2023 Texas Statutes › Water Code › Title 4 - General Law Districts › Chapter 49 - Provisions Applicable to All Districts › Subchapter C. Administrative Provisions › Section 49.062. Offices and Meeting Places

Sec. 49.062.  OFFICES AND MEETING PLACES.  (a)  The board shall designate from time to time and maintain one or more regular offices for conducting the business of the district and maintaining the records of the district.  Such offices may be located either inside or outside the district's boundaries as determined in the discretion of the board.
(b)  Except as provided by Subsection (b-1), the board shall designate one or more places inside or outside the district for conducting the meetings of the board. The meeting place may be a private residence or office, provided that the board, in its order establishing the meeting place, declares the same to be a public place and invites the public to attend any meeting of the board. If the board establishes a meeting place or places outside the district, it shall give notice of the location or locations by filing a true copy of the resolution establishing the location or locations of the meeting place or places and a justification of why the meeting will not be held in the district or within 10 miles of the boundary of the district, if applicable, with the commission and also by publishing notice of the location or locations in a newspaper of general circulation in the district. If the location of any of the meeting places outside the district is changed, notice of the change shall be given in the same manner.
(b-1)  In this subsection, "rural area district" means a district in which more than half of the district's projected retail water or sewer connections are active and that is not wholly or partly located in a county that as of the 2010 Census had a population of 800,000 or more or bordered a county with a population of 800,000 or more.  If the board of a rural area district conducts meetings at least quarterly, the board shall conduct a meeting at a designated meeting location inside the district or within 10 miles of the boundary of the district at least once per quarter.  If the board determines that it is not practical to meet within 10 miles of the boundary of the district, the district may conduct the quarterly meeting at another designated meeting place in the county in which the district is located.
(c)  After at least 50 qualified electors are residing in a district, on written request of at least five of those electors, the board shall designate a meeting place and hold meetings within the district.  If no suitable meeting place exists inside the district, the board may designate a meeting place outside the district that is located not further than 10 miles from the boundary of the district.
(c-1)  On the failure, after a request is made under Subsection (c), of the board to designate the location of the meeting place within the district or not further than 10 miles from the boundary of the district, five electors may petition the commission to designate a location.  If it determines that the meeting place used by the district deprives the residents of a reasonable opportunity to attend district meetings, the commission shall designate a meeting place inside or outside the district which is reasonably available to the public and require that the meetings be held at such place.
(d)  Two or more districts may designate and share offices and meeting places.  This section does not apply to special water authorities.
(e)  After holding a meeting at a place designated under Subsection (c) or (c-1), the board may hold a hearing on the designation of a different meeting place, including a meeting place outside of the district.  The board may hold meetings at the designated meeting place if, at the hearing, the board determines that the new meeting place is beneficial to the district and will not deprive the residents of the district of a reasonable opportunity to attend meetings.  The board may not hold meetings at a meeting place outside the district or further than 10 miles from the boundaries of the district if the board receives a petition under Subsection (c-1).
(f)  The commission shall make a determination under Subsection (c-1) not later than the 60th day after the date the commission receives the petition.
(g)  The commission shall provide information on the commission's Internet website on the process for designation by the commission of a meeting place under Subsection (c-1) and a form that may be used to request that the commission make the designation with submission instructions.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 715, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
Amended by:
Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 105 (S.B. 239), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2019.
Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 647 (H.B. 1154), Sec. 4, eff. September 1, 2021.