Bill Text: TX SB2258 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Relating to the creation of the Clear Sky Municipal Utility District of Denton County; granting a limited power of eminent domain; providing authority to issue bonds; providing authority to impose assessments, fees, and taxes.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-05-21 - Recommendations filed with the Senate [SB2258 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB2258-Comm_Sub.html
By: Springer | S.B. No. 2258 | |
(In the Senate - Filed May 13, 2021; May 14, 2021, read | ||
first time and referred to Committee on Local Government; | ||
May 19, 2021, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 9, | ||
Nays 0; May 19, 2021, sent to printer.) | ||
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relating to the creation of the Clear Sky Municipal Utility | ||
District of Denton County; granting a limited power of eminent | ||
domain; providing authority to issue bonds; providing authority to | ||
impose assessments, fees, and taxes. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subtitle F, Title 6, Special District Local Laws | ||
Code, is amended by adding Chapter 7948A to read as follows: | ||
CHAPTER 7948A. CLEAR SKY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT OF DENTON | ||
COUNTY | ||
SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS | ||
Sec. 7948A.0101. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: | ||
(1) "Board" means the district's board of directors. | ||
(2) "Commission" means the Texas Commission on | ||
Environmental Quality. | ||
(3) "Director" means a board member. | ||
(4) "District" means the Clear Sky Municipal Utility | ||
District of Denton County. | ||
Sec. 7948A.0102. NATURE OF DISTRICT. The district is a | ||
municipal utility district created under Section 59, Article XVI, | ||
Texas Constitution. | ||
Sec. 7948A.0103. CONFIRMATION AND DIRECTOR ELECTION | ||
REQUIRED. The temporary directors shall hold an election to | ||
confirm the creation of the district and to elect five permanent | ||
directors as provided by Section 49.102, Water Code. | ||
Sec. 7948A.0104. CONSENT OF MUNICIPALITY REQUIRED. The | ||
temporary directors may not hold an election under Section | ||
7948A.0103 until each municipality in whose corporate limits or | ||
extraterritorial jurisdiction the district is located has | ||
consented by ordinance or resolution to the creation of the | ||
district and to the inclusion of land in the district. | ||
Sec. 7948A.0105. FINDINGS OF PUBLIC PURPOSE AND BENEFIT. | ||
(a) The district is created to serve a public purpose and benefit. | ||
(b) The district is created to accomplish the purposes of: | ||
(1) a municipal utility district as provided by | ||
general law and Section 59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution; and | ||
(2) Section 52, Article III, Texas Constitution, that | ||
relate to the construction, acquisition, improvement, operation, | ||
or maintenance of macadamized, graveled, or paved roads, or | ||
improvements, including storm drainage, in aid of those roads. | ||
Sec. 7948A.0106. INITIAL DISTRICT TERRITORY. (a) The | ||
district is initially composed of the territory described by | ||
Section 2 of the Act enacting this chapter. | ||
(b) The boundaries and field notes contained in Section 2 of | ||
the Act enacting this chapter form a closure. A mistake made in the | ||
field notes or in copying the field notes in the legislative process | ||
does not affect the district's: | ||
(1) organization, existence, or validity; | ||
(2) right to issue any type of bond for the purposes | ||
for which the district is created or to pay the principal of and | ||
interest on a bond; | ||
(3) right to impose a tax; or | ||
(4) legality or operation. | ||
SUBCHAPTER B. BOARD OF DIRECTORS | ||
Sec. 7948A.0201. GOVERNING BODY; TERMS. (a) The district | ||
is governed by a board of five elected directors. | ||
(b) Except as provided by Section 7948A.0202, directors | ||
serve staggered four-year terms. | ||
Sec. 7948A.0202. TEMPORARY DIRECTORS. (a) The temporary | ||
board consists of: | ||
(1) Manolo "Manny" Rios; | ||
(2) David "Mike" Boswell; | ||
(3) Ronald Eric Robbins; | ||
(4) Grant Walsh Devlin; and | ||
(5) Demerius "Dee" Seals. | ||
(b) Temporary directors serve until the earlier of: | ||
(1) the date permanent directors are elected under | ||
Section 7948A.0103; or | ||
(2) September 1, 2025. | ||
(c) If permanent directors have not been elected under | ||
