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relating to the creation of the Harris County Municipal Utility |
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District No. 546; granting a limited power of eminent domain; |
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providing authority to issue bonds; providing authority to impose |
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assessments, fees, and taxes. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subtitle F, Title 6, Special District Local Laws |
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Code, is amended by adding Chapter 7952 to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 7952. HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NO. 546 |
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SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS |
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Sec. 7952.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
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(1) "Board" means the district's board of directors. |
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(2) "Commission" means the Texas Commission on |
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Environmental Quality. |
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(3) "Director" means a board member. |
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(4) "District" means the Harris County Municipal |
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Utility District No. 546. |
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Sec. 7952.002. NATURE OF DISTRICT. The district is a |
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municipal utility district created under Section 59, Article XVI, |
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Texas Constitution. |
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Sec. 7952.003. CONFIRMATION AND DIRECTORS' ELECTION |
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REQUIRED. The temporary directors shall hold an election to |
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confirm the creation of the district and to elect five permanent |
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directors as provided by Section 49.102, Water Code. |
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Sec. 7952.004. CONSENT OF MUNICIPALITY REQUIRED. The |
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temporary directors may not hold an election under Section 7952.003 |
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until each municipality in whose corporate limits or |
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extraterritorial jurisdiction the district is located has |
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consented by ordinance or resolution to the creation of the |
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district and to the inclusion of land in the district. |
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Sec. 7952.005. FINDINGS OF PUBLIC PURPOSE AND BENEFIT. |
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(a) The district is created to serve a public purpose and benefit. |
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(b) The district is created to accomplish the purposes of: |
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(1) a municipal utility district as provided by |
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general law and Section 59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution; and |
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(2) Section 52, Article III, Texas Constitution, that |
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relate to the construction, acquisition, improvement, operation, |
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or maintenance of macadamized, graveled, or paved roads, or |
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improvements, including storm drainage, in aid of those roads. |
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Sec. 7952.006. INITIAL DISTRICT TERRITORY. (a) The |
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district is initially composed of the territory described by |
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Section 2 of the Act enacting this chapter. |
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(b) The boundaries and field notes contained in Section 2 of |
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the Act enacting this chapter form a closure. A mistake made in the |
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field notes or in copying the field notes in the legislative process |
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does not affect the district's: |
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(1) organization, existence, or validity; |
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(2) right to issue any type of bond for the purposes |
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for which the district is created or to pay the principal of and |
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interest on a bond; |
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(3) right to impose a tax; or |
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(4) legality or operation. |
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SUBCHAPTER B. BOARD OF DIRECTORS |
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Sec. 7952.051. GOVERNING BODY; TERMS. (a) The district is |
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governed by a board of five elected directors. |
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(b) Except as provided by Section 7952.052, directors serve |
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staggered four-year terms. |
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Sec. 7952.052. TEMPORARY DIRECTORS. (a) On or after the |
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effective date of the Act enacting this chapter, the owner or owners |
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of a majority of the assessed value of the real property in the |
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district may submit a petition to the commission requesting that |
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the commission appoint as temporary directors the five persons |
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named in the petition. The commission shall appoint as temporary |
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directors the five persons named in the petition. |
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(b) Temporary directors serve until the earlier of: |
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(1) the date permanent directors are elected under |
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Section 7952.003; or |
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(2) the fourth anniversary of the effective date of |
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the Act enacting this chapter. |
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(c) If permanent directors have not been elected under |
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Section 7952.003 and the terms of the temporary directors have |
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expired, successor temporary directors shall be appointed or |
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reappointed as provided by Subsection (d) to serve terms that |
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expire on the earlier of: |
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(1) the date permanent directors are elected under |
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Section 7952.003; or |
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(2) the fourth anniversary of the date of the |
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appointment or reappointment. |
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(d) If Subsection (c) applies, the owner or owners of a |
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majority of the assessed value of the real property in the district |
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may submit a petition to the commission requesting that the |
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commission appoint as successor temporary directors the five |
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persons named in the petition. The commission shall appoint as |
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successor temporary directors the five persons named in the |
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petition. |
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SUBCHAPTER C. POWERS AND DUTIES |
