February 2024 Newsletter

Mark your calendar for our upcoming meeting on Thursday, February 22, 2024.

Feb 08, 2024

President’s Message

Greetings!

First, let me apologize for having to cancel the January meeting, but the weather was so unpredictable and had everyone huddled in their homes, so re-scheduling the event was chosen so members would feel comfortable to get out and attend in person. In that effort, we are tentatively planning a General Meeting on Thursday, February 22, 2024. While not our typical meeting night, our speakers are available as is our meeting venue, Lord of Life Lutheran Church on West 15th Street at the intersection with Woodburn Corners. Join us to hear Shelby Williams, our Plano City Councilman and Doug Reeves give us information about federal intentions to increase subsidized housing in our community. Start time for social time is 6:30 with the presentation beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Also, please be aware that the Planning & Zoning Commission recently approved, by a vote of 8-0, the zoning request from the Willow Bend Mall to add multi-family apartments along the perimeter of the project. The remaining issues: clearance of the project from the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and approval by the City Council. The hearing at Council is set for February 12th. It would appear that this rezoning case continues to move along favorably, so if you are not in favor, MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD.

Collin College Update

By Cathie Alexander, Collin College Board of Trustees

I am pleased to represent you on the Collin College Board of Trustees. Though the Board is greatly restricted in our area of influence at the College, I am always happy to hear from you. Collin College is a gem in our community, and I want to share with you a little about it.

Enrollment - Collin College has broken the mold. Most county’s community colleges in Texas have lost enrollment in the past year. I’m pleased to report Collin College has gained in, not only number of students, but also number of academic hours students are taking.

Funding - I think we will be in better shape financially than in years past as Collin College has historically exceeded in the area of student successes. House Bill 8 is changing the way community colleges are state funded. In the future, community colleges will be funded based on their successes. Successes can be graded on many different courses of action by our students, such as number of courses completed, certificates awarded at the end of a field of study, completion of a degree program, or successfully transferring to a university to complete a bachelor's degree. State funding helps Collin College maintain excellent programs, faculty, and staff as well as supporting our low tuition and tax rate. Collin College has positioned themselves to embrace House Bill 8, and we may all benefit from their forward-thinking planning.

Sports & Entertainment - Did you know Collin College has some fantastic sports teams? At this time Collin College supports Men’s and Women’s Basketball and Tennis at the Plano Campus (2800 E. Spring Creek Parkway). Scholarships and recruiting bring Collin College some wonderful scholar athletes. Here’s an interesting fact: Athletes hold a higher grade point average than most other college students at Collin College. Come join the excitement. Schedule can be found here. I’ll hope to see you at a game!

FYI – You heard it here…. In the near future, the college will add golf, e-sports and volleyball.

I will hope to keep you apprised of the activities of Collin College. Until next month’s newsletter, I will hope to see you at a Collin College Basketball game. Go Cougars!

Subscribe for Free

Primary Elections

We are 12 days away from the start of early voting for the March primary!

SAMPLE BALLOTS are out! Get yours HERE.

These are the key dates to remember:

February 20th - first day of early voting
February 23rd - last day to apply for ballot by mail
March 1st - last day of early voting

March 5th - Primary Election Day!

General Election Nov. 5, 2024

Texas Secretary of State has all election dates for 2024 - HERE.

Collin County Elections information page has all 2024 election dates HERE.

Short Term Rentals Update

The full 238-page report can be found here.
Below are some of the Task Force recommendations.

New Signs Around Town

FYI, here’s the answer to the question we asked in our last newsletter about the new signs around town assigning ‘District’ names: City Council voted on this (last year) to use $1 million of the Hotel Occupancy Tax in this way.

Membership and Renewal

Join or renew here.

Plano City Council Recap
January 22, 2024
By Shelby Williams

Retail Revitalization Program
Short-Term Rental Update
BEST Neighborhood recertifications
Amendment to HOME American Rescue Plan

For the full recap, go to ShelbyWilliams.com.

Make your voice heard by joining PCC! Together we will work to keep Plano a City of Excellence.

Subscribe for Free

Get Involved

Become a Member of PCC

Join PCC today as an official member! We offer four types of membership: Individual, Family, Student, and Non-Plano Resident. Click here to learn more.

Serve on a Committee

Policy Committees

These committees are responsible for overseeing policy research and position formulation for our organization for City of Plano issues as well as PISD.

Leadership Development Committee
This committee seeks to identify, train, and support future City of Plano and PISD leaders.

If you would like to serve on either of these, please contact Plano Citizens’ Coalition.

Submit an Opinion Article

PCC is open to guest writers. Send an article to PCC and the appropriate Committee at Plano Citizens’ Coalition for review. Your work could be featured in our next newsletter.

PCC Membership

Plano Citizens’ Coalition (PCC) has expanded its 2023 Membership Drive. We hope you will renew your membership or join as new members in our efforts to keep our neighbors informed and our elected officials accountable. Click here to apply or renew your membership.

Our mailing address is:
Plano Citizens' Coalition
2701 W. 15th Street #249
Plano, TX 75075