81R35246 SLB-D
 
  By: Uresti S.B. No. 2440
 
  Substitute the following for S.B. No. 2440:
 
  By:  Callegari C.S.S.B. No. 2440
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the Bexar Metropolitan Water District.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  (a) In this section:
               (1)  "Board" means the district's board of directors.
               (2)  "District" means the Bexar Metropolitan Water
  District.
         (b)  Following 18 months of review and audits by agencies of
  this state and by the Bexar Metropolitan Water District Oversight
  Committee, the legislature finds that:
               (1)  certain officials of the district have engaged in
  unethical conduct and unprofessional management practices;
               (2)  disagreements regarding the district's
  jurisdiction and the jurisdiction of other entities inside the
  district and distrust between management personnel and the board
  have prevented the district from improving services for existing
  customers and meeting the water supply needs of the growing
  population within the district's service area;
               (3)  the district has a history of noncompliance with
  regulations;
               (4)  the board has engaged in mismanagement of the
  district, allowing for financial improprieties;
               (5)  the district has provided unreliable service to
  the degree that the quality of life of the district's customers is
  impaired and the prospects for economic growth within the district
  are diminished; and
               (6)  to ensure the reliability, sustainability,
  quality, and affordability of water supply services to the
  district's customers, legislative action is necessary, including
  the appointment of a conservator to serve as an advisor to the board
  until the district has achieved sufficient rehabilitation to serve
  its customers in a professional, ethical, and reliable manner.
         SECTION 2.  Section 8, Chapter 306, Acts of the 49th
  Legislature, Regular Session, 1945, is amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 8. (a) [.] The seven [five (5)] members of the Board of
  Directors are [shall hereafter be] elected to staggered two-year
  terms in an election held on the uniform election date in November.
  Directors shall be elected from numbered single-member districts
  established by the Board [for a term of six (6) years each, provided
  that an election for two (2) Directors for a term of six (6) years
  shall be held on the first Tuesday in April, 1954; the terms of
  three (3) members of the present Board shall be, and are, hereby,
  extended to the first Tuesday in April, 1957; and the present
  Directors shall determine such three (3) by lot. Three (3)
  Directors shall be elected on the first Tuesday in April, 1957, and
  two (2) Directors and three (3) Directors, alternately, shall be
  elected each three (3) years thereafter on the first Tuesday in
  April as the six-year terms expire]. At an election of Directors,
  the candidate from each single-member district who receives [The
  two (2) or three (3) persons, respectively, receiving] the greatest
  number of votes shall be declared elected to represent that
  single-member district. Each Director shall hold office until his
  successor shall have been elected or appointed and shall have
  qualified. A Director may not serve more than three terms.[;]
         (b)  Such [such] elections shall be called, conducted and
  canvassed in the manner provided by the Election Code. [Chapter 25,
  General Laws of the Thirty-ninth Legislature, Regular Session,
  1925, and any amendments thereto;]
         (c)  The [the] Board of Directors shall fill all vacancies on
  the Board by appointment and such appointees shall hold office for
  the unexpired term for which they were appointed.[;]
         (d)  Any four [any three] members of the Board shall
  constitute a quorum for the adoption of passage of any resolution or
  order or the transaction of any business of the District.[;]
         (e)  A Director must [Directors succeeding the first Board,
  whether now or hereafter elected, shall] be a qualified voter of the
  single-member district from which the Director is elected [resident
  electors of Bexar County, Texas, and owners of taxable property
  within the area comprising said District, and shall organize in
  like manner].
         SECTION 3.  Chapter 306, Acts of the 49th Legislature,
  Regular Session, 1945, is amended by adding Sections 1A, 8A, 8B, 8C,
  9A, 9B, 12A, 12B, 23A, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, and 44
  to read as follows:
         Sec. 1A.  In this Act:
               (1)  "Board" means the District's Board of Directors.
               (2)  "Commission" means the Texas Commission on
  Environmental Quality.
               (3)  "Director" means a Board member.
               (4)  "District" means the Bexar Metropolitan Water
  District.
