Notice of Meeting of the Governing Body of the City of Georgetown, Texas February 16, 2021
The Georgetown City Council will meet on February 16, 2021 at 10:00 AM at Virtual
The City of Georgetown is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you require assistance in participating at a public meeting due to a disability, as defined under the ADA, reasonable assistance, adaptations, or accommodations will be provided upon request. Please contact the City Secretary's Office, at least three (3) days prior to the scheduled meeting date, at (512) 930-3652 or City Hall at 808 Martin Luther King Jr. Street, Georgetown, TX 78626 for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711.
THIS MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELED DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER.
This is a meeting of the Council appointed Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee.
Consistent with Governor Greg Abbott’s suspension of various provisions of the Open Meetings Act, effective August 1, 2020 and until further notice, to reduce the chance of COVID-19 transmission, all City of Georgetown Advisory Board meetings will be held virtually. Public comment will be allowed via teleconference; no one will be allowed to appear in person.
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Page 2 of 26 Use of profanity, threatening language, slanderous remarks or threats of harm are not allowed and will result in you being immediately removed from the meeting. Regular Session (This Regular Session may, at any time, be recessed to convene an Executive Session for any purpose authorized by the Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code 551.) A Roll Call --Mayra Cantu, Management Analyst B Call to Order --Mayra Cantu, Management Analyst C Presentation and Discussion Regarding the 87th Session of the Texas State Legislature - Snapper Carr, Focused Advocacy Adjournment D Adjourn Certificate of Posting
I, Robyn Densmore, City Secretary for the City of Georgetown, Texas, do hereby certify that this Notice of Meeting was posted at City Hall, 808 Martin Luther King Jr. Street, Georgetown, TX 78626, a place readily accessible to the general public as required by law, on the _____ day of ______, 2021, at ______, and remained so posted for at least 72 continuous hours preceding the scheduled time of said meeting.
______Robyn Densmore, City Secretary
Page 3 of 26 City of Georgetown, Texas City Council Special Meeting February 16, 2021 SUBJECT: Presentation and Discussion Regarding the 87th Session of the Texas State Legislature - Snapper Carr, Focused Advocacy ITEM SUMMARY: During the Intergovernmental Relations Subcommittee meeting, the City of Georgetown legislative consultants will provide an update on the 87th Texas Legislative Session. The update will include:
Governor Abbott’s emergency items State Budget House/Senate Committee Assignments Summary of bills filed-to-date that are relevant to the City of Georgetown
FINANCIAL IMPACT: N/A SUBMITTED BY: Shirley Rinn on behalf of Bridget Hinze Weber, Assistant to the City Manager ATTACHMENTS:
Des cri pt i on IGR Subcommittee Presentation
Page 4 of 26 City of Georgetown Intergovernmental Relations Committee 87TH TEXAS LEGISLATIVE SESSION BRIEFING
February 16, 2021
Page 5 of 26 AGENDA
• Governor Abbott’s emergency items • State Budget • House/Senate Committee Assignments • Summary of bills filed-to-date that are relevant to the City of Georgetown
Page 6 of 26 GOVERNOR’S EMERGENCY ITEMS
Page 7 of 26 IDENTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY ITEMS
Gov. Abbott designates five emergency items for 87th Session during State of the State address
• punishing local governments that "defund the police"
• COVID-related civil liability protection for businesses
• expanding broadband internet access
• election integrity
• bail system reform
An "emergency item" designation from the governor allows the Texas Legislature to vote on emergency item bills within the first 60 days of the session
Page 8 of 26 BUDGET
Page 9 of 26 COMPTROLLER HEGAR RELEASES BIENNIAL REVENUE ESTIMATE
• Lawmakers have estimated $112.5 billion available to allocate for general-purpose spending in the next two-year state budget • Nearly $1 billion deficit for current state budget; once estimated at $4.6 billion over the summer • Economic Stabilization Fund • $11.6 billion for lawmakers to use if they choose to do so
Page 10 of 26 HOUSE/SENATE COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
Page 11 of 26 HOUSE COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
Representative Talarico: • Calendars • Juvenile Justice & Family Issues • Public Education
Representative Wilson: • Appropriations • Natural Resources
Page 12 of 26 SENATE COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
Senator Schwertner: • Administration • Business & Commerce • Education • Finance • State Affairs
Page 13 of 26 CITY ISSUES: SENATE COMMITTEES
• Business & Commerce • Natural Resources & • Chair: Kelly Hancock Economic Development • Vice-chair: Robert Nichols • Chair: Brian Birdwell • Vice-chair: Judith Zaffirini • Finance • Chair: Jane Nelson • State Affairs • Vice-chair: Eddie Lucio, Jr. • Chair: Bryan Hughes • Vice-chair: Brian Birdwell • Local Government • Chair: Paul Bettencourt • Transportation • Vice-chair: José Menéndez • Chair: Robert Nichols • Vice-chair: Kel Seliger Page 14 of 26 CITY ISSUES: HOUSE COMMITTEES
