LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
WATER DEVELOPMENT POLICY IMPACT STATEMENT
 
80TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
April 24, 2007

TO:
Honorable Robert Puente, Chair, House Committee on Natural Resources
 
FROM:
John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB4117 by Garcia (Relating to the creation of the Lamar Improvement District; providing authority to impose a tax and issue bonds; granting the power of eminent domain.), As Introduced

The Legislative Budget Board, in cooperation with the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), has determined that:
 
The bill creates Lamar Improvement District of Aransas County (District) with the powers and duties of a municipal utility district under Water Code Chapters 49 and 54. The purpose of the District includes: providing works and projects under powers conferred by Article XVI, Section 59 of the Texas Constitution to benefit the property within the District and the power of eminent domain.  The District is subject to confirmation election by the voters.


 1)   Population -The detailed description of the proposed boundaries does not allow staff to develop precise population estimates.  The 2000 Census population of Aransas County was 22,497, with 12,692 living in areas identified in the 2007 State Water Plan as “County-Other” (outside cities of more than 500 and established water utility districts).  The total county population is projected to increase to 30,604 by 2020, the County-Other population is projected to increase to 17,266.
 
2)   Location - The district is located within Aransas County.


3)  Comments on Powers/Duties Different from Similar Types of Districts-    The District will have the powers and duties of a navigation district.  The District will have road powers.
 
4)  Overlapping Services-    The stated boundaries do not form a closure.  There is insufficient information provided in the bill to determine if the District overlaps any water supply or sewer‑service corporations, investor‑owned utilities, or local water districts or authorities.  An area map containing at least two references points (major road names, road intersections) and the proposed district’s geographic location mapped within Aransas County is needed to complete overlapping service check. A metes and bounds description (preferably with the source Abstract listed) is needed.  The District may overlap: CCN No. 11458 (Holiday Beach Water Supply Corporation) and CCN No. 10566 (Lamar Water Supply Corporation).
 
5)  TCEQ's  Supervision-    As with general law districts, the TCEQ will have general supervisory authority, including bond review authority and review of financial reports.


6)  Water Use - 96 percent of Aransas County water use in 2004 was for municipal purposes, with 2 percent for manufacturing.   89 percent of the total water use, and 91 percent of the municipal use, comes from surface water sources. 



Source Agencies:
582 Commission on Environmental Quality, 580 Water Development Board
LBB Staff:
JOB, WK