City Council heard a roomful of opinions and public comments at tonight's meeting related to the proposed annexation of several properties totaling approximately 5.9 square miles of land in the northwest sector of the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction—or land outside the city limits it is legally allowed to incorporate.

Of the proposed properties, approximately 3,500 acres are agricultural exempt and have the opportunity to sign an agricultural annexation agreement. The agreement, which includes agricultural, wildlife management or timber land, provides landowners with an ad valorem tax exemption status, according to city documents. Landowners who sign this agreement will not be annexed for up to 10 years. Those who do not sign the agreement will be annexed immediately should council approve the annexation on Nov. 15.

"[City staff] set a date of Nov. 1st for the agreements to be completed and signed," Grimes said in an email. "The agreements must be done by the date of the annexation vote, if approved, by Nov. 15."

All landowners will be given the option to sign a non-agricultural development agreement or agricultural annexation agreement before the city moves forward with an involuntary annexation, City Manager Paul Grimes said in a previous interview with Community Impact Newspaper. The non-agricultural development agreement would give landowners a three-year tax reimbursement.

Some concerns expressed by those who attended tonight's council meeting were concerned with land uses changing if their land were to be annexed into the city.

Land use would not change for anything currently and legally on the property, Jennifer Arnold, honorary planning manager with city of McKinney, said during a presentation at tonight's meeting. As long as the use is legal and has been legally permitted, the uses can remain, she added.

A second public hearing on the proposed annexation will take place at 6 p.m. Oct. 17 at 2300 Bloomdale Road, McKinney. A third public hearing will take place Oct. 25 at noon at 2910 Nature Nate Farm, McKinney. Council will vote on the proposed annexation Nov. 15.