Plano City Council approves $6.94M construction contract for 15th Street upgrades
15th Street is the latest East Plano roadway set for construction work after officials approved an upcoming reconstruction project.
What you need to know: At an Aug. 25 meeting, Plano City Council members approved a $6.939 million reconstruction contract with Ratliff Hardscape, Ltd., for upgrades to 15th Street.
The project will stretch from Municipal Avenue to Jupiter Road and will focus primarily on removing and replacing pavement, sidewalks and water lines, according to city documents.
Construction is estimated to start in August and wrap up in September 2027, according to Plano’s community investment program report.
Looking ahead: City Council also approved a $197,508 contract for materials testing with Raba Kistner, Inc., for the reconstruction project.
Plano officials OK $2.59M intersection improvements along Legacy, Corporate drives
Plano residents can expect to see more road work in west Plano after city officials approved a construction contract for upcoming intersection improvements.
The details: Improvements will primarily focus on adding additional turn lanes or extending existing lanes, according to city documents. Construction is estimated to start in September and wrap up next June, according to Plano’s community investment program report.
North Texas psychiatrist shares insights into adolescent mental health, wellness
As students return to school, North Texas Salience Health psychiatrist Dr. Shanila Shagufta said it's important for parents to look for signs of mental health challenges in children and teens.
The context: One in five adolescents experience mental health challenges—emotional, mental, or behavioral—in any given year, Shagufta said, a figure confirmed by the U.S. Center for Disease Control. Salience Health, which offers mental health treatments, has locations in Frisco, Allen, Dallas, McKinney and Plano, according to its website. A new location is planned to open in Southlake at the end of August.
Put in perspective: There are two primary diagnoses seen in adolescents—anxiety and depression—Shagufta said. A significant contributing factor to this mental health crisis is that many social interactions now occur on virtual platforms and some young people struggle to develop social skills in that setting, Shagufta said.
Collin County commissioners have adopted an annual budget for the next fiscal year including more than $341 million in general fund expenditures. The county leaders also opted to maintain the county’s existing tax rate.
Commissioners at an Aug. 25 meeting adopted a $598.7 million budget for fiscal year 2025-26, with County Judge Chris Hill and Commissioner Cheryl Williams voting against adopting the total tax rate as well as maintenance and operations portion of the tax rate, and Hill also voting against adopting the interest and sinking portion of the tax rate.
The gist: County commissioners voted to maintain the FY 2024-25 property tax rate of $0.149343 per $100 valuation. Adoption of the new rate marks the 33rd year without a tax rate increase in Collin County, according to a presentation at the meeting.
Diving in deeper: Part of the budget includes position changes in the sheriff’s office and jail, county officials said at the meeting. The jail will see 60 positions added, while 20 others were removed from the sheriff's administration staff.
