the city’s options if officials reject the settlement.

What staff reported
- Todd Gastorf, Richardson’s director of finance, said Atmos’ April filing requested roughly $245 million to recover 2024 capital investments across MidTex. Staff and the Atmos steering committee and consultants negotiated a settlement reducing the request by more than 16% to approximately $205 million.
- Gastorf said Atmos invested about $1.4 billion across the MidTex region in the prior year; Richardson‑specific capital investment during the last calendar year was roughly $17.6 million and $42.6 million since 2020.
- The settlement alters both the fixed customer charge (a roughly 3% increase in the monthly customer charge shown in the settlement) and the volumetric (consumption) charge. Gastorf said the negotiated settlement represents a reasonable tradeoff between recovering needed capital and limiting rate impacts.

How the process works
- Richardson participates in an Atmos City steering committee that represents many Texas cities and hires attorneys and rate experts to review large utility filings and negotiate settlements on member cities’ behalf.
- Gastorf told the council the Gas Reliability Infrastructure Program (GRIP) statute gives Atmos a statutory route to recover capital; because GRIP filings offer limited city challenge rights, the steering‑committee RRM negotiation provides cities a practical channel to influence rates and secure reductions. If the council rejects a negotiated settlement, Gastorf said Atmos could implement higher GRIP rates or proceed to a contested Railroad Commission (or other regulator) proceeding, which would carry legal costs and uncertain outcomes.

Company presentation and technical details
- Clayton Childs, Atmos Energy’s MidTex manager of public affairs, described the utility’s safety and modernization programs and said Atmos invests roughly $2 billion annually across its footprint and logged $1.4 billion in MidTex investments for the referenced year. Childs said Atmos uses leak‑detection technology, increased training at its Charles K. Vaughn training center in Plano and other tools to monitor pipeline safety and operations. Childs said Atmos serves roughly 27,000 customers and operates about 394 miles of pipeline within Richardson and noted advanced mobile leak detection and other monitoring systems.

Council concerns
Council members probed why the residential volumetric (consumption) charge shows a much larger percentage increase than commercial consumption and asked for supporting details and the consultants’ analysis. Several council members expressed frustration about year‑after‑year increases from utilities while noting the practical limits of what a single city can accomplish. Councilmember Barrios said the pattern of repeated annual increases felt like “getting your cake and eating it too” — raising concerns about costs versus the service residents receive during peak weather events.

Next steps
- Gastorf told the council staff recommends adopting the negotiated settlement as fair and reasonable and that a resolution to adopt the settlement was on the council’s agenda for consideration; if approved the settlement rates would be effective October 1.
- Council discussion and a formal vote will determine whether the city adopts the settlement or pursues other options; Gastorf and the steering‑committee attorneys said contesting a filing independently would shift legal and consulting costs onto the city.

Selected quote
“The attorneys, consultants, as well as city staff, in reviewing the filing, believe that the negotiated settlement is fair, reasonable, and we recommend approving that settlement,” Todd Gastorf said.

Context and constraints
The RRM/GRIP interaction is governed by state statute and regulatory practice; Gastorf advised that limitations in the GRIP statutory process are why cities participate in joint steering‑committee negotiations. Councilmembers asked staff to provide more detail from the steering‑committee consultants showing how the settlement numbers affect residential versus commercial customers, and staff said it would follow up with that analysis.

Ending
Council members said they would review the supporting consultant analysis before voting; the staff recommendation preserves a negotiated reduction from the initial filing but leaves affordability concerns and next‑year projections unresolved.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Richardson - City Council","oneSentenceSummary","City staff and outside consultants told the Richardson City Council the Atmos Energy Rate Review Mechanism (RRM) filing submitted in April produced a negotiated settlement that reduces the utility’s initial filing from about $245 million in requested annual revenue to just over $205 million, and staff recommended the council adopt that settlement during the RRM review process.","taxTitle","Richardson, Dallas County, Texas","taxId",2786,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6462241,"Oncor tells Richardson it will invest $36 billion in grid upgrades over five years; city staff to recommend denial of Oncor rate request",3732,6992000,10724000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5811779-1f290295df47384c9e957dbed5c81f3c&start=6992&end=10724","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5811779-1f290295df47384c9e957dbed5c81f3c/thumbnail_6992000.jpg","/articles/6462241/Richardson/Dallas-County/Texas/Oncor-tells-Richardson-it-will-invest-36-billion-in-grid-upgrades-over-five-years-city-staff-to-recommend-denial-of-Oncor-rate-request","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6462241-f1586fe1c69eca4b57b7accb3c4642de/orig.mp4?Expires=1770663052&Signature=jMQYSWqpo0eVMGMHjM5MSOq0gbtbWo2-P6zur6Qo5~4qZnX~jvvfW8DlvBwobaV5fNqhsn0bohyCD~VlYh4H4EEWk5f6vRbS6y7vXaJM~TAB6x~GvhvUgLB-mu9RhI3t~ewxSRXBHY6DnS7FSh0Mujhj7L1-ZgfK0Oda2EswoK2Xu6gGvz098Jrd2~Wir7jHpoAVDLgk6Wrla~FY~UFHswC9BMTZabzeEBlyMhHIHRy94w9dE2JlXKTusTtfzeESCHjdmOP3LEqDEWedQhFTq3dPiyNnlT-nklAGmJkf7IX7zUPkmBBRhY6vTHJhCaUTQ4-h0aRUIM6uVQxMhRh6WQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Oncor Electric Delivery (identified in the meeting as “Encore”) told the Richardson City Council it plans a multibillion‑dollar investment program to expand distribution automation, improve vegetation management and replace aging underground cable — and city staff said a separate rate request from the utility remains unsettled and will be the subject of a council resolution in October.