         Sec. 8A.  (a) To be eligible to be a candidate for or elected
  as a Director, a person must have:
               (1)  resided continuously in the single-member
  district that the person seeks to represent for 12 months
  immediately preceding the date of the regular filing deadline for
  the candidate's application for a place on the ballot; and
               (2)  viewed the open government training video provided
  by the attorney general and provided to the Board a signed affidavit
  stating that the candidate viewed the video.
         (b)  In this subsection, "political contribution" and
  "specific-purpose committee" have the meanings assigned by Section
  251.001, Election Code. A Director or a candidate for the office of
  Director may not knowingly accept political contributions from a
  person that in the aggregate exceed $500 in connection with each
  election in which the person is involved. For purposes of this
  subsection, a contribution to a specific-purpose committee for the
  purpose of supporting a candidate for the office of Director,
  opposing the candidate's opponent, or assisting the candidate as an
  officeholder is considered to be a contribution to the candidate.
         Sec. 8B.  (a) A person who is elected or appointed to and
  qualifies for office as a Director on or after the effective date of
  this section may not vote, deliberate, or be counted as a member in
  attendance at a meeting of the Board until the person completes a
  training program on District management issues. The training
  program must provide information to the person regarding:
               (1)  the enabling legislation that created the
  District;
               (2)  the operation of the District;
               (3)  the role and functions of the Board;
               (4)  the rules of the Board;
               (5)  the current budget for the Board;
               (6)  the results of the most recent formal audit of the
  Board;
               (7)  the requirements of the:
                     (A)  open meetings law, Chapter 551, Government
  Code;
                     (B)  open records law, Chapter 552, Government
  Code; and
                     (C)  administrative procedure law, Chapter 2001,
  Government Code;
               (8)  the requirements of the conflict of interest laws
  and other laws relating to public officials; and
               (9)  any applicable ethics policies adopted by the
  Board or the Texas Ethics Commission.
         (b)  The Commission may create an advanced training program
  designed for a person who has previously completed a training
  program described by Subsection (a) of this section. If the
  Commission creates an advanced training program under this
  subsection, a person who completes that advanced training program
  is considered to have met the person's obligation under Subsection
  (a) of this section.
         (c)  Each Director who is elected or appointed on or after
  the effective date of this section shall complete a training
  program described by Subsection (a) or (b) of this section at least
  once in each term the Director serves.
         (d)  The Board shall adopt rules regarding the completion of
  the training program described by Subsection (a) or (b) of this
  section by a person who is elected or appointed to and qualifies for
  office as a Director before the effective date of this section. A
  Director described by this subsection who does not comply with
  Board rules shall be considered incompetent as to the performance
  of the duties of a Director in any action to remove the Director
  from office.
         (e)  A Director may not:
               (1)  accept or solicit a gift, favor, or service that:
                     (A)  might reasonably influence the Director in
  the discharge of an official duty; or
                     (B)  the Director knows or should know is being
  offered with the intent to influence the Director's official
  conduct;
               (2)  accept other employment or engage in a business or
  professional activity that the Director might reasonably expect
  would require or induce the Director to disclose confidential
  information acquired by reason of the official position;
               (3)  accept other employment or compensation that could
  reasonably be expected to impair the Director's independence of
  judgment in the performance of the Director's official duties;
               (4)  make personal investments that could reasonably be
  expected to create a substantial conflict between the Director's
  private interest and the interest of the District;
               (5)  intentionally or knowingly solicit, accept, or
  agree to accept any benefit for having exercised the Director's
  official powers or performed the Director's official duties in
  favor of another; or
               (6)  have a personal interest in an agreement executed
  by the District.
         (f)  Not later than April 30 each year, a Director shall file
  with the Bexar County clerk a verified financial statement
  complying with Sections 572.022, 572.023, 572.024, and 572.0252,
  Government Code. A copy of a financial statement filed under this
  section shall be kept in the main office of the District.
         Sec. 8C.  (a) A Director may be recalled for:
               (1)  incompetency or official misconduct as described
  by Section 21.022, Local Government Code;
               (2)  conviction of a felony;
               (3)  incapacity;
               (4)  failure to file a financial statement as required
  by Section 8B(f) of this Act;
               (5)  failure to complete a training program described
  by Section 8B(a) or (b) of this Act; or
               (6)  failure to maintain residency in the District.