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Sec. 7952.101. GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES. The district has |
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the powers and duties necessary to accomplish the purposes for |
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which the district is created. |
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Sec. 7952.102. MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT POWERS AND |
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DUTIES. The district has the powers and duties provided by the |
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general law of this state, including Chapters 49 and 54, Water Code, |
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applicable to municipal utility districts created under Section 59, |
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Article XVI, Texas Constitution. |
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Sec. 7952.103. AUTHORITY FOR ROAD PROJECTS. Under Section |
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52, Article III, Texas Constitution, the district may design, |
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acquire, construct, finance, issue bonds for, improve, operate, |
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maintain, and convey to this state, a county, or a municipality for |
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operation and maintenance macadamized, graveled, or paved roads, or |
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improvements, including storm drainage, in aid of those roads. |
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Sec. 7952.104. ROAD STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS. (a) A |
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road project must meet all applicable construction standards, |
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zoning and subdivision requirements, and regulations of each |
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municipality in whose corporate limits or extraterritorial |
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jurisdiction the road project is located. |
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(b) If a road project is not located in the corporate limits |
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or extraterritorial jurisdiction of a municipality, the road |
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project must meet all applicable construction standards, |
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subdivision requirements, and regulations of each county in which |
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the road project is located. |
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(c) If the state will maintain and operate the road, the |
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Texas Transportation Commission must approve the plans and |
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specifications of the road project. |
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Sec. 7952.105. COMPLIANCE WITH MUNICIPAL CONSENT ORDINANCE |
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OR RESOLUTION. The district shall comply with all applicable |
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requirements of any ordinance or resolution that is adopted under |
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Section 54.016 or 54.0165, Water Code, and that consents to the |
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creation of the district or to the inclusion of land in the |
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district. |
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SUBCHAPTER D. GENERAL FINANCIAL PROVISIONS |
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Sec. 7952.151. ELECTIONS REGARDING TAXES OR BONDS. |
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(a) The district may issue, without an election, bonds and other |
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obligations secured by: |
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(1) revenue other than ad valorem taxes; or |
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(2) contract payments described by Section 7952.153. |
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(b) The district must hold an election in the manner |
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provided by Chapters 49 and 54, Water Code, to obtain voter approval |
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before the district may impose an ad valorem tax or issue bonds |
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payable from ad valorem taxes. |
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(c) The district may not issue bonds payable from ad valorem |
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taxes to finance a road project unless the issuance is approved by a |
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vote of a two-thirds majority of the district voters voting at an |
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election held for that purpose. |
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Sec. 7952.152. OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE TAX. (a) If |
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authorized at an election held under Section 7952.151, the district |
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may impose an operation and maintenance tax on taxable property in |
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the district in accordance with Section 49.107, Water Code. |
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(b) The board shall determine the tax rate. The rate may not |
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exceed the rate approved at the election. |
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Sec. 7952.153. CONTRACT TAXES. (a) In accordance with |
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Section 49.108, Water Code, the district may impose a tax other than |
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an operation and maintenance tax and use the revenue derived from |
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the tax to make payments under a contract after the provisions of |
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the contract have been approved by a majority of the district voters |
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voting at an election held for that purpose. |
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(b) A contract approved by the district voters may contain a |
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provision stating that the contract may be modified or amended by |
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the board without further voter approval. |
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SUBCHAPTER E. BONDS AND OTHER OBLIGATIONS |
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Sec. 7952.201. AUTHORITY TO ISSUE BONDS AND OTHER |
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OBLIGATIONS. The district may issue bonds or other obligations |
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payable wholly or partly from ad valorem taxes, impact fees, |
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revenue, contract payments, grants, or other district money, or any |
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combination of those sources, to pay for any authorized district |
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purpose. |
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Sec. 7952.202. TAXES FOR BONDS. At the time the district |
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issues bonds payable wholly or partly from ad valorem taxes, the |
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board shall provide for the annual imposition of a continuing |
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direct ad valorem tax, without limit as to rate or amount, while all |
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or part of the bonds are outstanding as required and in the manner |
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provided by Sections 54.601 and 54.602, Water Code. |
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Sec. 7952.203. BONDS FOR ROAD PROJECTS. At the time of |
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issuance, the total principal amount of bonds or other obligations |
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issued or incurred to finance road projects and payable from ad |
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valorem taxes may not exceed one-fourth of the assessed value of the |
