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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the creation of the Clear Sky Municipal Utility |
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District No. 1 of Cooke County; granting a limited power of eminent |
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domain. |
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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 7954A to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 7954A. CLEAR SKY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NO. 1 OF COOKE |
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COUNTY |
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SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS |
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Sec. 7954A.0101. 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 Clear Sky Municipal Utility |
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District No. 1 of Cooke County. |
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Sec. 7954A.0102. 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. 7954A.0103. CONFIRMATION AND DIRECTOR 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. 7954A.0104. CONSENT OF MUNICIPALITY REQUIRED. The |
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temporary directors may not hold an election under Section |
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7954A.0103 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. 7954A.0105. 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. 7954A.0106. 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. 7954A.0201. GOVERNING BODY; TERMS. (a) The district |
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is governed by a board of five elected directors. |
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(b) Except as provided by Section 7954A.0202, directors |
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serve staggered four-year terms. |
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Sec. 7954A.0202. TEMPORARY DIRECTORS. (a) On or after |
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September 1, 2021, the owner or owners of a majority of the assessed |
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value of the real property in the district may submit a petition to |
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the commission requesting that the commission appoint as temporary |
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directors the five persons named in the petition. The commission |
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shall appoint as temporary directors the five persons named in the |
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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 7954A.0103; or |
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(2) September 1, 2025. |
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(c) If permanent directors have not been elected under |
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Section 7954A.0103 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 7954A.0103; 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. 7954A.0301. GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES. The district |
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has the powers and duties necessary to accomplish the purposes for |
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which the district is created. |
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Sec. 7954A.0302. 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. 7954A.0303. AUTHORITY FOR ROAD PROJECTS. Under |
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Section 52, Article III, Texas Constitution, the district may |
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design, acquire, construct, finance, issue bonds for, improve, |
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operate, maintain, and convey to this state, a county, or a |
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municipality for operation and maintenance macadamized, graveled, |
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or paved roads, or improvements, including storm drainage, in aid |
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of those roads. |
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Sec. 7954A.0304. 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. 7954A.0305. COMPLIANCE WITH MUNICIPAL CONSENT |
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ORDINANCE OR RESOLUTION. The district shall comply with all |
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applicable requirements of any ordinance or resolution that is |
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adopted under Section 54.016 or 54.0165, Water Code, and that |
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consents to the creation of the district or to the inclusion of land |
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in the district. |
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SUBCHAPTER D. GENERAL FINANCIAL PROVISIONS |
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Sec. 7954A.0401. ELECTIONS REGARDING TAXES OR BONDS. (a) |
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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 |
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7954A.0403. |
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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. 7954A.0402. OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE TAX. (a) If |
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authorized at an election held under Section 7954A.0401, the |
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district may impose an operation and maintenance tax on taxable |
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property in the district in accordance with Section 49.107, Water |
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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. 7954A.0403. 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. 7954A.0501. 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. 7954A.0502. 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. 7954A.0503. 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 Clear Sky Municipal Utility District No. 1 of |
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Cooke County initially includes all the territory contained in the |
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following area: |
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TRACT ONE |
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FIELD NOTES TO 179.94 ACRES IN THE JOHN ADDA SURVEY ABSTRACT 1177, |
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ET AL, COOKE COUNTY, TEXAS |
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All that certain tract or parcel of land situated in the John Adda |
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Survey Abstract 1177 and the E. Bradley Survey Abstract 34, Cooke |
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County, Texas, being part of a 293.56 acre tract conveyed by Rose |
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Marie Strickland, Trustee to Earl L. Bengtston by deed recorded in |
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Volume 1022, page 263, of the Cooke County Official Public Records, |
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and being more particularly described as follows: |
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BEGINNING at a found steel pin at the Northeast corner of said |
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Bengtston tract, common to the Southeast corner of a tract conveyed |
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to Alvrone Sater by deed recorded in Volume 734, page 275 of the |
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Cooke County Deed Records, in County Road 200, on the West line of a |
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tract conveyed to John Porter Farms, Inc. by deed recorded in Volume |
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626, page 123 of said Deed Records, said beginning corner further |
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being South 00 degrees 11 minutes 30 seconds East, a distance of |
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1219.85 feet from the Southwest corner of the J. R. Davis Survey |
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Abstract 334 in Cooke County. |
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THENCE South 00 degrees 11 minutes 30 seconds East, in said County |
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Road 200, crossing the South line of said Adda Survey, common to the |
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North line of said Bradley Survey, continuing a total of 2824.05 |
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feet to a found steel pin at the Easternmost Southeast corner of |
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said John Porter Farms tract, on the North line of a tract conveyed |
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to Alvrone Sater, Trustee, by deed recorded in Volume 734, page 271 |
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of said Deed Records, at a turn in said County Road 200, on the South |
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line of Cooke County, common to the North line of Denton County as |
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described in said Bengtston deed; |
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THENCE North 89 degrees 51 minutes 52 seconds West, with said North |
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line of said Sater tract, a distance of 40.68 feet to a found steel |
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pin; |
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THENCE South 89 degrees 45 minutes 12 seconds West, a distance of |
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3012.78 feet to a found steel pin at the Southernmost Southeast |
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corner of a tract conveyed to Troy P. Miller, Jr. by deed recorded |
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in Volume 805, page 156 of said Deed Records; |
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THENCE with an old fence line the following courses and distances: |
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North 07 degrees 55 minutes 34 seconds East, crossing the |
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line common to said Adda and Bradley Surveys, a distance of 745.34 |
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feet to a found steel pin, |
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North 19 degrees 20 minutes 59 seconds East, a distance of |
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105.60 feet to a found steel pin, |
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North 10 degrees 07 minutes 43 seconds East, a distance of |
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796.69 feet to a found steel pin, |
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North 72 degrees 35 minutes 49 seconds East, a distance of |
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201.96 feet to a found steel pin; |
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THENCE North 00 degrees 20 minutes 42 seconds East, along or near a |
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fence, a distance of 1157.87 feet to a found steel pin at the |
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Southwest corner of said Sater tract; |
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THENCE South 89 degrees 55 minutes 19 seconds East, along or near a |
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fence, passing a found steel pin at a fence corner on the West line |
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of said County Road 200, continuing a total of 2566.42 feet to the |
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point of beginning containing 179.94 acres 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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7954A, Special District Local Laws Code, as added by Section 1 of |
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this Act, is amended by adding Section 7954A.0306 to read as |
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follows: |
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Sec. 7954A.0306. 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 September 1, 2021. |