Ever since Frisco Chronicles saw the number $50,000, $50,000 and $20,000 in John Keatings campaign finance report we wondered … why would one person or company donate so much money to John Keating?  Do you think someone donates that kind of money without expectation in return?  Keating’s post today is poetic to Frisco Chronicles report!

The Relationship

I am pretty sure others have been wondering the same thing and we did some digging. A little birdy in the city told us to do some research and we would find there is a QUID PRO QUO between Keating and “The Donor” aka Frisco 380 Partners. 

Frisco 380 Partners is an LLC owned and operated by Ronald Josh Feferman.  Feferman is also the owner of Primary Media (a billboard operator).  And here’s the kicker, that donation is directly tied to the same person who negotiated with the City of Frisco over 380 signage and who benefited from a 2023 settlement agreement allowing a digital billboard at 380 & Coit. Remember that, we will touch on it again shortly.

Simply put Frisco 380 Partners = the land/financial arm and Primary Media = the operating/signage arm.  That’s not illegal. But it’s also not subtle.

Frisco Becomes a Certified City

According to our city source Keating was corralling support for a sign despite it being illegal by TXDOT at the time.  City Council Meeting Minutes confirms that Keating was trying to get support, but as usual everything happened in “CLOSED SESSION” so we are limited to the actual details. 

Our source tells us that Keating, over City Attorney, Richard Abernathy’s OBJECTIONS, got city staff to apply to become a “Certified City!”

 What does that mean?  Under the Highway Beautification Act a city can get certified by TXDOT which allows the city to control its own outdoor advertising / sign permitting instead of the state.  Once a city is “certified” by Texas Department of Transportation:

The city—not TxDOT—issues permits for billboards and certain signage. The city gains local control over aesthetics and enforcement. It can shape how corridors look.

In plain English: certification = more local power, less state oversight and removes TXDOT’s watchful eyes at permit or application time.

Via the “Consent Agenda,” Frisco, Texas was officially certified on September 16, 2022.  Guess who made the motion to pass the consent agenda that day? Mayor Pro-Tem John Keating moved to approve Consent Agenda Items #15 through #30. Deputy Mayor Pro-Tem Angelia Pelham seconded the motion.  Coincidence?   Nope.

Donation Time

Furthermore, our city source told us that allegedly Feferman, through himself or sources, donated to several council members over the years.  Our source continued that several times talks were dead in the water but one councilman, one superman worked harder than ever for their big donation.  Can you guess who?  John Keating.

Who else did Feferman donate to?  From campaign finance reports we see the following:

Rob Cox on 10/9/2020 – Josh Feferman donated $2500

 *Rob Cox was on Planning & Zoning and ran for office

Angelia Pelham on 5/22/2021 – Josh Feferman donated $250.00

Jeff Cheney on 4/28/2023 (2023 Mayoral Race) – Ronald Feferman who owned Primary Media donated $5,000

John Keating on 4/12/2024 – Ronald Feferman donated $20,000

John Keating on 11/14/2025 – Frisco 380 Partners donated $50,000

John Keating on 12/30/2025 – Frisco 380 Partners donated $50,000

John Keating on 4/8/2026 – Frisco 380 Partners donated $20,000

What is the 2023 Settlement Agreement between the City of Frisco and Primary Media?

Supposedly, a billboard company with existing or claimed rights along US 380, tied to roadway changes, negotiated a settlement with the City of Frisco that allowed a digital billboard—despite a local ban—in exchange for resolving disputes and possibly removing other signs.

The 380 Billboard Deal: How a “Prohibited” Sign Went Up Anyway

Frisco residents are told the city bans digital billboards. The ordinance is clear. The message is simple: no flashing ads, no towering digital screens cluttering the skyline.

So how did one end up lighting up US 380 & Coit?  The answer isn’t via a permit, it’s a settlement. In August 2023, the City of Frisco quietly approved a “First Amended Settlement Agreement” with Ronald Josh Feferman’s company, Primary Media—the same operator behind the digital billboard now standing along one of the city’s fastest-growing corridors.

That agreement did something extraordinary: It carved out an exception to a citywide ban.

The sharper question is: What specific property or rights does Frisco 380 Partners hold along 380, and were those leveraged in the billboard agreement?  Because if the same entity owns the dirt, negotiates the sign, and funds the politics …then you’re not looking at separate events.  You’re looking at a strategy.

From Prohibited… to Profitable

Frisco’s sign code doesn’t leave much room for interpretation—digital billboards are prohibited. Yet under the settlement, one was not only allowed, but it was also effectively guaranteed. Why?  Because the deal wasn’t about permission, it was about leverage.

Feferman’s network of entities, including Frisco 380 Partners LLC, held interest along the US 380 corridor during a time of massive highway expansion. In Texas, billboard owners impacted by road projects often claim relocation rights—a powerful legal tool that can force cities to negotiate rather than deny.

