Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SR288 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 288
2	2	WHEREAS, Residents from Collin County are gathering at the
3	3	State Capitol on March 2 and 3, 2015, to celebrate Collin County
4	4	Days, and this event provides an opportunity to pay tribute to
5	5	its many prosperous communities; and
6	6	WHEREAS, Collin County is one of the largest and
7	7	fastest-growing counties in the state; more than 90 percent of
8	8	its workforce over the age of 25 holds a high school diploma and
9	9	about half has earned at least a bachelor's degree; such highly
10	10	skilled workers also make the county a leader in job growth; and
11	11	WHEREAS, Plano is the largest city in the county and home
12	12	to such major companies as Frito-Lay, J. C. Penney Company,
13	13	Incorporated, Ericsson, H. P. Enterprise Services, and Dr Pepper
14	14	Snapple Group, Incorporated; Toyota has established its North
15	15	American headquarters in Plano, as has Hilti Corporation; cited
16	16	as one of the top 10 best cities in which to find a job, Plano has
17	17	also been named one of the Best Run Cities in America by 24/7 Wall
18	18	St.; this thriving municipality boasts nationally recognized
19	19	schools, award-winning parks, a lively historic downtown
20	20	district, and multicultural neighborhoods that appeal equally to
21	21	families, young singles, and retirees; its excellent
22	22	restaurants, vibrant shopping districts, exciting entertainment
23	23	venues, and active local arts scene all contribute to the city's
24	24	high quality of life; and
25	25	WHEREAS, Home of the Collin County Regional Airport,
26	26	McKinney hosts such major employers as Raytheon Company, Encore
27	27	Wire Corporation, Emerson Process Management, and Torchmark
28	28	Corporation; its historic downtown encompasses more than 130
29	29	boutiques, and it earned the ranking of #1 Best Place to Live 2014
30	30	by Money magazine; and
31	31	WHEREAS, Allen was named among the 10 safest cities in the
32	32	nation in its class for the third time by CQ Press, and it has
33	33	also placed 13th on Money magazine's list of the Best Places to
34	34	Live; the city received the Keep Texas Beautiful Governor's
35	35	Community Award for its environmental efforts, and its residents
36	36	are proud of the 2014 6A Division 1 high school football
37	37	champions, the Allen Eagles; and
38	38	WHEREAS, Defining "Progress in Motion," Frisco is the
39	39	second-fastest growing city in the country and the
40	40	fastest-growing community over the past decade, according to the
41	41	United States census bureau; it has maintained its quality of
42	42	life amid rapid development, and the Dallas Morning News named
43	43	Frisco among its top 10 suburbs for schools, safety, families
44	44	with children, young adults, empty nesters, and "Best Overall"
45	45	neighborhoods; known for top-notch public safety services, the
46	46	city received the highest rating for fire protection, and it
47	47	enjoys one of the lowest crime rates, as well as low taxes; this
48	48	once-small town is home to Collin College, world-class venues,
49	49	and four professional sports teams, with another on the way;
50	50	active residents have access to 49 parks, 86 miles of trails, and
51	51	an athletic center featuring an outdoor water park; health care
52	52	facilities include three hospitals, and the favorable business
53	53	climate supports more than nine million square feet of retail and
54	54	restaurants; among the cultural amenities are two museums and
55	55	hundreds of public and private art installations displayed
56	56	throughout Frisco's 72-square-mile area; and
57	57	WHEREAS, The City of Wylie, Wylie Independent School
58	58	District, Wylie Chamber of Commerce, and Wylie Economic
59	59	Development Corporation work in concert to build a strong
60	60	community that strives to honor the past, embrace the present,
61	61	and plan for the future, while valuing unity, relationships, and
62	62	trust, as evidenced by a recent report naming Wylie the
63	63	second-best small city in the country in which to raise a family;
64	64	Wylie fosters a spirit of cooperation, and with a thriving
65	65	business environment and outstanding schools, it is a place
66	66	people treasure and proudly call home; and
67	67	WHEREAS, Richardson is the home of The University of Texas
68	68	at Dallas and the Telecom Corridor; it has been recognized by the
69	69	Texas Legislature as the official International Business Capital
70	70	of North Texas and is the second largest employment center in the
71	71	Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex; more than 10,000 people will soon be
72	72	employed at the CityLine development by KDC, which includes State
73	73	Farm's new regional campus and Raytheon's Intelligence
74	74	Information and Services unit; welcoming numerous visitors, the
75	75	city hosts the Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival, the largest
76	76	such event in North Texas, and the Cottonwood Art Festival, one
77	77	of the top outdoor arts festivals in the nation; and
78	78	WHEREAS, The city of Murphy, an affluent residential
79	79	community in southeastern Collin County, has maintained its
80	80	designation as a top 10 Best Suburb by D Magazine since the
81	81	inception of the ratings; Murphy boasts over 219 acres of
82	82	parkland, and it has rich community programs along with a
83	83	culturally diverse, highly educated population of over 20,000;
84	84	exciting new businesses have joined an engaging business
85	85	community, and residents take pride in the city's ranking as the
86	86	third-safest city in North Texas and the fifth safest in the
87	87	state; and
88	88	WHEREAS, Recognized by D Magazine as a top 10 suburb,
89	89	Prosper issued more than 550 single-family housing permits in
90	90	2014, and it has a billion-dollar mixed-use development in the
91	91	works; it is home to several top housing developers, including
92	92	Blue Star Development, LandPlan, and Terra Verde Group;
93	93	Prosper's citizens have passed a $710 million bond package for
94	94	their public schools, which have maintained academic excellence
95	95	while experiencing a growth in enrollment of 50 percent over the
96	96	last three years; the city's outstanding police department
97	97	offers such community outreach and crime prevention programs as