Why it matters: Oncor’s infrastructure and resilience spending affects electric reliability for Richardson residents and businesses and underpins large new‑load requests from data centers and other commercial users. Oncor’s capital plans feed into pending rate requests that would be reviewed by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) if city steering‑committee negotiations fail.

Company presentation (high level)
- Christie Tyra, Oncor area manager assigned to Richardson, told the council Oncor has committed roughly $36 billion in capital investment over the next five years to modernize and harden the grid and to keep pace with rapid load growth. Tyra said the company expects automation coverage across about 70% of its service area now and expects to reach about 90% coverage in the near future; automation helps isolate faults and restore service faster.
- Oncor reported rapid meter growth in the company’s territory and at the local level: Tyra said Oncor installs about 77,000 new meters annually across its service area and that Richardson recorded 15,343 meter installations this year compared with 749 about ten years ago.
- System resiliency work described includes pole and equipment upgrades, underground cable assessments and replacement (Oncor identified multiple critical underground segments and about five miles of underground cable replacement scheduled), expanded vegetation management (doubling effort in aggressive hotspots using lidar and analytics), wildfire and cybersecurity mitigation and added distribution automation to reduce customer outage times.

Rate request status and next steps
- City staff reported the Oncor steering committee has been unable to negotiate a settlement on Oncor’s rate request. Staff told council it will place a resolution on the October 13 agenda recommending the council deny Oncor’s request; if the council denies the request and Oncor appeals, the matter would move to the PUC for adjudication.
- Don (city manager) and staff said they will continue negotiating with the steering committee and counsel over the next several weeks, but the October council action is intended to preserve the city’s legal and procedural rights on the filing.

Council questions and operational concerns
Council members asked detailed operational questions about pole and underground relocations, tree trimming policy and coordination during city capital projects. Oncor representatives said the company increasingly uses modern mapping and a construction documentation platform (LocustView) to capture installed facilities, that contractors and operators are required to use the platform, and that Oncor’s engineering staff coordinates with city project teams once the city reaches roughly 60% design so relocations and make‑ready work can be scheduled more efficiently.

On tree trimming and visual impact, Tyra said the utility performs scheduled maintenance trims, emergency trims after storms and “make‑safe” trims on request. Make‑safe trims are provided without charge but the utility leaves trimmed limbs for property owners to remove; service‑drop relocations inside private property and temporary disconnects to allow safe customer trimming can carry a fee for certain services.

Selected quote
“We have been committed to invest $36,000,000,000 over the next 5 years in our infrastructure,” Christie Tyra said in the council briefing.

What to watch
Council will consider a staff resolution on Oct. 13 recommending denial of Oncor’s rate request if no negotiated settlement is reached before then. If Oncor appeals any denial or contested elements, the PUC will adjudicate; the council and the steering committee’s attorneys will continue to work on the city’s behalf until that deadline.

Ending
Councilmembers thanked Oncor for responsiveness on project coordination and asked staff to continue pushing for timely relocations and better field records to reduce construction holds and delays on city capital projects.