• Appropriations • Natural resources • Chair: Greg Bonnen • Chair: Tracy King • Vice-chair: Mary González • Vice-chair: Cody Harris • Business & Industry • Redistricting • Chair: Chris Turner • Chair: Todd Hunter • Vice-chair: Cole Hefner • Vice-chair: Toni Rose • Culture, Recreation, & Tourism • State Affairs • Chair: Ken King • Chair: Chris Paddie • Vice-chair: Barbara Gervin-Hawkins • Vice-chair: Ana Hernandez • Elections • Transportation • Chair: Briscoe Cain • Chair: Terry Canales • Vice-chair: Jessica González • Vice-chair: Ed Thompson • Environmental Regulation • Urban Affairs • Chair: Brooks Landgraf • Chair: Philip Cortez • Vice-chair: Alex Dominguez • Vice-chair: Justin Holland • Homeland Security & Public Safety • Ways & Means • Chair: James White • Chair: Morgan Meyer • Vice-chair: Rhetta Andrews Bowers • Vice-chair: Shawn Thierry • Land & Resource Management • Chair: Joe Deshotel Page 15 of 26 • Vice-chair: Ben Leman BILLS OF INTEREST
Page 16 of 26 FILED LEGISLATION
Municipal Owned Utilities • SB 182 (Schwertner) – Municipally-Owned Utilities: would: (1) require certain municipally-owned electric utilities (MOUs) to provide customer choice if the five-year average electric rate paid by customers of a MOU is 10 percent greater than the five- year average electric rate paid by customers in a similarly situated region open to customer choice; (2) require the Public Utility Commission (PUC) to make an electric rate comparison of approximately one-fifth of MOUs located in the ERCOT power region and not open to customer choice by comparing the average electric rate paid in the previous five years by: (a) customers of the MOU; and (b) customers who are located in a region that is open to customer choice and similarly situated to the region served by the utility, as determined by the PUC; and (3) provide that the PUC may not make a rate comparison of an MOU if the MOU was the subject of a rate comparison under (2) in the previous four years.
Page 17 of 26 FILED LEGISLATION
Broadband • HB 425 (K. King): Relating to the use of the universal service fund for the provision of broadband service in underserved rural areas
• SB 154 (Perry): Creating a broadband office within the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the establishment of a broadband service investment grant program
Page 18 of 26 FILED LEGISLATION
Public Safety Funding: • HB 638 (Krause): authority of certain political subdivisions to adopt a budget that reduces the amount allocated to provide a fire protection, law enforcement, or emergency medical service
• HB 741 (Alison): voter approval of a county or municipal budget that reduces by a certain percentage the amount allocated to provide a fire protection, law enforcement, or emergency medical service
Page 19 of 26 FILED LEGISLATION
Building materials: • HB 233 (Murr): would provide that the prohibition on city regulation of building products, materials, or methods passed by H.B. 2439 in 2019 does not apply to a city with a population of less than 25,000.
Page 20 of 26 FILED LEGISLATION
Annexation of Rights-of-Way: • HB 1241 (Shine) / SB 374 (Seliger): would provide that: (1) a city annexing an area on request of the owners, an area with less than 200 population by petition, an area with at least 200 population by election, or certain special districts may also annex with the area: (a) the right-of-way of a street, highway, alley or other public way or of a railway line spur, or roadbed that is contiguous to the city’s boundaries and the area being annexed or a right-of-way described in (b); or (b) the right-of-way of a public road or highway connecting the area being annexed to the city by the most direct route; (2) a city may only annex a right-of-way described under (1) if the city: (a) provides written notice of the annexation to the owner of the right-of-way not later than the 61st day before the date of the proposed annexation; and (b) the owner of the right-of-way does not submit a written objection to the city before the date of the proposed annexation; and (3) certain width requirements do not apply to the annexation of a right-of-way under
Page 21 of 26 FILED LEGISLATION
Bond Issuance: • HB 35 (Swanson): Relating to an election authorizing the issuance of bonds or an increase in taxes by a political subdivision
Page 22 of 26 FILED LEGISLATION
Public funds for lobbying activities: • H.B. 749 (Middleton) – Community Censorship: would: (1) prohibit a political subdivision from spending public funds to: (a) hire an individual required to register as a lobbyist for the purpose of lobbying a member of the Texas legislature; or (b) pay a nonprofit state association or organization that: (i) primarily represents political subdivisions; and (ii) hires or contracts with an individual required to register as a lobbyist; (2) provide that if a political subdivision engages in activity prohibited by (1), above, a taxpayer or resident of the political subdivision is entitled to injunctive relief to prevent any further prohibited activity or any further payments of public funds; and (3) provide that a taxpayer or resident who prevails in an action under (2), above, is entitled to recover reasonable attorney’s fees and costs from the political subdivision. (Companion bill is S.B. 234 by Hall.)
Page 23 of 26 SUBCOMMITTEE NEXT STEPS
Page 24 of 26 NEXT STEPS
• Monthly briefings throughout remainder of Session: March – May • Briefing to full Council: February 23 • Briefing to full Council summarizing Session: June
Page 25 of 26 QUESTIONS | FEEDBACK
Page 26 of 26