         (b)  If at least 10 percent of the voters in the District
  submit a petition to the Board requesting the recall of a Director,
  the Board, not later than the 10th day after the date the petition
  is submitted, shall mail a written notice of the petition and the
  date of its submission to each registered voter in the District.
         (c)  Not later than the 30th day after the date a petition
  requesting the recall of a Director is submitted, the Board shall
  order an election on the question of recalling the Director.
         (d)  A recall election under this section may be held on any
  uniform election date.
         (e)  If a majority of the District voters voting at an
  election held under this section favor the recall of the Director,
  the Director is recalled and ceases to be a member of the Board.
         (f)  If a vacancy occurs on the Board after the recall of a
  Director under this section, the remaining members of the Board
  shall appoint a replacement. A Director appointed to fill a vacancy
  under this subsection serves until the next regularly scheduled
  Directors' election.
         Sec. 9A.  (a) The Board shall employ a general manager of
  the District or contract with a person to perform the duties of a
  general manager. The Board shall delegate to the general manager or
  contractor full authority to manage and operate the affairs of the
  District subject only to orders of the Board.
         (b)  The Board shall delegate to the general manager or
  contractor the authority to employ persons necessary for the proper
  handling of the business and operation of the District and to
  determine the compensation to be paid to employees, other than the
  general manager or contractor.
         (c)  The general manager or contractor annually shall
  complete a training program on state and federal laws related to the
  administration of the District. The training program must provide
  information regarding:
               (1)  nepotism;
               (2)  conflicts of interest;
               (3)  criminal penalties related to the conduct of
  elected officials;
               (4)  financial disclosure requirements;
               (5)  equal employment;
               (6)  disability accommodation;
               (7)  labor relations; and
               (8)  the acquisition and sale of property.
         Sec. 9B.  (a) The Board shall employ a chief financial
  officer of the District or contract with a person to perform the
  duties of a chief financial officer. The Board shall delegate to
  the chief financial officer or contractor the authority necessary
  to administer all financial affairs of the District, including:
               (1)  maintaining the general accounting system for the
  District;
               (2)  certifying the availability of funds for all
  proposed expenditures;
               (3)  submitting to the Board a monthly statement of all
  receipts and disbursements in sufficient detail to show the
  financial condition of the District; and
               (4)  preparing at the end of each fiscal year a complete
  financial statement and report.
         (b)  The Board shall require the chief financial officer of
  the District to furnish good and sufficient bond, payable to the
  District, in an amount determined by the Board to be sufficient to
  safeguard the District. The bond shall be conditioned on the
  faithful performance of that person's duties and on accounting for
  all funds and property of the District. The bond shall be signed or
  endorsed by a surety company authorized to do business in the state.
         Sec. 12A.  (a) All Board reimbursements and expenditures
  must be approved by the Board in a regularly scheduled meeting.
         (b)  At each regularly scheduled meeting of the Board, the
  Board shall review all expenditures made by the general manager.
         Sec. 12B.  (a) The Board shall adopt an annual budget.
         (b)  The budget must contain:
               (1)  a message explaining the budget;
               (2)  an outline of the proposed financial policies of
  the District for the next fiscal year, including any major changes
  from the current fiscal year;
               (3)  a comparison of the actual and estimated revenue
  and expenditures for the current fiscal year and actual and
  estimated revenue for the two preceding fiscal years;
               (4)  a statement of the water rates and collections for
  the preceding five years; and
               (5)  a complete financial statement, including a
  statement of:
                     (A)  the outstanding obligations of the District,
  with a schedule of payments and maturities;
                     (B)  the amount of cash on hand to the credit of
  each fund of the District;
                     (C)  the amount of money received by the District
  from all sources during the preceding fiscal year, with notations
  regarding each department, division, or office of the District;
                     (D)  the amount of money available to the District
  from all sources during the following fiscal year;
                     (E)  the amount of the balances expected at the
  end of the fiscal year for which the budget is being prepared;
                     (F)  the estimated amount of revenue and balances
  available to cover the proposed budget; and
                     (G)  the estimated revenue from fees that will be
  required.