Section 7948A.0103 and the terms of the temporary directors have | ||
expired, successor temporary directors shall be appointed or | ||
reappointed as provided by Subsection (d) to serve terms that | ||
expire on the earlier of: | ||
(1) the date permanent directors are elected under | ||
Section 7948A.0103; or | ||
(2) the fourth anniversary of the date of the | ||
appointment or reappointment. | ||
(d) If Subsection (c) applies, the owner or owners of a | ||
majority of the assessed value of the real property in the district | ||
may submit a petition to the commission requesting that the | ||
commission appoint as successor temporary directors the five | ||
persons named in the petition. The commission shall appoint as | ||
successor temporary directors the five persons named in the | ||
petition. | ||
SUBCHAPTER C. POWERS AND DUTIES | ||
Sec. 7948A.0301. GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES. The district | ||
has the powers and duties necessary to accomplish the purposes for | ||
which the district is created. | ||
Sec. 7948A.0302. MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT POWERS AND | ||
DUTIES. The district has the powers and duties provided by the | ||
general law of this state, including Chapters 49 and 54, Water Code, | ||
applicable to municipal utility districts created under Section 59, | ||
Article XVI, Texas Constitution. | ||
Sec. 7948A.0303. AUTHORITY FOR ROAD PROJECTS. Under | ||
Section 52, Article III, Texas Constitution, the district may | ||
design, acquire, construct, finance, issue bonds for, improve, | ||
operate, maintain, and convey to this state, a county, or a | ||
municipality for operation and maintenance macadamized, graveled, | ||
or paved roads, or improvements, including storm drainage, in aid | ||
of those roads. | ||
Sec. 7948A.0304. ROAD STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS. (a) A | ||
road project must meet all applicable construction standards, | ||
zoning and subdivision requirements, and regulations of each | ||
municipality in whose corporate limits or extraterritorial | ||
jurisdiction the road project is located. | ||
(b) If a road project is not located in the corporate limits | ||
or extraterritorial jurisdiction of a municipality, the road | ||
project must meet all applicable construction standards, | ||
subdivision requirements, and regulations of each county in which | ||
the road project is located. | ||
(c) If the state will maintain and operate the road, the | ||
Texas Transportation Commission must approve the plans and | ||
specifications of the road project. | ||
Sec. 7948A.0305. COMPLIANCE WITH MUNICIPAL CONSENT | ||
ORDINANCE OR RESOLUTION. The district shall comply with all | ||
applicable requirements of any ordinance or resolution that is | ||
adopted under Section 54.016 or 54.0165, Water Code, and that | ||
consents to the creation of the district or to the inclusion of land | ||
in the district. | ||
SUBCHAPTER D. GENERAL FINANCIAL PROVISIONS | ||
Sec. 7948A.0401. ELECTIONS REGARDING TAXES OR BONDS. (a) | ||
The district may issue, without an election, bonds and other | ||
obligations secured by: | ||
(1) revenue other than ad valorem taxes; or | ||
(2) contract payments described by Section | ||
7948A.0403. | ||
(b) The district must hold an election in the manner | ||
provided by Chapters 49 and 54, Water Code, to obtain voter approval | ||
before the district may impose an ad valorem tax or issue bonds | ||
payable from ad valorem taxes. | ||
(c) The district may not issue bonds payable from ad valorem | ||
taxes to finance a road project unless the issuance is approved by a | ||
vote of a two-thirds majority of the district voters voting at an | ||
election held for that purpose. | ||
Sec. 7948A.0402. OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE TAX. (a) If | ||
authorized at an election held under Section 7948A.0401, the | ||
district may impose an operation and maintenance tax on taxable | ||
property in the district in accordance with Section 49.107, Water | ||
Code. | ||
(b) The board shall determine the tax rate. The rate may not | ||
exceed the rate approved at the election. | ||
Sec. 7948A.0403. CONTRACT TAXES. (a) In accordance with | ||
Section 49.108, Water Code, the district may impose a tax other than | ||
an operation and maintenance tax and use the revenue derived from | ||
the tax to make payments under a contract after the provisions of | ||
the contract have been approved by a majority of the district voters | ||
