February 2025 Newsletter

And Upcoming Events

Feb 10, 2025

To view newsletters on the website, go to https://planocitizenscoalition.org/news.

In this newsletter:
- Bond Referendum (President’s Message)
- General Meeting March 27, 2025 (Bond Referendum Q&A)
- Candidate Forum April 10, 2025
- North Texas Municipal Water District Presentation
- Collin College Report
- City Council Meeting Details
- Join Plano Citizens’ Coalition

President’s Message

Greetings!

The Plano City Council will hear the final assessment for the proposed Bond Referendum(s) this coming Monday but before they do, they will vote to award a construction contract on a portion of a voter approved 2021 Bond Referendum, $21,996,776, for the Oak Point Park Maintenance Facility. So, we are still spending money previously approved by voters. The Council will vote that same evening on the 7 new measures to be presented to voters on May 3 in the form of the 2025 Bond Referendum. There are multiple purposes for this Bond Referendum, and they have been separately identified so that voters may decide which measures should be included for action and passage or denied. They include:

Proposition A: "THE ISSUANCE OF $316,470,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS FOR STREET IMPROVEMENTS AND THE IMPOSITION OF A TAX SUFFICIENT TO PAY THE PRINCIPAL OF AND INTEREST ON THE BONDS.”

Proposition B: “THE ISSUANCE OF $155,155,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS FOR THE POLICE HEADQUARTERS AND THE IMPOSITION OF A TAX SUFFICIENT TO PAY THE PRINCIPAL OF AND INTEREST ON THE BONDS.”

Proposition C: “THE ISSUANCE OF $51,000,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS FOR THE POLICE TRAINING CENTER AND THE IMPOSITION OF A TAX SUFFICIENT TO PAY THE PRINCIPAL OF AND INTEREST ON THE BONDS.”

Proposition D: “THE ISSUANCE OF $37,485,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES AND THE IMPOSITION OF A TAX SUFFICIENT TO PAY THE PRINCIPAL OF AN INTEREST ON THE BONDS.”

Proposition E: “THE ISSUANCE OF $45,135,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS FOR THE FLEET OPERATIONS CENTER AND THE IMPOSITION OF A TAX SUFFICIENT TO PAY THE PRINCIPAL OF AN INTEREST ON THE BONDS.”

Proposition F: “THE ISSUANCE OF $45,135,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS FOR THE FLEET OPERATIONS CENTER AND THE IMPOSITION OF A TAX SUFFICIENT TO PAY THE PRINCIPAL OF AN INTEREST ON THE BONDS.”

Proposition G: “THE ISSUANCE OF $40,795,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS FOR PARK AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES AND THE IMPOSITION OF A TAXSUFFICIENT TO PAY THE PRINCIPAL OF AN INTEREST ON THE BONDS.”

At the last council meeting, Anthony Ricciardelli suggested changes to the proposals reducing the total of the proposal from $700,000,000 to the now proposed $647,918,000. These were appropriate changes made and presented some alternatives to increasing the bond obligations yet achieving the goals.

As a concerned and educated citizen, you may want to attend the Plano City Council meeting this coming Monday evening to hear any final discussion connected with the Bond Referendum proposal. You can watch on PlanoTV or You Tube.

Pat Greer, President

March 27, 2025, Plano Citizens’ Coalition meeting

Q&A for Bond Referendum

The meeting March 27th is a roundtable discussion of the proposed Bond Referendum proposals. It will be hosted by Plano Citizens’ Coalition and discussion will be led by members of the Plano City Council. Meeting will be held at Lord of Life Lutheran Church, with details to be announced in our next newsletter.

See you there!

Candidate Forum

April 10, 2025

PCC will also host a candidate forum April 10th, also at Lord of Life Lutheran Church, for voters to vet the municipal candidates running in the May 3rd elections. Details to be announced in our next newsletter.

