OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE JUNE 21 VOLUME CVIII NUMBER 6 MARTHA CASTEX-TATUM 2021-2022 TML PRESIDENT VICE MAYOR PRO TEM, HOUSTON TEXAS TOWN & CITY • 1 JUNE 2021 Renewing Your Infrastructure Can Be a Lifeline for Your Future. If your community is like many, your water and wastewater infrastructure has exceeded its useful lifespan, causing water quality and reliability issues. Aqua Texas has the solutions you need to address these issues efficiently and effectively. Aqua Texas offers 135 years of excellence in operations, testing, engineering, planning and infrastructure improvements. We’re a caring partner dedicated to collaborating with communities throughout Texas for the best possible outcomes. Steve Dunnahoe Manager, Business Development Learn about new Texas Fair Market Value legislation. O: 817.367.1403 M: 817.822.3779 In 2019, Texas passed a law establishing a valuation process [email protected] enabling municipalities and other utility owners to receive fair market value for the sale of their water and wastewater systems. That could mean an increase in the value of your systems that could be converted into funding for community priorities. Learn more at WaterByAqua.com CONTENTS H FEATURES Official Publication of the 8 30 Texas Municipal League. Elected Officials: Get the Recognition You Water Modernization Project Saves the Day Deserve – The City of Jacksonville Story This publication assumes no responsibility for statements made by contributors 9 33 in signed articles. It is not operated for Get to Know Houston Vice Mayor Pro Tem Making It Easier to Pay the Water Bill pecuniary gain. Martha Castex-Tatum: 2021-2022 Texas Municipal League President 34 Editor Christina Corrigan Buyer Beware: Energy Performance Creative Manager Jennifer Stamps 19 Contracts Don’t Always Deliver on Promised Designer Will Bowling Delivering an Increasing Project Workload Savings Advertising Sales Gray Bulman with Limited Resources Printing Publication Printers Corp. 37 28 Five Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities That Need Texas Town & City (ISSN 1084-5356) is 2021 TML Water and Wastewater Survey Strong Policies published monthly except October for $30 Results per year ($3.00 per single copy) by the 40 Texas Municipal League, 1821 Rutherford 2022 Census of Governments Lane, Suite 400, Austin, Texas 78754-5101. Periodicals Postage Paid at Austin, Texas and additional mailing offices. H POSTMASTER: CONTENTS IN EACH ISSUE Send address changes to Texas Town & City, 1821 Rutherford Lane, Suite 400, Austin, 5 22 Texas 78754-5101. Message from the President Small Cities’ Corner Section 305.027, Government Code, requires 6 24 legislative advertising to disclose certain TML News Legal Q&A information. 12 42 A person who knowingly enters into a Risk Pool News Career Builder contract or other agreement to print, publish, 14 43 or broadcast legislative advertising that does not contain the required information Health Pool News Instagram Highlights commits a Class A misdemeanor offense. 16 Texas Town & City contains material which City Lights is legislative advertising as defined by law in the state of Texas. Mr. Bennett Sandlin has entered into an agreement with Publication Printers Corp. for the printing of Texas Town & City magazine. