Frank Librio

Neighbors Convinced the City Seized a Beloved Flock of Free-Range Oak Cliff Peacocks [Updated]

Update at 1:19 p.m.: No, the peacocks are not being removed. That's the word from city spokesman Frank Librio, whose full explanation follows after the jump. Original post: Last weekend, someone called 911 to report "loose fowl of various kinds running freely in the street in an area very close to ... More >>

Dallas City Employees Make "It Gets Better" Video, But What is Mike Rawlings Doing In It?

This week's edition of the Dallas Voice features a long article about the video you see above, an "It Gets Better"-themed compilation featuring a whole bunch of LGBT city of Dallas employees, including city spokesperson Frank Librio, assistant city manager Joey Zapata, asisstant city attorneys Melis ... More >>

Police Busted a Huge Cockfighting Ring Over the Weekend in West Oak Cliff

Late Saturday night, Dallas police descended on North Counts Boulevard in an isolated part of West Oak Cliff after neighbors called to complain of crowds, noise, and what turned out to be an enormous cockfighting operation. According to police, officers found some 200 live roosters, many equipped w ... More >>

City Dawdling Leaves Trinity Canoeists Up Shit Creek

The Dallas Public Library is Looking for a New Director. Again.

It's been more than two years now since Laurie Evans stepped down as director of the Dallas Public Library. Since then, the operation has been steered by a pair of interim directors: first Corinne Hill, who set off for Tennessee earlier this year at least in part because the search for Evans' was mo ... More >>

In the Wake of Tragedies, Dallas Will Pour $4.3 Million Into 911 System

Twice in two months, the city's 911 system failed, and failed badly. In July, a family watched their Oak Cliff home burn to the ground as 911 callers were put on hold. Last month, a woman called 911 as she was allegedly being murdered by her ex-husband. Police were dispatched to the house but, not k ... More >>

Spraying to Stop West Nile - Is It Safe?

Just What You Always Wanted: Health Food Vending Machines in City Parks

Six months ago, Peter Stone was working for Apple in Manhattan when he decided, somewhat randomly, to move to Dallas. "He liked the idea that he could golf and play tennis year-round without the mounds of snow and icy winds of New York City. "I came here, and it is so bloody hot here. I was playing ... More >>

Bust Out the D-Shaped Cake: Dallas' Logo Turns 40 This Year

A lot of things have changed in Dallas in the past 40 years -- just look at the skyline or Uptown or the exploding suburbs -- but not everything. I was reminded of that this morning by the city's Facebook page. There, spokesman Frank Librio posted a brief history of the emblem you see above. "I ma ... More >>

A Sign of the Times on the Margaret Hunt Hill and Other Snapshots From Saturday

​Our pros have been all over the Margaret Hunt Hill this weekend, with one, Jay Barker, sending word from the sun-up service this morning that Santiago Calatrava "hinted that this three-day celebration was a bit excessive." Ya don't say. You can see Danny and Paul and Jay's their fine work at ... More >>

City Hall: The Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge Won't Be Drivable Till March 29 Now. Or Close To.

​That item below -- the one that says the Texas Department of Transportation is still hoping to open the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge to vehicular traffic on March 5, immediately following the Trinity Trust and Bridge-o-Rama's respective now-not-really-opening-weekend wingdings? Forget it. Just forge ... More >>

City Says It Hasn't Turned Its Back on Southern Dallas. And Now It Has the Website to Prove It.

​And just the other day I was grousing that Dallas City Hall's yet to plant those long-promised Seeds of Change. But moments ago city spokesman Frank Librio sent word: that "coming soon" is "right now" as City Hall attempts to combat The Dallas Morning News's 10 Drops in the Bucket series with its ... More >>

In One Easy-to-Read Chart, Where All the 2006 Bond Money Has (And Hasn't) Been Spent

​A few weeks ago, following City Manager Mary Suhm's sneak peek at the 2012 bond program that will be but a fraction of a fraction of its mammoth $1.35-billion '06 predecessor, I asked City Hall spokesman Frank Librio if there's a doc listing all the things that have and haven't been done with '06 ... More >>

Do You Carry a Parking Meter Cash Key? Or Would You Rather Pay With a Credit Card?

View more videos at: http://nbcdfw.com.For whatever reason Ken Kalthoff got a little distracted whilst reporting the piece you see above about the city experimenting with solar-powered parking meters that take credit cards (all together now: finally). Ken spends most of the piece trying to get his c ... More >>

Pinpointing the Shadowy Figures Behind the JFK Conspiracy ... the Other Conspiracy, That Is

​Excuse me. Pardon me. Sorry to bother you. Got a second? Hey, I'm not asking for money. I just need a favor. Do you know this guy, Frank Librio? Would you be able to get in touch with him for me? He's the spokesman for the city of Dallas. Very intelligent man, professional, used to be in tel ... More >>

Federal Judge Denies Occupy Dallas's Motion for TRO. So, What Will City Hall Do Now ...?

Photo by Chris Howell​This morning, U.S. District Judge Jane Boyle denied the request by Occupy Dallas for a temporary restraining order that would have prevented City Hall from evicting the Occupiers based on specific sections of the October agreement. Occupy Dallas Attorney Jonathan Winocour ... More >>

Mayor Mike Rawlings on Occupy Dallas Encampment: They Can Stay. Tonight, Anyway.

Photo by Chris Howell​True to his word, City Hall spokesman Frank Librio just sent a statement from Mayor Mike Rawlings in response to U.S. District Judge Jane Boyle's ruling this morning, which cleared the way for the city to give Occupy Dallas the heave-ho from the parking lot behind 1500 Marill ... More >>

What the 53 Layoffs in Dallas Animal Services Will Mean as City Reorganizes the Department

Photo by Mark Graham​Straight off, City Hall spokesman Frank Librio would like us to clarify something he told Anna yesterday: It's not that new Dallas Animal Services director Jody Jones isn't ready to handle media requests, as we noted, it's just that she's "focusing on operations at the moment ... More >>

Hot Hot Heat: CBS Early Show Comes to Town, It Ain't 1980 Yet and Dallas's Drought Plan

​CBS Early Show's Marysol Castro's in town -- can't imagine why. Oh, right. It's hot. Still, not so hot that two high-school footballers can't spend their after-practice hours toiling in the sun -- one on a construction site, the other decorating doorknobs with fliers, both hoping to buy a car. Th ... More >>

Why No Live Feed From Dallas City Hall?

​Leslie just got back from the first meeting of the city's gas drilling task force; her wrap-up's due shortly. But I tried tuning in earlier, thinking surely the city would live-stream this much-ballyhooed occasion. Instead I got to see Mike Rawlings conduct his first meeting as mayor (from June 2 ... More >>

The Larry O'Brien Trophy Will Drive Itself to Mark Cuban's House (And a Parade Update)

​We had a photographer out at Love Field, where fans met the 2011 National Basketball Association Champion Dallas Mavericks; a slide show, of course, is forthcoming. But one good Friend of Unfair Park was out at the airport and moments ago sent this shot, along with this note: "Cuban put trophy in ... More >>

Can't Believe You're Not on This List of People Who've Received Keys to the City of Dallas

​You have asked, and Frank Librio, the public information officer at Dallas City Hall, has answered by providing a recent sampling of the famous, infamous and who's-that?'s who have received keys to the city of Dallas. At last, a list I can get behind. Because, as I've been reminded more than once ... More >>

Oncor, Dallas Really Wants Lights (and Heat) Kept On at City Hall and Convention Center

Justin Terveen​Personally, I'd love nothing more than to see the council chambers go dark during this morning's briefing. Need something to liven up that ho-hum agenda that includes runaway shopping carts and a look at the Mayor's Youth Fitness Initiative -- or MyFi, as it's called. Besides, ... More >>

Up in the Air? Not Exactly, As One Runway's Good to Go at Love Field. But the Other? Well ...

​Below, in the comments, Brenda Marks wonders what the eff's going on at Love Field, where all is most definitely not clear. So I called Frank Librio, PIO at City Hall, to see what gives. He asked around and reports back: "The long runway's open" and can handle takeoffs and landings, but Southwest ... More >>

City Hall Wants You to Know: It's Got that Whole Cabbie Strike Thing Covered Tonight

Patrick MichelsFrom the September 15 cabbie protest in front of Dallas City Hall​Not sure how much longer I'm here today -- still need to head out and stock up on celebratory shotgun shells and kegs of Natural Ice, and I'm guessing most of you are in the same solar-powered water taxi. Still, there ... More >>

City Expects $2 Mil In Federal Money Will Spur Development Around Four Light-Rail Stations

The Hatcher Station, one of four light-rail stations identified as by the city as a recipient of the feds' grant announced this morning​This morning we've received several press releases from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Transportation announcing ... More >>

Tired of Getting Your City Hall Updates From Unfair Park? I Hope Not. But If You Are ...

​Frank Librio, the fine PIO at Dallas City Hall, just sent word: The city's introducing E-Alerts today, intended to keep locals "connected to City Hall," which I assume isn't some kind of a threat. Says the memo, all you gotta do is go to the city's website, where, at the top right-hand corner, yo ... More >>

Billboard's So Close to Woodall Rodgers Because Access Ramp Ain't a "Travel Lane." Say What?

Patrick Michels​Don't know what to tell you -- certainly didn't think we'd be into our third item about that Woodall Rodgers billboard. But Frank Librio, the city's spokesman, has, as he promised last night, looked into how it got there; so too Morgan Lyons, Dallas Area Rapid Transit's chief talke ... More >>

The City Blames DART For That Woodall Rodgers Billboard. DART Says, "Pardon?"

Patrick Michels​'Bout an hour ago I heard from City Hall about the black hole no wait 2001 monolith whoops Phantom Zone gateway pardon I mean Spinal Tap album cover dang itbillboard hovering but a few feet from the Woodall Rodgers ramp spilling into northbound Stemmons. Per Frank Librio, who says ... More >>

Does This Billboard Look Like It's 100 Feet Away From the Freeway? Didn't Think So.

Photos by Patrick Michels​Yesterday Friend of Unfair Park John M wondered if we had any spare interns who'd be able to snap a photo of the newly installed billboard next to the Woodall Rodgers ramp that dumps into northbound Stemmons Freeway. And when I say "next to," I mean "right on top of," as ... More >>

Scofflaws, Beware: It's Time For Yet Another of the City's Semi-Annual Warrant Roundups!

​Back in March there was one of the city's semi-annual warrant roundups -- otherwise known as pay-up-or-get-locked-up weekend -- during which we peeked at the city's lengthy list of scofflaws only to find, way down toward zee end, a woman named Sherriee (or Sherice or Sherie or ...) Zeek with seve ... More >>

Neighbor Called 911 On Pit Bulls Prior To Friday Morning Attack in M Streets

​Late Friday afternoon, while we were still sifting through those comments for and against pit bulls (and their owners), Unfair Park HQ received a call from Jill Urban, who said she called 911 on those two "un-collared" pit bulls in the M Streets area some 20 minutes or more before the two dogs sp ... More >>

In the M Streets This Morning, Pit Bulls Attack Man Out on Walk -- And DPD Attacks Back

Not one of the dogs in question. But you get the idea.​[Update: After the jump, further information from city of Dallas spokesman Frank Librio.]If you live in the M Streets and woke up this morning to what you thought might have been gunfire, well, you were right. At approximately 6:30 a.m., accor ... More >>

City Hall Wants to Make It Very Clear: We Don't Need No Lousy Bids at Love Field

A conceptual rendering of Love Field after it undergoes its extreme makeover​Still haven't heard from City Attorney Tom Perkins concerning the legal above-boardness of those no-bid concession contracts at Love Field Airport, which the council will vote on tomorrow. But outta nowhere a a little whi ... More >>

The Missing LINC: City Says Texas Trib's Payroll Database Has At Least One Oopsie

Dallas City Hall Archives​I've been pestering Frank Librio in Dallas City Hall's Public Information Office for The Official Word on Harold Nogle, who, according to Texas Tribune's city payroll database, is the fourth-highest-paid city official. And, while he was at it, maybe he had some more info ... More >>

Mayor Pro Tem Caraway Got a Little, Um, Carried Away With Official Invitation

​Dwaine Caraway has come seriously unglued in recent months, behaving less like a Dallas city council member and more and more like Huey Long. My God. I can't believe some of this stuff. More on this in my column in the paper next week. But I can't wait that long to share with you this latest pie ... More >>

Irony Alert: Council's Trinity River Committee Gets Some Bad News

Frank Librio, in the Public Information Office at Dallas City Hall, just forwarded along the following memo sent today to the members of the city council's Trinity River Corridor Project Committee:​

News & Notes: Immigration Reform, César Chávez, Garland Road & Gay Jesus

​Some news and notes on this light-commenting Thursday:Domingo Garcia's got himself a whole new immigration-reform MegaMarch to promote -- this one, a May 1 parade that'll start at the Santuario de Guadalupe on Ross Ave. and end at Dallas City Hall. Says Garcia on the Web site, "Our immigrant comm ... More >>

Erykah Badu Went to Dealey Plaza, Got Naked, Shot Video. City Hall Distances!

On March 17, Erykah Badu and a small crew went down to Dealey Plaza to shoot a very naked video for "Window Seat."​Earlier this morning, Pete posted the evidence to DC9: Erykah Badu's "Window Seat" video, the latest informercial for New Amerykah Part Two: The Return of the Ankh, in stores tomorrow ... More >>

Premium Content: While We Argue Over a Word, a Risk Still Runs Through the City

George Gimarc sent us this photo. Taken in April 1957.​Got a little e-mail debate going with Frank Librio, the spokesman for the city of Dallas, which I thought I should share with the Friends of Unfair Park. Always good to get a second opinion. Maybe people will agree with Frank that I have been ... More >>

Talkin' Trash About the City's 311 System

Hey, Jim, maybe Frank Librio can come pick up your trash in this sweet ride.​The Schutze household has been working on a mystery all day about how to call the city for bulk trash pickup if the trucks keep skipping your block during pickup week. We found that we could not reach 311 -- the service ... More >>

Thirteen Sue City Over Racial Discrimination; City Denies "Years Old" Allegations

It's been too long since we've seen Dallas Water's mascot, Perry the Pipe​A couple of hours ago, Rudy Bush posted a lawsuit 13 Dallas Water Utilities employees have filed against the city, in which they allege all manner of racial discrimination. According to the docs, the litigants -- who are eit ... More >>

Best. Picture. Ever.

Jacob Blickenstaff/Courtesy the City of DallasOK, so maybe that's stretching it just a bit. But I feel like we should send Frank Librio, the city's marketing and media relations director, just a little something in exchange for this photo of Mayor Tom Leppert and Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway ... More >>

City of Dallas on Red-Light Camera Ruling: Doesn't Affect Us, No Way.

First thing yesterday we noted 192nd Civil District Court Judge Craig Smith's ruling in the red-light camera case in which a plaintiff claimed Affiliated Computer Services doesn't have the legal right to act as a law-enforcement agency. This morning, we received a statement from Frank Librio, spokes ... More >>

Texas Rangers Will Try to Brighten Day of Kids Still Living at Convention Center

All Apologies, Mr. Librio

We See England, We See France...

Hey, Frank Librio, pull up your pants

Wright Argument, Wrong People

Too Much Information