Building A Sustainable McKinney

1
Building A Sustainable McKinney

• To Protect and Enhance our Quality of Life
• Frank Ragan
• Presentation to McKinney City Council March 12,
  2009

2
Whats happening now in McKinney?

• Unprecedented population growth grown more in
  this decade than previous 150 years combined
• Economy is becoming increasingly diverse, i.e.,
  more retail, stronger defense industry presence,
  health sector growth, industrial sector
  strengthening, increasing green businesses
• Streams are eroding areas are becoming more
  flood prone due to impervious surfaces trees,
  vegetation wildlife habitat are being removed
  landfills are filling, air quality is getting
  worse, etc.
• Water is becoming scarcer and more expensive.

3
What will happen?

• Region is projected to grow by a million/7 yrs.
• Water supplies, if existing practices to provide
  and use are maintained, will dry up.
• Retail growth will diversify in short term, but
  increasing internet sales will offset most of
  gains.
• I-75 121 will initially handle capacity, but
  will run out of capacity in the not too distant
  future.
• Pollution levels will increase, unless CA type
  regulations are put in place, feds regulate
  minimum gas mileage and alternative fuels on new
  vehicles.
• Increasing reliance on business/industry
  automation, not people, for efficiency, profits
  and services.

4
What Can We Do Today To Help Mitigate These
Issues and Others?

• Become a more sustainable community.
• But what is sustainability?
• A mindset, a paradigm shift, a way of life, a
  belief system, a way of planningall of above
• Sustainability is much more than environmental
  protection, it is equally focused on
  economic/fiscal sustenance and development, and
  social capacity stability.
• It is a balancing act to make certain that our
  actions, policies, and practices do not diminish
  our capacity and resources such that our future
  quality of life is placed in jeopardy.
• It helps better insure a good future for us, our
  children, their children

5
We Are Doing Many Things Right

• Recycling and it will be improved with MF and
  business regulations. A LEED-certified new
  recycling plant was negotiated with new contract.
• Mandatory watering restrictions and recent
  decision to a tiered rate structure will help
  conserve.
• Testing new turf with AM for potential use on
  new turf areas (50 less water)
• New drought tolerant demonstration garden
• A community advisory green committee
• A dedicated point person, to work with community
  businesses to put a collaborative,
  implementation plan in place

6
And a Good Many More Things

• Recruiting green businesses via MEDC Chamber
• New ad-hoc committee to look at incubating /or
  recruiting green research jobs
• Purchase of hybrid vehicles and exploration of
  alternative fuel options
• No idling ordinance
• Advocating for mass transit and passenger rail
• Traffic signal timing
• Changing out lighting and HVAC with highly
  efficient systems
• Tree Preservation Ordinance (enhancements needed)
• Stream stabilization
• Lake desiltation

7
What Can Be Gained?

• Access to federal dollars, i.e., alternative
  fuels, energy, jobs, research, etc. Follow the
  Money
• Ability to incentivize economic development
  redevelopment, exp., Hwy. 5 corridor with mixed
  use, i.e., jobs, housing, shopping (all
  walkable).
• Greater diversity of retail and jobs making the
  community more recession-proof. (Much of the
  economy is not suffering, but thriving, at this
  time).
• Will improve our air quality, cool the heat,
  increase the beauty, create more wildlife
  habitat, become more walkable and
  bicycle-friendly
• We will feel prouder about our community, who we
  are what we stand for.
• We will become one of the very best communities
  in the country in which to live.

8
How Do We Do It?

• We make sustainability an overarching mantra
  under which all other goals objectives must
  take into consideration.
• When we budget, we think about sustainable
  programs, not fly by night, knee jerk responses
  to issues or problems
• When we plan, we plan to last, i.e., to conserve
  our resources, to maintain enhance our beauty,
  to sustain our economy, and to protect our
  neighborhoods.
• When we think and act, we put the community its
  values firstevery time, and not as an
  afterthought or as a façade or rationale to a
  decision.

9
What Will the Result Be?

• A community that grows the right way with
• a thriving economy,
• a great education system,
• safe, stable neighborhoods,
• beautiful streets, parks and open space
• transportation systems that are safe, work well
  offer pollution-reducing alternatives
• a great variety of living wage jobs with benefits
• a protected history enhanced cultural
  opportunities AND
• an informed and involved community with increased
  capacity for leadership and volunteerism

10
It Does Not Matter If

• You are democrat, republican, independent,
  libertarian, conservative, liberal, or
• Do not like Al Gore
• You do not believe in global warming,
• Do not have asthma or breathing problems,
• You are tired of hearing about green or do not
  know what it means

11
It Does Matter If

• You love the beauty of McKinney
• You like the good, home town feel of McKinney
• You want to take advantage of money
  opportunities that are being made available now
  and into the future
• You want to preserve the history, character,
  safety and infrastructure of the city,
  particularly old McKinney
• You want transportation to work 20 years from now
• You like clean air, water and open space
• You want the City of McKinney to walk the talk
  Unique by Nature and make it clear what it
  means
• You care about what your children and
  grandchildren will inherit.

12
Please remember Sustainability

• Is about balancing, protecting and enhancing our
  communitys quality of life, i.e.,
• Social (S)
• Economic (E)
• Environmental (E)
• For present and future generations
• S.E.E. McKinney Grow!