Rick Horne
Plano City Council - Place 3
Website
Email:
Education
BS Chemistry
Questionnaire Responses
What are the highlights of your current and past civic involvement including public offices held or sought?
Plano Balloon Festival Board of Directors (10 years - 4 years as Chairman)/ supported and contributed $1.5M to over 450 local non-profits during that time span
Plano Parks and Recreation Board (6 years - 3 years as Chairman)/reviewed and approved plans for the new Jack Carter Pool: Jack Carter fully accessible playground; expansion of Carpenter Recreation Center and fields; procurement of land that became Windhaven Park and expansion of the Veterans Memorial Plano
Planning and Zoning Commission (3 years - 1 year as 1st Vice Chair)/collaborated and approved the 2021 Comprehensive Plan; approved Haggard West Development; approved development of Assembly Hall, rejected approval of zoning change from single family residence to muti-family for property north of Oak Point Park; reviewed and provided recommendations on transportation plans.
Plano Rotary Club (12 years - Past President)/started Sam's Gift - a summer food drive in honor of late Rep. Sam Johnson
Usher Captain - Christ Church (19 years)
Team Leader Extreme Encounter (17 years)/ taking men to the mountains of Colorado to enjoy His majesty and share fellowship.
Youth Baseball Coach (12 years)
Youth Soccer Coach (6 years)
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Why are you running, and what in your past prepare you for a position on the council?
We have important issues in Plano now. We need to keep taxes low as people battle inflation from every other direction. We need to keep crime low and support our first responders. Having a servant heart (Rotarian for 12 years) and having served on Parks and Recreation Board and Planning and Zoning Commission, when Rick Grady’s term limit came up this year, I felt this was a good time. After speaking at length with Rick and other council members and the current and past mayors, and through thoughtful prayer and discussion with family members I decided to take on this challenge. I want to make sure Plano is a welcoming, vibrant community that embraces both large and small businesses.
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Should Plano regulate short term rentals? Please explain your selection above with respect to short term rentals in Plano.
Yes. The city of Plano currently does not have a policy on short term rentals. The City was somewhat caught off guard with the growth in STRs within the City. Right now as it stands, the City is taking a cautious approach in developing an ordinance that will stem the growth of STR. That includes implementing a temporary ban on new applications so we can continue to assess how many STRs are currently in the City. The City recognizes the property rights issues with homeowners and the rulings from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals (Hignell-Stark vs City of New Orleans). The current plan is to work with the City's Planning and Zoning Commission to and City Attorney to develop an ordinance that regulates STRs. The City also is strengthening the nuisance ordinance with the possibility that if the police are called to STR property two times, their permit will be revoked.
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How can the city of Plano provide for more affordable housing for its residents?
Plano has experienced significant growth in the past 20 years attracting major large businesses to the community. Unfortunately, being land locked, residential development has not kept pace with the commercial growth. The employment growth tied to the land constraint has placed an economic burden on home ownership, hence the significant rise in home values. This results in a lack of starter and affordable housing for the workforce. So, we should encourage developers to examine the Residential Community Design within the 2021 Comprehensive Plan that allows for smaller homes on smaller lots, making somewhat affordable to first time home buyers.
As for those live at or below the area median income levels, the City should work with the Plano Housing Authority to develop housing which they can afford. But, the City must review the term (length) of the agreements for reasonableness. The 75 year terms we are seeing in Dallas are unreasonable to me. To take that property off the tax rolls for that length of time is unfair the citizens of Plano.
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Are you in favor of accepting HUD funding do deal with the unhoused population ?
Yes
What are your priorities in dealing with the unhoused population? What other programs do you plan to support?
Work with Plano Housing Authority to find reasonable housing for the unhoused.
Do you approve of mixed-use zoning proposals (eg Haggard farm) and what are the key reasons in support of your position?
During my time on Planning and Zoning, I approved the mixed use zoning for Haggard West, Beacon Hill and Assembly Hall. I like the options where residents can work, shop and play within walking distance of where they live.
In 2019, a group of city council members tried to defund the the Buffington Grant for the Turning Point Rape Crisis Center, do you agree to support the city's grant to Turning Point?
Yes, I agree to support the Turning Point Rape Crisis Center.
Do you agree to support the city of Plano’s Equal Rights Ordinance?
Yes
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The city of Plano recently settled a lawsuit over its development plan Plano Tomorrow. Do you agree with the direction development of the city is taking? What would you change?
Though I do not agree with the decision to abandon the Plano Tomorrow Plan (which won an award), while serving on P&Z, I reviewed and collaborated with the Comprehensive Plan Review Committee and my fellow Commissioners to come up with the 2021 Comprehensive Plan that was approved unanimously by the CPRC, P&Z and finally City Council. I like the plan, the transparency, the availability of the plan to the public (web site) and the to amend the plan as needed.
What is the single greatest asset of Plano? How would you promote and preserve it?The people who live here. They are smart, they care about their community, and they are diverse.