North Texas Municipal Water District Presentation

With water cost going up, I was glad to attend a presentation sponsored by Food, Drink, Intelligent Conversation in McKinney of the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) from its leader Jenna Covington. It got me thinking and reading more about water needs.

BACKGROUND
NTMWD serves 2.3 million customers in Allen, Farmersville, Forney, Frisco, Garland, McKinney, Mesquite, Plano, Princton, Richardson, Rockwall, Royce City and Wylie. Each community appoints two members to the Board. Plano City Council members appointed Ron Kelley and Phil Dyer.

NTMWD focus is three-pronged, wastewater, solid waste and drinking water for its current customers and for the future customers in these communities. Ms. Covington stated in 2020 it served 2 million while in 2024 (in only an additional 4 years) that number jumped to serve 300,000 additional customers. With the knowledge that Plano is reported to be the 2^nd fastest growing community in the USA, the NTMWD is looking to add water options for the area.

NTMWD is joined by Tarrant Regional Water district, Upper Trinity Water District and City of Dallas to serve the areas water needs.

RATE INCREASES
A 1-billion-dollar ($1,000,000,000.00) budget was set for 2025. Twenty percent of that budget is set apart for repairs of an aging infrastructure while part of the remainder will be used to improve reserves and services.

Governor Abbott is reported to have made Texas water a priority of the 89^th Legislative Session possibly passing 5-billion-dollars from the “reserve” (also known as the Rainy Day fund/surplus) onto water issues.

WATER OPTIONS
It may be possible, says Ms. Covington, that the state would take on the cost of building lakes or reservoirs. I would think that would benefit the local rate payer.

NTMWD, in a public-private venture, established the Joh Bunker Sands Wetland Center in Combine, Texas. The goal, in addition to water reuse and supply, is it’s hoped to become “one of the best fishing lakes in Texas.” Reservoirs are not a quick process. It took 15 years to gain the permits before development.

Ralph Hall Lake is in the permitting process as of November 2006.

Developing Martin Nichols Reservoir in Titus County (in East Texas) located on the Sulphur River. The reservoir has been studied since 1960’s (not a fast process). In 2005 the estimated cost (dam construction and additional costs) was estimated to be $510 million dollars.

Aquifer storage may become an option for NTMWD. With our clay soil this becomes more of a challenge.

Ms. Covington said NTMWD is also exploring purchasing water from other states. The cost of piping that resource is a financial consideration as well as finalizing agreements with the other states.

CONCLUSION
It appears that water is going to continue to be an issue, especially if the Planning and Zoning and the Plano City Council continue to grant multi-family developments within our community. We all want clean, running water and to be able to flush our toilets, but at what cost?

Water is a limited resource, required by all, therefore, water will demand rising costs.

Get ready!

- Cathie Alexander

Collin College Report
by Cathie Alexander, Collin College Board of Trustees

Collin College remains a big driver in our community. Training and educating members of our county from high school scholars to retirees. With economics impacting all our lives, it is wonderful to report Collin College’s Spring enrollment is up 7%. FYI – current enrollment stats: 52% women and 48% men.

Collin College students impact our community in so many ways. Francisco Colina-Salas, a Collin College nursing student, made a stem cell donation during the National Marrow Awareness month that made a big difference. His donation was a life-saving donation.

Collin College is turning 40 years old this year. Come to the scholarship fund raising gala, Stetson and Stiletto Standoff- “Studio 40” to play trivia, enjoy dinner and dancing … like it’s 1985! March 8th, 5 PM. Reserve your ticket at: ow.ly/TncX5OUTr6m.

The mighty Cougar tennis season in underway while basketball is running strong. Both men and women teams play at the Spring Creek campus and so fun to watch! Find the schedule at athletics.collin.ed.

Did you know that YouTube is visiting college and university campuses and posting video online? Well, Colliin College was its first posting. Check it out.

Plano City Council

Get Involved

Serve on a Committee

Policy Committees

These committees are responsible for overseeing policy research and position formulation for our organization for both 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.

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