","Oncor Electric Delivery (identified in the meeting as “Encore”) told the Richardson City Council it plans a multibillion‑dollar investment program to expand distribution automation, improve vegetation management and replace aging underground cable — and city staff said a separate rate request from the utility remains unsettled and will be the subject of a council resolution in October.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6462251,"Cultural Arts Commission recommends funding 22 of 27 applicants, city budgeted $375,000 for FY26 grants",2139,564000,2703000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5811779-1f290295df47384c9e957dbed5c81f3c&start=564&end=2703","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5811779-1f290295df47384c9e957dbed5c81f3c/thumbnail_564000.jpg","/articles/6462251/Richardson/Dallas-County/Texas/Cultural-Arts-Commission-recommends-funding-22-of-27-applicants-city-budgeted-375000-for-FY26-grants","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6462251-f8c91489741ebd402f57340cc798f49b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770663052&Signature=H9QINW47YGnmn7QJYdaVfDdS90vqHOnmZy0WIagQ0pcIg2qeVW0z9E4cgmxYA1G5ztdOda9MdfLX4gUkh0ycdpeErUHAZxmAFnjaga6In~YbZAuOz4Uu3xmLB7SqRfzSOtrmAfeHL7l80LpEzxN96unfZsnm8SNSoJixL8YQOYGvsAjcqzkRylA2BvuIpsOLlRHBy7BQfEgEgKB4fOlqWwhocMPb~3lArQ8sncbF63VN4w1WlMU1HnXWqs5zbkZBLupJX-oQh-tyoP5uOwKiQr8MfYhtWxSBlUrQEES4JeZrYsRSHicvub0o1gAZffQl4gAgfs0UpdmgN1Yr-nz4Fw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Richardson Cultural Arts Commission recommended that the City Council approve $375,000 in FY2026 arts grants to 22 of 27 applicants, Chair Sandy Palish told the council during a presentation moved up on the agenda.

The recommendations follow a spring and summer application process the commission said included an online application platform, interviews and a funding deliberation. The commission received 27 applications — five new — requesting about $671,000 in total; the city’s budget for the program is $375,000.

Why it matters: The grants fund local nonprofit arts groups that stage performances and community arts programming in Richardson. The commission said the city’s largest recommended shares go to instrumental music and theater groups, with the Richardson Symphony Orchestra receiving the single largest grant slice.

Palish said the commission evaluated applications on their focus on Richardson performances, community impact and diversity of offerings, alignment with the city’s Arts and Culture Master Plan, and financial health. “Forty‑five percent of that is going to instrumental groups. Biggest reason is the Richardson Symphony,” Palish said during the presentation.

Process and highlights
- Applications opened in June and were submitted for the first time through an online platform (Submittable); interviews took place in late August and the commission deliberated in September.
- The commission interviewed 23 applicants and recommended awarding grants to 22 organizations. Commissioners said they planned to encourage more applications from visual and digital arts and organizations that serve younger audiences.
- New or newly funded organizations singled out by the commission included the Town North Concert Band and Out Loud (a digital/younger‑focused arts group). The commission said it awarded a small stipend to Town North to encourage synergy with the Richardson Community Band.

Groups not funded or not interviewed
- The commission said DTx Dandiya (DTx Dandia) was not recommended because the application was incomplete and the group had not booked events in Richardson as described. The commission encouraged reapplication after remedying the deficiencies.
- Dallas Art Therapy was offered an interview but did not attend and so was not funded this cycle. The Dialogue Institute of Dallas and others submitted incomplete materials and were not interviewed.

Follow up and oversight
- Final reports from funded organizations are due to the city by the end of the month; the commission said it reviews those reports before checks are distributed (checks are scheduled for October if the council approves the recommendations).
- Mikayla Dollar and Kayla Johnson (city staff) serve as liaisons and the commission said staff and commissioners will contact organizations with application feedback to improve future submissions.

Council reaction
Council members thanked the commission for its work and raised questions about how the grants affect organizations’ budgets. Councilmember Schumsil noted the number of applicants and asked how applicants would manage if they received less than requested; Palish replied that some organizations ask for more than they expect and that applicants are asked how a partial award would affect their programming. Councilmember Dorian said she appreciated the commission’s focus on attracting new arts groups and diversity of offerings.

What happens next
Council will consider the commission’s FY2026 funding recommendations later in the meeting; if approved, the Cultural Arts Commission will distribute checks in October and continue liaison work with grantees.

Ending note
The commission said it will continue outreach to expand diversity in art forms — including visual and digital arts — and to help applicant organizations strengthen future proposals.

","The Richardson Cultural Arts Commission recommended awarding the city’s FY2026 arts grant budget ( $375,000 ) to 22 nonprofit applicants after interviewing 23 groups; commissioners highlighted support for instrumental and theater groups and asked council to approve the recommendations for distribution in October.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City staff recommends approving negotiated settlement in Atmos Energy rate‑review filing; council members press on affordability and service

Oncor tells Richardson it will invest $36 billion in grid upgrades over five years; city staff to recommend denial of Oncor rate request

Cultural Arts Commission recommends funding 22 of 27 applicants, city budgeted $375,000 for FY26 grants