Local · Trusted · Free
The Morning Impact — your neighborhood's most important stories, delivered every morning.
Plano City Council has approved its first drainage utility rate increase since 2020 to fund citywide erosion control projects and cover rising infrastructure costs.
Council members adopted the ordinance at an Oct. 27 meeting, raising municipal drainage rates to help pay for these projects and cover costs tied to the city’s municipal drainage revenue bonds.
The new rates took effect Nov. 1, Director of Budget and Research Karen Rhodes-Whitley said.
What you need to know
Rhodes-Whitley said previously that the city needs to increase the rates, whether or not it funds the additional projects, due to increased costs and growing project demands.
The new rates are expected to generate $1.67 million in additional revenue, according to city documents.
Plano began addressing erosion concerns after a 2022 citywide study identified more than 3,000 locations with varying levels of erosion. Of those, 42 locations were deemed “critical,” requiring an estimated $10 million in repairs.
Director of Engineering Caleb Thornhill said previously that projects at those sites are expected to begin over the next three years. The 42 sites include 32 city-owned areas, one homeowners association property and nine private sites.
Zooming in
City staff estimate that another 604 locations with erosion assessments between critical to medium will cost approximately $150 million in repairs, with private residential locations costing $29.6 million.
Many creeks in Plano are maintained by nearby homeowners or neighborhood HOAs, except for some areas owned by Plano.
To address erosion on private property, owners must grant property rights to the city and pay a flat fee—$10,000 for residential or HOA sites and $20,000 for nonresidential sites.
City Manager Mark Israelson said previously that the city’s approach may shift as projects move forward, especially as resident participation is required for private property repairs.