         (c)  The Board shall conduct two public hearings not later
  than the 30th day before the date of the public hearing at which the
  Board will adopt the budget. At least one of the public hearings
  must be held at a location other than the District office. Notice
  of the hearings must be included in a water or sewer service bill of
  each ratepayer mailed at least 30 days before the date of the first
  hearing.
         Sec. 23A.  (a) The Board may not increase residential water
  or sewer service rates by more than 10 percent unless the Board
  holds a public hearing on the matter of the rate increase. The
  hearing must be attended by the Board and, if the District employs a
  general manager or chief financial officer, by the general manager
  and the chief financial officer.
         (b)  The Board may increase residential rates by more than 10
  percent only if approved by a unanimous vote of the Board after the
  hearing held under Subsection (a).
         (c)  A motion by a Director to increase residential water or
  sewer service rates by more than 10 percent must read as follows:
         "I move that we increase residential (water or sewer, as
  appropriate) rates by ___ percent. An average water bill in the
  District is $ ___ for ___ gallons. With this increase, the average
  residential water bill will be $ ___ for ___ gallons. We need to
  increase the rates because of the following: (insert justification
  for rate increase)."
         Sec. 34.  (a)  After September 1, 2014, the Board annually
  shall have an audit conducted of the District's books and records
  that covers all matters relating to the fiscal affairs of the
  District. The audit must be conducted by an independent auditor who
  does not:
               (1)  otherwise maintain any District accounts;
               (2)  act as a financial advisor to the District; or
               (3)  have any financial interest in the District.
         (b)  The Board may not select the same auditor for more than
  three consecutive annual audits.
         Sec. 35.  (a)  The Commission shall appoint as conservator
  for the District an individual who, at the time of the individual's
  appointment:
               (1)  may be, but is not required to be, a Commission
  employee;
               (2)  has demonstrated a high level of expertise in
  water utility management;
               (3)  is not a Director; and
               (4)  has no financial interest in the District or any
  entity that has a contract with the District or that is likely to
  develop a contractual relationship with the District.
         (b)  The conservator's term expires on the earlier of:
               (1)  the fifth anniversary of the date the conservator
  is appointed;
               (2)  the date the Commission issues an order dissolving
  the conservatorship under Section 40; or
               (3)  the date the Commission enters an order dissolving
  the District under Section 42.
         (c)  If the Commission, after a reasonable period,
  determines that the conservator has not made satisfactory progress
  in performing the conservator's duties, the Commission shall
  appoint a new conservator to serve for the remainder of the
  conservator's term.
         Sec. 36.  A conservator appointed under Section 35 shall
  appoint an agency review team to assist the conservator in carrying
  out the duties described by Section 39. A person appointed under
  this section to the team must meet the same qualifications as those
  required for the conservator appointed under Section 35(a).
         Sec. 37.  (a)  A conservator appointed under Section 35 and
  any person appointed by the conservator is entitled to receive a
  salary for performing those duties.
         (b)  The District shall pay the compensation of the
  conservator and any person appointed by the conservator.
         Sec. 38.  (a)  A conservator appointed under Section 35 and
  any person appointed by the conservator is entitled to
  reimbursement of the reasonable and necessary expenses incurred by
  the conservator or appointee in the course of performing duties
  under Section 39.
         (b)  The District shall pay any reasonable and necessary
  expenses incurred by the conservator or appointee.
         Sec. 39.  (a)  The conservator and the agency review team
  shall advise the Board on matters relating to the District's
  rehabilitation. The Board shall work cooperatively with the
  conservator and the agency review team to improve the Board's
  ability to manage and operate the District in a professional
  manner.