The Trade-Off Nobody Talked About

These agreements usually follow a familiar script.  One, remove older static billboards.  Two, replace them with fewer, more lucrative digital displays.  Three,  lock in long-term rights tied to the land.  The public hears “less clutter.”  The operator gets more revenue per sign.

And buried in the legal language is the key phrase: “Notwithstanding city ordinance.” Translation?  The rules still apply—just not here.

The Timeline That Raises Questions

September 2022 – Frisco becomes a TxDOT-certified city, gaining control over billboard permitting

August 2023 – City approves settlement with Primary Media

Late 2023 – Digital billboard goes live on US 380

That sequence matters.  Because it suggests the billboard wasn’t simply inherited from state control—it was approved locally, after the city had full authority to say no.

Follow the Structure, Follow the Money

This isn’t just about one sign.  It’s about how a billboard operator, a real estate holding entity, and a city-level legal agreement …intersected at exactly the right moment along one of North Texas’ most valuable corridors.

The same network tied to the project has also surfaced in local political funding, raising a bigger question: Was this just a legal necessity… or a negotiated outcome shaped by influence?

The Question Frisco Hasn’t Answered

If digital billboards are banned in Frisco— Why was this one allowed? And more importantly: Would anyone else have gotten the same deal?

As for John Keating, he is dirty! As dirty as they come! He is bought and paid for by Feferman and that shows through the campaign finance reports. I bet as soon as Keating became Mayor, he would allow digital billboards all over the city. Maybe one outside Universal Kids to shine into Cobb Hill homes. They already have to look at a ugly hotel why not an electronic billboard?

REFERENCE TO OVERALL TIMELINE OF EVENTS:

June 18, 2019 – Receive legal advice regarding contract with Primary Media.

Aug 4, 2020 – Receive legal advice from city attorney regarding proposed changes to Primary Media agreement

April 21, 2020 – Consult with and receive legal advice from city attorney regarding proposed changes to Primary Media agreement

June 21, 2022 – Receive legal advice regarding amendment to the Primary Media Agreement.

May 2022 – Ordinance Change Reads: Consider and act upon adoption of an Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Frisco, Texas, repealing Ordinance Nos. 11-06-21, 16-03-25 and 17-02-10, and amending Frisco’s Code of Ordinances, Ordinance No. 06-03-31, as amended, Chapter 70 (Signs); modifying certain regulations governing the erection, maintenance, and operation of signs. (Development Services/PC) ORDINANCE 2022-05-21

September 16, 2022: Via the “Consent Agenda,” Frisco, Texas was officially named a Certified City.  Mayor Pro-Tem John Keating moved to approve Consent Agenda Items #15 through #30. Deputy Mayor Pro-Tem Angelia Pelham seconded the motion. 

June 6, 2023 – Receive legal advice regarding amendment to the Primary Media Agreement

May Consider and act upon adoption of an Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Frisco, Texas, repealing Ordinance Nos. 11-06-21, 16-03-25 and 17-02-10, and amending Frisco’s Code of Ordinances, Ordinance No. 06-03-31, as amended, Chapter 70 (Signs); modifying certain regulations governing the erection, maintenance, and operation of signs. (Development Services/PC) ORDINANCE 2022-05-21

Link To Ordinance: https://drive.proton.me/urls/A5TS1CFZQ0#2Msl194PT1Rn

Aug 15 2023 – Consent Agenda Item 18 was approved when Mayor Pro-Tem John Keating made the motion and Deputy Mayor Pro-Tem Angelia Pelham seconded the motion.

Item 18 Reads: Consider and act upon authorizing the City Manager to execute the First Amended Settlement Agreement by and between the City of Frisco and Primary Media, LTD. (CMO/BB)

Action Requested: Consider and act upon authorizing the City Manager to execute the First Amended Settlement Agreement by and between the City of Frisco and Primary Media, LTD.

Background Information: City Council authorized the Settlement Agreement on May 5, 2015. On or about June 2022, the Sign become inoperable and was removed due to planned TxDOT expansion of US 380, through TxDOT condemnation. City and Primary Media desire to amend the settlement agreement to allow for a new sign to be built at the southwest corner of US 380 and Coit Road.

The Settlement Agreement established the framework of responsibilities relating to the two static billboards located on US 380 and a proposed digital sign in the same location. The Agreement calls for the removal of the two static signs during the construction of the digital sign, so that the only remaining sign will be one digital sign. This is a ten-year agreement.  90 days after Primary Media receives its building permit from the City, the clock will start on the term of the agreement.

Disclaimer: This blog includes satire, parody, and comic relief.  It contains summarized accounts created solely for humor and commentary.  Any resemblance to real events is either coincidental or intentionally satirical.  Reader discretion — and a sense of humor — are advised.