McKinney | March 2023

CITY & SCHOOLS

News from McKinney ISD, McKinney & Collin College

HIGHLIGHTS COLLIN COLLEGE Collin

District names lone superintendent nalist

Council rearms strategic goals

Council OKs multifamily aordable housing site

COUNCIL GOALS

College’s tuition will stay at $62 per credit hour for in-district students through the fall. The Collin College board of trustees voted to maintain the district’s tuition rates during its Feb. 28 meeting. The college has the lowest in- district tuition rates in the state, according to a news release from Collin College. Trustees also voted to extend President Neil Matkin’s contract through Aug. 31, 2026. Matkin has served as the college’s president since April 6, 2015. McKinney City Council meets at 6 p.m. April 4 and 18 at McKinney City Hall, 222 N. Tennessee St., McKinney. www.mckinneytexas.org Collin County Commissioners Court meets at 1:30 p.m. March 27, and April 3, 10, 17 and 24 at the Jack Hatchell Administration Building, 2300 Bloomdale Road, McKinney. www.collincountytx.gov McKinney ISD board of trustees meets at 6 p.m. March 28 and April 25 at MISD Stadium, 4201 S. Hardin Blvd., McKinney. | www.mckinneyisd.net MEETINGS WE COVER

BY RILEY FARRELL

BY SHELBIE HAMILTON

city operations, nancially secure government and quality of life. Council Member Charlie Philips suggested the city add expanding technology and related infrastructure into its strategic goals. Council Member Patrick Cloutier also suggested council have more joint meetings with city boards and commissions in the coming year. The joint meetings would help to ensure the various boards are resonating with council’s goals, Cloutier said.

McKinney City Council continued its conversation of its goals and strategies for scal year 2022-23. • Direction for strategic and economic growth • Operational excellence • Maximize the development potential of McKinney National Airport • Financially sound government • Enhance the quality of life in McKinney • Safe and secure community

MCKINNEY ISD Shawn Pratt has been named the lone nalist for superintendent. The board appointed Pratt as the lone nalist with a 6-1 vote during its Feb. 28 board meet- ing. Board Member Chad Green opposed the appointment. Pratt has served as MISD’s assistant superinten- dent of student activities, health and safety, since 2020. Pratt also has worked in various positions in the district for almost 30 years, including his 11-year tenure as athletic director. “I am deeply honored and incredibly grateful to serve the McKinney ISD community as superinten- dent,” Pratt said in a district statement. “MISD has exceptional students, teachers, administrators and board members, and I consider it a true privilege to lead the MISD family.” After nearly eight years as the superintendent, Rick McDaniel announced his retirement on Dec. 2. McDaniel’s retirement will go into eect at the end of the school year. “We are focusing on safety and academic excel- lence,” Board President Amy Dankel said. “He is the perfect person to lead us.” There were 26 applicants for this position, Board Vice President Philip Hassler said.

MCKINNEY City Council reviewed and amended its strategic goals at a Feb. 17 work session, adding tech- nology as a priority for the city and rearming goals set in 2022. The annual meeting, moderated by city consultant Doug Thomas, is used to review and identify council’s strategic goals for policymaking, City Manager Paul Grimes said. The strategic goals outline a variety of city and community topics, including

BY SHELBIE HAMILTON

MCKINNEY A multifamily-style aordable hous- ing project is coming to the city after a rezoning request was approved by City Council at a March 7 meeting. The project is being developed by Dallas-based developer Palladium USA and will oer 172 multifamily units all priced for applicants that make 60% or less of the area’s median income, according to a presentation at the meeting. The project, located at the northeast corner of Virginia Parkway and Carlisle Street, will include a four- story development on about 5 acres of land. The rezoning request focused on increasing the allowed number of units per acre of land. Under the city’s current code, the developer is allowed 30 units per acre, but the developer requested to raise that allowance to 34 units per acre, said Bob Roeder, the project applicant’s representative.

“[Pratt’s] passion, his leadership and [the] trust [he] established with all district sta [and] employ- ees over [his] years of service, in my mind, makes this a no-brainer,” Hassler said. Green opposed Pratt’s appointment as the lone candidate for superintendent, because Pratt’s strategic plan did not match his “vision,” the board member said. Trustees must give public notice of the nalist at least 21 days before the date of the meeting in which the nal action or vote is taken. The 21-day notice took eect Feb. 28. Shawn Pratt’s career in McKinney ISD education spans 30 years, including as athletic director and assistant superintendent of student activities, health and safety. COURTESY MCKINNEY ISD

SOURCE: CITY OF MCKINNEYCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Citywide open access broadband network coming to McKinney

BY SHELBIE HAMILTON

in the project, according to a meeting presentation. The network will oer 10 gigabit symmetrical broadband service to residents, businesses and other facilities through an open access ber network. The network implementation requires no hard cost outlay from the city, McKinney Director of Strategic Services Trevor

Minyard said. “This [network] is operationalized in a ber to the premises model, meaning that every premises, address in the city of McKinney would receive ber to its sidewalk,” Minyard said. The network is expected to take between 12 and 24 months to design and another 60 months to build.

MCKINNEY An open access broad- band network is planned for the city, according to a presentation at a Feb. 7 City Council work session. SiFi Networks, a privately-owned telecom company that specializes in citywide ber optic networks, is expected to invest over $100 million

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