Green, Healthy and Sustainable In McKinney
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by Sheila Julson
cKinney is not only among the top 10 fastest-growing cities in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex region, but also in the United States. The 2022 population is 206,654, up 26,849 just since 2018 (McKinneyTexas. org/294/demographics-census-reports). The median income is $90,725. Thirty-one percent of residents have bachelor’s degrees, and 15 percent have graduate-level education. With a diverse and educated populace, McKinney is home to a mix of employers in the scientific, manufacturing and healthcare sectors. Wistron Green Tech, Tenant Tracker Inc., Encore Wire, Traxxas and Brandon Industries are all based in McKinney. Mayor George Fuller affirms that the city’s brand, “Unique by Nature” gives a nod to the natural beauty of the city. “McKinney is a beautiful community made up of gently rolling hills, natural streams and full of majestic mature trees,” he says. “Our residents care
deeply about protecting these open spaces. In our most recent citizen survey, 95 percent of residents said creating and preserving open spaces is the most important priority to protect our high quality of life.” Fuller adds that last fall McKinney residents put these words into action: a crew of volunteers planted 800 seedlings and 870 young trees near Wilson Creek. “This will positively impact the environment and help protect the crucial drinking water supply to Lavon Lake, which serves clean water to two million North Texas residents.” Both longtime and newer residents show community spirit through volunteer efforts that honor McKinney’s legacy. This has led to a budding arts and cultural district, verdant outdoor space and an extensive parks system. Dedication to historic preservation is prominent throughout the city, as evidenced by its historic downtown square. The city of McKinney’s environmental education division provides outreach about resi-
dential recycling and water conservation. “We place a high value on green initiatives and sustainability in McKinney, and these have long been important to our residents,” says Environmental Services Manager Eric Hopes. “There are a variety of programs and services that we offer to make it easy for our residents to participate in protecting our planet.” The city offers curbside pickup for recycling as part of their weekly trash services. Assistant City Manager Steve Tilton says the city is developing a 20-year master plan for refuse and recycling. “This will focus on identifying best practices in the industry we can incorporate into our next refuse and recycling contract that expires in 2024,” he explains. “We are taking a deep look into the latest technologies and potential partnerships with other communities to ensure we are maximizing our potential for increased sustainability.” The recycling program is supported by Trash Talk, the city’s successful and award-winning trash and recycling campaign series on social media. The series revolves around a family sharing quick trash and recycling tips in humorous ways. Denise Lessard, communications and media manager for the city of McKinney, says the engaging videos resonate with people and show them that it doesn’t take a lot of effort to make simple, small changes to their habits that make a huge environmental impact. Seminars and classes throughout the year educate residents on ways to be environmentally conscious. Topics vary from building a rain barrel to planting native and adaptive plants. The McKinney Monarch Initiative helps preserve the declining monarch butterfly population through 25 action items that include co-hosting native plant sales through partnerships with Collin County Master Gardeners and the Heard Museum. Kids’ programs feature Take Care of Texas, with an array of educational resources for parents and teachers to help instill green habits in children.
June 2022
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