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real property in the district. |
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SECTION 2. The Harris County Municipal Utility District |
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No. 546 initially includes all the territory contained in the |
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following area: |
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OF 193.5821 acres of land out of a called 264.2883 acres tract |
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(Tract One) conveyed by deed dated December 06, 2012 to Murff Family |
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Land, L.L.C., as recorded in Harris County Clerk's File |
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No. 20120574760 of the Deed Records of Harris County, Texas. Said |
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193.5821 acres being situated in the Humphrey Jackson Survey, |
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Abstract No. 37, Harris County, Texas, and being more particularly |
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described by metes and bounds as follows: (bearings based on NAD83 |
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State Plane Coordinate System, South Central Zone) |
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BEGINNING at a 1/2" iron rod with cap stamped "BHA" found for |
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the northwest corner of said 264.2883 acres, said iron rod being in |
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the south line of a called 497.4 acre tract conveyed by deed dated |
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November 29, 1996 to Lakewood Development Corporation as recorded |
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in Harris County Clerk's File No. S302347 of the Deed Records of |
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Harris County, Texas, and being in the east line of a 100' wide T. & |
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N. O. Railroad right-of-way; |
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THENCE North 87° 48' 24" East, along the north line of said |
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264.2883 acres and the south line of said 497.4 acres, for a |
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distance of 3986.05 feet to a 1/2 inch iron rod found for the |
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northwest corner of a called 72.1467 acre tract conveyed by deed |
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dated May 8, 2013 to Crosby Independent School District as recorded |
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in Harris County Clerk's File No. 20130222478 of the Deed Records |
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of Harris County, Texas; |
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THENCE South 02° 55' 25" East, along the west line of said |
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72.1467 acres, for a distance of 1958.79 feet to a 1/2 inch iron rod |
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with cap found for the southwest corner of said 72.1467 acres, same |
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being in the south line of said 264.2883 acres; |
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THENCE South 87° 54' 17" West, along the south line of said |
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264.2883 acres for a distance of 4591.97 feet to the southwest |
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corner of said 264.2883 acres; |
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THENCE North 12° 45' 07" East, along the west line of said |
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264.2883 acres and the east line of said 100' wide T. & N. O. |
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Railroad right-of-way, for a distance of 1392.92 feet to a point for |
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corner; |
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THENCE along a curve to the right having a radius of 3170.40 |
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feet, a central angle 11° 39' 51", a chord bearing and distance of N |
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17° 56' 06" E - 644.31 feet, and an arc length of 645.42 feet to the |
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PLACE OF BEGINNING of the herein described tract of land and |
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containing within these calls 193.5821 acres or 8,432,434.35 square |
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feet of land. |
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SECTION 3. (a) The legal notice of the intention to |
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introduce this Act, setting forth the general substance of this |
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Act, has been published as provided by law, and the notice and a |
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copy of this Act have been furnished to all persons, agencies, |
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officials, or entities to which they are required to be furnished |
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under Section 59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution, and Chapter 313, |
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Government Code. |
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(b) The governor, one of the required recipients, has |
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submitted the notice and Act to the Texas Commission on |
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Environmental Quality. |
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(c) The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has filed |
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its recommendations relating to this Act with the governor, the |
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lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of |
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representatives within the required time. |
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(d) All requirements of the constitution and laws of this |
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state and the rules and procedures of the legislature with respect |
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to the notice, introduction, and passage of this Act are fulfilled |
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and accomplished. |
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SECTION 4. (a) If this Act does not receive a two-thirds |
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vote of all the members elected to each house, Subchapter C, Chapter |
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7952, Special District Local Laws Code, as added by Section 1 of |
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this Act, is amended by adding Section 7952.106 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 7952.106. NO EMINENT DOMAIN POWER. The district may |
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not exercise the power of eminent domain. |
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(b) This section is not intended to be an expression of a |
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legislative interpretation of the requirements of Section 17(c), |
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Article I, Texas Constitution. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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______________________________ |
______________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
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I hereby certify that S.B. No. 2039 passed the Senate on |
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May 13, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1. |
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______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that S.B. No. 2039 passed the House on |
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May 22, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 139, Nays 1, two |
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present not voting. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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Approved: |
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______________________________ |
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Date |
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______________________________ |
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Governor |