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House Bill 1937 |
House Author: Villarreal et al. |
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Effective: 9-1-09 |
Senate Sponsor: Seliger |
House Bill 1937 amends the Local Government Code to authorize the governing body of a municipality to designate all or part of the municipality as an area within which authorized municipal officials and property owners may enter into contracts to assess properties to finance certain energy efficiency public improvements to developed lots and the installation of distributed generation renewable energy sources or energy efficiency improvements permanently fixed to real property. The bill prohibits an assessment from being used to finance facilities for undeveloped lots or lots undergoing development or to finance the purchase or installation of appliances not permanently fixed to real property, and authorizes a municipality to impose an assessment only with the consent of the owner of the assessed property at the time of the assessment. The bill requires the governing body of a municipality to adopt a resolution indicating the body's intention to designate an area for assessment, describes the required content of the resolution, and requires an appropriate municipal official to prepare a report containing specified information relating to the assessment proposal. The bill authorizes a property owner, on the written consent of an authorized municipal official, to purchase directly the related equipment and materials and to contract directly for the installation of the distributed generation renewable energy sources or energy efficiency improvements. The bill specifies that such an assessment and any interest or penalties on the assessment constitutes a lien against the lot on which the assessment is imposed until the assessment, interest, or penalty is paid.