Sec. 54.037. REGIONAL PLAN IMPLEMENTATION AGENCIES. (a) This section applies only to regional plan implementation agencies, referred to in this section as agency, created as provided below. An agency may only be created in connection with regional planning efforts, and only then when requested by a city. The purpose of this section is to encourage and promote regional planning by cities and to facilitate the implementation of areawide, systematic solutions to water, waste disposal, drainage, and other problems.

(b) The creation of an agency requires that a special petition be filed with the commission. The special petition shall:

(1) describe the boundaries of the proposed agency by metes and bounds or by lot and block number, if there is a recorded map or plat and survey of the area;

(2) describe the regional planning efforts which are in progress or completed as of the date of the petition and the anticipated role of the proposed agency in connection with the implementation of the regional plan;

(3) include a name of the proposed agency, which must be generally descriptive of the locale followed by the words "regional plan implementation agency" and must be different from the name of any other agency in the same county;

(4) be signed by or on behalf of the owner or owners of the fee simple title to 50 percent or more of the surface of the land within the boundaries of the proposed agency, as of the date of the petition, as indicated by the county tax rolls or other title data acceptable to the commission;

(5) be approved by the governing body of each city having extraterritorial jurisdiction over land within the boundaries of the proposed agency as of the date of the petition, by motion, resolution, or ordinance which certifies that:

(A) the regional planning efforts described in the petition are approved by the city;

(B) in the opinion of the governing body, the creation of the proposed agency would assist in the implementation of such regional plan; and

(C) the city requests and consents to the creation of the proposed agency; and

(6) be endorsed by an officer of each such city to indicate that the petition has been so approved by the governing body.

(c) The application fee for such a special petition is the same as for any ordinary district. After the petition is filed, the standards and procedures for commission review and action are the same as for any ordinary district, except that:

(1) the commission must consider the scope of the regional plan in connection with its findings; and

(2) the requirements for the special petition, above, shall apply in lieu of the requirements for ordinary districts set out in Section 54.014, 54.015, 54.016, or other sections of this code.

(d) The application of an agency for approval of a bond issue must include an agreement between the agency and each city having extraterritorial jurisdiction over land within the agency as of the date of the application. The agreement must identify those facilities which are proposed to be financed from the proceeds of the bond issue in question. It must also identify which of those facilities are part of the regional plan and which are not part of the plan. Those which are part of the regional plan:

(1) may be larger than would otherwise be necessary to serve just the needs of the agency; and

(2) may be constructed by, conveyed to, or otherwise acquired by the city, subject to the terms of such agreement. Those facilities which are not part of the regional plan and are to be financed by the agency must be agreed upon by the city and the agency as being consistent with the regional plan.

(e) An agency may acquire any land, easements, or other property, real or personal, within or without the agency, for any purpose or function permitted to a district and may elect to condemn either the fee simple title or an easement only. Section 54.212(a) of this code does not apply to an agency. If the mode and manner for condemnation of any type of property is not otherwise prescribed by law, the Texas Water Development Board may prescribe the same by rule.

(f) An agency is a district subject to all provisions of this chapter and other laws relating to districts, except that the special provisions of this section shall take precedence over differing or conflicting provisions elsewhere.

(g) Nothing in this Act waives the requirements of this chapter or other applicable laws relating to voter approval of bond issues.

Added by Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 939, Sec. 1, eff. Aug. 26, 1985. Amended by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 399, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1, 1987.