         (b)  In addition to the duties under Subsection (a), not
  later than June 1, 2010, the agency review team shall prepare a
  report evaluating the distinct water systems that make up the
  District and determine the following:
               (1)  the District's basis in or the intrinsic value of
  the infrastructure associated with each water system;
               (2)  the District's bonded debt and commercial paper
  reasonably associated with or allocable to the infrastructure in
  each water system;
               (3)  the adequacy of the source of the water supply
  located in each water system's service area to supply the current
  and projected demands generated in that service area;
               (4)  the adequacy of the water storage facilities
  located in each water system's service area to supply the current
  and projected demands generated in that service area;
               (5)  the adequacy of the distribution system located in
  each water system's service area to supply the current and
  projected demands generated in that service area; and
               (6)  the ability of the District to serve its customers
  in a particular service area or a specific part of the service area
  based on the infrastructure and capacity of the District in that
  area.
         (c)  The conservator shall submit the report to the governor,
  the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of
  representatives, the chair of each committee of the legislature
  having primary jurisdiction over water districts, and the
  Commission.
         (d)  The conservator and the agency review team shall develop
  bylaws for the District that separate the administrative and
  technical functions of the District. The Board shall consider and
  adopt rules and bylaws consistent with the bylaws developed by the
  conservator and the agency review team.
         (e)  The agency review team shall examine the service
  delivery in the several service areas of the District to determine
  whether the District is financially and practically able to provide
  continuous quality service in each area at reasonable rates. For
  any area the agency review team determines the District's ability
  to serve is inadequate or impractical, the agency review team shall
  recommend that the District divest the utility assets in that area.
         (f)  If the agency review team makes a recommendation under
  Subsection (e), the conservator shall appoint an agent to carry out
  the sale of the utility assets in that area. The agent shall bring
  an action in a district court in Bexar County for a determination of
  the fair market value of the assets to be sold. The fair market
  value shall be determined by a judge who was elected to that court
  from competent evidence of the value introduced by the parties.
  Competent evidence of value may include:
               (1)  expert opinion testimony;
               (2)  comparable sales;
               (3)  anticipated marketing time and holding costs;
               (4)  cost of sale; and
               (5)  the necessity and amount of any discount to be
  applied to the future sales price or the cash flow generated by the
  property to arrive at a fair market value as of the date of the sale.
         (g)  After the fair market value is determined under
  Subsection (f), the agent shall sell the assets to an appropriate
  entity in the best interest of the ratepayers. The agent shall
  conduct the sale in a manner consistent with the best interest of
  the ratepayers. Proceeds from the sale of the assets shall be
  applied to outstanding debt of the District, and if any proceeds
  remain after the retirement of all the District's debt, the
  remaining proceeds shall be distributed to the ratepayers as a
  rebate.
         (h)  This section expires September 1, 2014.
         Sec. 40.  (a)  When the conservator reports to the
  Commission that the District has been sufficiently rehabilitated to
  provide reliable, cost-effective, quality service to its
  customers, the Commission shall evaluate the condition of the
  District and determine whether:
               (1)  the District has been sufficiently rehabilitated
  to enable the District to provide reliable, cost-effective, quality
  service to its customers; and
               (2)  the conservatorship is no longer necessary.
         (b)  The Commission may issue an order dissolving the
  conservatorship if the Commission determines the conservatorship
  is no longer necessary.
         Sec. 41.  (a)  The Commission may hold an election in the
  District on the question of dissolving the District and disposing
  of the District's assets and obligations if:
               (1)  the conservator determines after an initial
  evaluation to be performed before the 60th day after the date of the
  effective date of the Act creating this section that the District
  cannot be rehabilitated and the dissolution of the District would
  be in the best interest of the ratepayers; or
               (2)  the conservator reports to the Commission at any
  time that the Board is unable or unwilling to comply with a request
  or recommendation of the conservator or agency review team.
         (b)  The Commission may hold an election under this section
  on a uniform election date following the 60th day after the date of
  preclearance under Section 5 of the federal Voting Rights Act of
  1965 (42 U.S.C. Section 1973c) of all provisions of the Act enacting
  this section that are subject to that preclearance. If the
  Commission determines that preclearance under Section 5 of the
  federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 is not required, the Commission
  may hold the election on a uniform election date that falls at least
  60 days after the date the Commission makes that determination.
         (c)  The order calling the election must state:
               (1)  the nature of the election, including the
  proposition to appear on the ballot;
               (2)  the date of the election;
               (3)  the hours during which the polls will be open; and
               (4)  the location of the polling places.
