Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB5666 Latest Draft

Bill / Introduced Version Filed 04/04/2025

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                            89R12609 MP-F
 By: Oliverson H.B. No. 5666




 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to the creation of the Fenske Road Municipal Utility
 District of Harris 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 7901A to read as follows:
 CHAPTER 7901A. FENSKE ROAD MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT OF HARRIS
 COUNTY
 SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS
 Sec. 7901A.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 Fenske Road Municipal Utility
 District of Harris County.
 Sec. 7901A.0102.  NATURE OF DISTRICT.  The district is a
 municipal utility district created under Section 59, Article XVI,
 Texas Constitution.
 Sec. 7901A.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. 7901A.0104.  CONSENT OF MUNICIPALITY REQUIRED. The
 temporary directors may not hold an election under Section
 7901A.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 as required by
 applicable law.
 Sec. 7901A.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. 7901A.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. 7901A.0201.  GOVERNING BODY; TERMS.  (a)  The district
 is governed by a board of five elected directors.
 (b)  Except as provided by Section 7901A.0202, directors
 serve staggered four-year terms.
 Sec. 7901A.0202.  TEMPORARY DIRECTORS.  (a)  On or after the
 effective date of the Act enacting this chapter, 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 temporary directors the five persons
 named in the petition.  The commission shall appoint as temporary
 directors the five persons named in the petition.
 (b)  Temporary directors serve until the earlier of:
 (1)  the date permanent directors are elected under
 Section 7901A.0103; or
 (2)  the fourth anniversary of the effective date of
 the Act enacting this chapter.
 (c)  If permanent directors have not been elected under
 Section 7901A.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 7901A.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. 7901A.0301.  GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES.  The district
 has the powers and duties necessary to accomplish the purposes for
 which the district is created.
 Sec. 7901A.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. 7901A.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. 7901A.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. 7901A.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.
 Sec. 7901A.0306.  DIVISION OF DISTRICT. This chapter
 applies to any new district created by the division of the district
 under Section 49.316, Water Code, and a new district has all the
 powers and duties of the district.
 SUBCHAPTER D. GENERAL FINANCIAL PROVISIONS
 Sec. 7901A.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
 7901A.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. 7901A.0402.  OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE TAX.  (a)  If
 authorized at an election held under Section 7901A.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. 7901A.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. 7901A.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. 7901A.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. 7901A.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 Fenske Road Municipal Utility District of
 Harris County initially includes all the territory contained in the
 following area:
 All that certain 33.7594 acres of land being all that certain
 called 32.7500 acre tract described as Tract I in the deed dated
 July 26, 1985, from Marvin Treichel, et al to Howard Leon Treichel,
 et ux, filed for record under Clerk File No. K132306, of the
 Official Public Records of Real Property of Harris County, Texas,
 and being all that certain called 1.00002 acre tract described in
 the deed dated April 23, 2004, from Timothy A. Perry to Valleys
 Mills Partners, Ltd. to filed for record under Clerk File
 No. Z-053385, out of the Jacob Duckworth Survey, A-226, Harris
 County, Texas, and being more particularly described by metes and
 bounds as follows:
 BEGINNING at a found 1" iron pipe marking the northwest corner of
 said 32.7500 acre tract, said pipe located on the south
 right-of-way line of Fenske Road (60' Wide as monumented);
 THENCE N 85 35' 17" E - 761.55', with said south right-of-way line
 to a set 1/2" iron rod with cap marking northeast corner of said
 called 1.00002 acre;
 THENCE S 01° 57' 40" E - 290.70', with the east line of said 1.00002
 acre tract, to a set 5/8" iron rod with cap for an angle corner;
 THENCE S 02° 02' 46" E - 388.02', with the west line of that certain
 called 3.25 acre tract described in the deed dated November 11,
 1976, from Rickey Kleppel, et ux to Larry E. Thieme, et ux, filed
 for record under Clerk File No. F610177, Film Code No. 195-18-0683,
 of the Official Public Records of Real Property of Harris County,
 Texas to a set "PK" nail for corner;
 THENCE N 85° 28' 07" E - 208.44', with the south line of said 3.25
 acre tract tract, to a found 1" iron pipe marking the easterly
 northeast corner of the aforementioned 32.7500 acre tract, the
 southeast corner of said 3.25 acre tract and the northwest corner of
 that certain called 33.8716 acre tract described as Tract II in the
 deed dated July 26, 1985, from Marvin Treichel, et al to Howard Leon
 Treichel, et ux, filed for record under Clerk File No. K132306,
 Film Code No. 021-75-0610, of the Official Public Records of Real
 Property of Harris County, Texas;
 THENCE S 09° 09' 34" E - 984.93', with the northerly west line of
 said 33.8716 acre tract, to a found 5/8" iron rod marking the
 southeast corner of the aforementioned 32.7500 acre tract and an
 interior corner of said 33.8716 acre tract;
 THENCE S 87° 57' 07" W - 1,050.74'. with the westerly north line of
 said 33.8716 acre tract, to a found 5/8" iron rod marking the
 southwest corner of said 32.7500 acre tract and the westerly
 northwest corner of said 33.8716 acre tract;
 THENCE N 03° 27' 44" W - 1,616.13', to the POINT OF BEGINNING of the
 herein described tract and containing 33.7594 acres (1,470,559
 square feet) 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
 7901A, Special District Local Laws Code, as added by Section 1 of
 this Act, is amended by adding Section 7901A.0307 to read as
 follows:
 Sec. 7901A.0307.  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 immediately if it receives
 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
 Act takes effect September 1, 2025.