The Legislative Budget Board, in cooperation with the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), has determined that:
No changes from previous version. The bill amended Special District Local Laws Code by adding Chapter 8222 to create Lamar Improvement District (District) with the powers and duties of a municipal utility district under Water Code Chapters 49 and 54 and navigation district power under Water Code Chapters 60 and 62. 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. The bill also gives the District road powers.
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 road powers.
4) Overlapping Services- The stated boundaries did not form an acceptable closure for Track 2C and Track 3B. There is insufficient information provided in the Bill because an area map containing at least two reference points (major road names, road intersections) and the proposed District’s geographic location mapped within the county is needed for all tracks. A revised metes and bounds description for Track 2C and Track 3B are needed to determine an overlapping service. The known overlapping service providers for Tracks 2B, 2E, 2F, 2G, and Tracks 3A, 3B, and 3C may be Lamar Water Supply Corporation, CCN No. 10566; Holiday Beach Water Supply Corporation, CCN No. 11458; and, Aransas County Municipal Utility District No. 1.
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.