98	98	Citizens on Patrol, the Citizens Police Academy, and Prosper
99	99	Community Watch, among others; and
100	100	WHEREAS, One of two platinum-level Scenic Cities in Texas,
101	101	Fairview has been recognized as a Tree City USA and earned a 2012
102	102	Growing Green Cities Award; the city is home to the first street
103	103	in Texas illuminated by LED lighting and is a three-time
104	104	recipient of the Texas Municipal League Municipal Excellence
105	105	Award; the city's Veterans' Park has been recognized with a
106	106	Patriotic Achievement Award from the Military Order of the World
107	107	Wars; and
108	108	WHEREAS, The crossroads of the developing transportation
109	109	corridor in northern Collin County, Celina is growing rapidly
110	110	while retaining its respect for the traditional values of family
111	111	and heritage; its school district is rich in academic and
112	112	athletic achievement, with the Celina Bobcats earning pride of
113	113	place as the winners of eight state football championships; and
114	114	WHEREAS, Since its incorporation in 1959, Lucas has
115	115	embraced its serene rural lifestyle, which creates a high quality
116	116	of life for its citizens; it is a country oasis of spacious homes,
117	117	small ranches, and farms, with 25 miles of trails for horses and
118	118	pedestrians along Lake Lavon; the focus on wildlife habitat
119	119	preservation has made it the perfect home for the Blackland
120	120	Prairie Raptor Center; moreover, quality schools and a vibrant
121	121	residential market keep Lucas family friendly; the city's
122	122	emphasis on financial stability and transparency has earned it
123	123	the Certificate in Achievement for Excellence in Financial
124	124	Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association,
125	125	along with the Texas Comptroller's Leadership Circle Platinum
126	126	Award and an AA+ bond rating; enhancing the safety of the public,
127	127	the City of Lucas Fire Department provides emergency medical
128	128	services; the department continues to benefit from volunteerism,
129	129	and the community is justly known as a small city with a big
130	130	heart; and
131	131	WHEREAS, The citizens of Parker are proud to be living in D
132	132	Magazine's number two suburb in the DFW Metroplex, and they also
133	133	enjoy a low municipal tax rate, as well as a AAA bond rating; the
134	134	residents number about 4,000, and they cherish their uniquely
135	135	"country" lifestyle; characterized by its large lots and
136	136	comfortable atmosphere, Parker is known to millions of
137	137	television viewers as the home of the legendary Southfork Ranch
138	138	from Dallas; and
139	139	WHEREAS, One of the fastest-growing cities in the
140	140	Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, the city of Anna is a
141	141	family-friendly community with hometown appeal; its residents
142	142	enjoy an unhurried and friendly atmosphere, with safe
143	143	neighborhoods, excellent schools, and access to many urban
144	144	amenities; local businesses benefit from affordable real estate,
145	145	a low cost of doing business, a well-educated workforce, an
146	146	active chamber of commerce, and dedicated consumers; and
147	147	WHEREAS, Farmersville, located 15 miles east of McKinney,
148	148	took its name from the primary occupation of its original
149	149	residents; established in 1849 as a settlement on the
150	150	Jefferson-McKinney Road and near the Republic of Texas National
151	151	Road, the town was incorporated in 1873; agriculture kept pace as
152	152	it became a trade center, and in the 1930s, Farmersville shipped
153	153	over 1,000 carloads of onions annually, earning the nickname
154	154	"Onion Capital of North Texas"; the city may be best known for
155	155	native son Audie Murphy, who listed Farmersville as his hometown
156	156	when he enlisted in the army during WWII and returned home to a
157	157	hero's welcome in 1945; he had earned every army citation for
158	158	valor, was a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor, and
159	159	was posthumously awarded the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor;
160	160	Farmersville has a nationally recognized Main Street Program,
161	161	with many historic downtown buildings, eateries, and shopping
162	162	attractions; near the restored Onion Shed is the trailhead for
163	163	the 130-mile Northeast Texas Trail, a beautiful site for walking,
164	164	hiking, and bicycling; and
165	165	WHEREAS, Other communities add much to Collin County's
166	166	allure; the growing community of Blue Ridge is committed to
167	167	revitalizing its downtown, while the people of Josephine are
168	168	proud of their active volunteer fire department, which not only
169	169	protects the community but hosts such popular annual events as
170	170	the Easter egg hunt and the Christmas parade; and
171	171	WHEREAS, Also contributing to the development of Collin
172	172	County are the citizens of Copeville, Lavon, Lowry Crossing,
173	173	Melissa, Nevada, New Hope, Princeton, Royse City, Sachse, Saint
174	174	Paul, Westminster, and Weston, along with parts of Dallas and
175	175	Garland, and those communities play an important part in the
176	176	county's flourishing, diversified economy and its quality of
177	177	life; and
178	178	WHEREAS, The citizens of this notable North Texas county
179	179	are working to preserve the best of their past even as they look
180	180	forward to a bright and promising future, and they are sure to figure
181	181	prominently in the growth and prosperity of the Lone Star State
182	182	in the years ahead; now, therefore, be it
183	183	RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 84th
184	184	Legislature, hereby recognize March 2 and 3, 2015, as Collin
185	185	County Days at the State Capitol and extend sincere best wishes
186	186	to the visiting delegation for an informative and enjoyable visit
187	187	to Austin.
188	188	Taylor of Collin, Estes
189	189	________________________________
190	190	President of the Senate
191	191	I hereby certify that the
192	192	above Resolution was adopted by
193	193	the Senate on March 2, 2015.
194	194	________________________________
195	195	Secretary of the Senate
196	196	________________________________
197	197	Member, Texas Senate
198	198	________________________________
199	199	Member, Texas Senate