         (d)  The Commission shall give notice of an election under
  this section by publishing once a week for two consecutive weeks a
  substantial copy of the election order in a newspaper with general
  circulation in the District. The first publication of the notice
  must appear not later than the 35th day before the date of the
  election.
         (e)  The ballot for an election under this section must be
  printed to permit voting for or against the proposition: "The
  dissolution of the Bexar Metropolitan Water District."
         (f)  If a majority of the votes in an election under this
  section favor dissolution, the conservator shall report the result
  to the Commission and the Commission shall find that the District is
  dissolved.
         Sec. 42.  (a)  If a majority of the votes in an election held
  under Section 41 favor dissolution, the term of each person who is
  serving as a Director of the District on the date of the canvass of
  the election expires on that date. Not later than the 60th day
  after the date of the canvass of the election, the conservator shall
  assume all powers necessary for the purposes described by this
  section.
         (b)  The conservator shall transfer or assign the rights and
  duties of the District associated with the provision of water
  services, including existing contracts, assets, and liabilities of
  the District, to one or more appropriate entities in such a manner
  that service to the existing customers of the District is not
  interrupted.
         (c)  After the District has paid all its debts and has
  disposed of all its money and other assets as prescribed by this
  section, the conservator shall file a written report with the
  Commission summarizing the conservator's actions in dissolving the
  District.
         (d)  Not later than the 10th day after the date the
  Commission receives the report and determines that the requirements
  of this section have been fulfilled, the Commission shall enter an
  order dissolving the District and releasing the conservator from
  any further duty or obligation.
         Sec. 43.  If a majority of votes favor dissolution in an
  election held under Section 41, this Act expires on the date the
  Commission enters an order dissolving the District.
         Sec. 44.  If a majority of the votes in an election held
  under Section 41 do not favor dissolution, the conservator
  appointed under Section 35 continues to serve until the
  conservatorship expires under Section 35.
         SECTION 4.  (a)  Subject to approval by the Legislative
  Audit Committee for inclusion in the annual audit plan, the state
  auditor shall conduct an annual audit of the Bexar Metropolitan
  Water District for the five years following the effective date of
  this Act. The scope of the audit shall be determined by the state
  auditor based on a risk assessment.
         (b)  The district shall reimburse the state auditor for the
  cost of the audit.
         SECTION 5.  (a)  Section 8, Chapter 306, Acts of the 49th
  Legislature, Regular Session, 1945, as amended by this Act, applies
  only to a member of the board of directors of the Bexar Metropolitan
  Water District who is elected to the board on or after the effective
  date of this Act.
         (b)  Section 8A, Chapter 306, Acts of the 49th Legislature,
  Regular Session, 1945, as added by this Act, applies only to a
  member of the board of directors of the Bexar Metropolitan Water
  District who is elected to the board on or after the effective date
  of this Act. A director who is elected before the effective date of
  this Act is governed by the law in effect when the director was
  elected, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
  A director elected to a six-year term before the effective date of
  this Act shall serve out the term to which the director was elected.
         (c)  For a numbered single-member district director's
  position that expires in 2010 or 2011, the district shall call and
  hold an election on a uniform election date in that year to elect
  the director for that position for a term that expires on the
  uniform election date in November 2013.
         SECTION 6.  (a)  The legal notice of the intention to
  introduce this Act, setting forth the general substance of this
  Act, has been published as provided by law, and the notice and a
  copy of this Act have been furnished to all persons, agencies,
  officials, or entities to which they are required to be furnished
  under Section 59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution, and Chapter 313,
  Government Code.
         (b)  The governor, one of the required recipients, has
  submitted the notice and Act to the Texas Commission on
  Environmental Quality.
         (c)  The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has filed
  its recommendations relating to this Act with the governor, the
  lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of
  representatives within the required time.
         (d)  All requirements of the constitution and laws of this
  state and the rules and procedures of the legislature with respect
  to the notice, introduction, and passage of this Act are fulfilled
  and accomplished.
         SECTION 7.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2009.