voting at an election held for that purpose. | ||
(b) A contract approved by the district voters may contain a | ||
provision stating that the contract may be modified or amended by | ||
the board without further voter approval. | ||
SUBCHAPTER E. BONDS AND OTHER OBLIGATIONS | ||
Sec. 7948A.0501. AUTHORITY TO ISSUE BONDS AND OTHER | ||
OBLIGATIONS. The district may issue bonds or other obligations | ||
payable wholly or partly from ad valorem taxes, impact fees, | ||
revenue, contract payments, grants, or other district money, or any | ||
combination of those sources, to pay for any authorized district | ||
purpose. | ||
Sec. 7948A.0502. TAXES FOR BONDS. At the time the district | ||
issues bonds payable wholly or partly from ad valorem taxes, the | ||
board shall provide for the annual imposition of a continuing | ||
direct ad valorem tax, without limit as to rate or amount, while all | ||
or part of the bonds are outstanding as required and in the manner | ||
provided by Sections 54.601 and 54.602, Water Code. | ||
Sec. 7948A.0503. BONDS FOR ROAD PROJECTS. At the time of | ||
issuance, the total principal amount of bonds or other obligations | ||
issued or incurred to finance road projects and payable from ad | ||
valorem taxes may not exceed one-fourth of the assessed value of the | ||
real property in the district. | ||
SECTION 2. The Clear Sky Municipal Utility District of | ||
Denton County initially includes all the territory contained in the | ||
following area: | ||
BEING THAT CERTAIN TRACT OF LAND SITUATED IN THE T. CHAMBERS, | ||
ABSTRACT NUMBER 223, AND BEING A PORTION OF A TRACT OF LAND TO | ||
AUBREY 64 NORTH LP, A TEXAS LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, RECORDED IN | ||
INSTRUMENT NUMBER 2020-3173 OF THE OFFICIAL PUBLIC RECORDS OF | ||
DENTON COUNTY, TEXAS, AND BEING MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED BY | ||
METES AND BOUNDS AS FOLLOWS: | ||
BEGINNING AT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF SAID AUBREY 64 NORTH TRACT WITH | ||
A CURVE TO THE LEFT, AN ARC DISTANCE OF 62.71 FEET, THROUGH A | ||
CENTRAL ANGLE OF 00° 40' 50", HAVING A RADIUS OF 5,280.00 FEET, AND A | ||
LONG CHORD WHICH BEARS N 88° 15' 25" W, 62.71 FEET; | ||
THENCE N 88° 35' 50" W, 3237.22 FEET; | ||
THENCE N 01° 32' 58" E, 894.59 FEET; | ||
THENCE S 88° 39' 54" E, 1967.25 FEET; | ||
THENCE S 01° 48' 01" W, 325.45 FEET; | ||
THENCE S 87° 02' 21" E, 447.69 FEET; | ||
THENCE N 89° 38' 44" E, 718.09 FEET; | ||
THENCE S 85° 43' 18" E, 164.97 FEET; | ||
THENCE S 01° 38' 33" W, 65.30 FEET; | ||
THENCE S 01° 13' 27" E, 100.10 FEET; | ||
THENCE S 01° 38' 33" W, 408.13 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING AND | ||
CONTAINING 2,520,613 SQUARE FEET OR 57.865 ACRES OF LAND MORE OR | ||
LESS. | ||
SECTION 3. (a) The legal notice of the intention to | ||
introduce this Act, setting forth the general substance of this | ||
Act, has been published as provided by law, and the notice and a | ||
copy of this Act have been furnished to all persons, agencies, | ||
officials, or entities to which they are required to be furnished | ||
under Section 59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution, and Chapter 313, | ||
Government Code. | ||
(b) The governor, one of the required recipients, has | ||
submitted the notice and Act to the Texas Commission on | ||
Environmental Quality. | ||
(c) The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has filed | ||
its recommendations relating to this Act with the governor, the | ||
lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of | ||
representatives within the required time. | ||
(d) All requirements of the constitution and laws of this | ||
state and the rules and procedures of the legislature with respect | ||
to the notice, introduction, and passage of this Act are fulfilled | ||
and accomplished. | ||
SECTION 4. (a) If this Act does not receive a two-thirds | ||
vote of all the members elected to each house, Subchapter C, Chapter | ||
7948A, Special District Local Laws Code, as added by Section 1 of | ||
this Act, is amended by adding Section 7948A.0306 to read as | ||
follows: | ||
Sec. 7948A.0306. NO EMINENT DOMAIN POWER. The district may | ||
not exercise the power of eminent domain. | ||
(b) This section is not intended to be an expression of a | ||
legislative interpretation of the requirements of Section 17(c), | ||
Article I, Texas Constitution. | ||
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. | ||
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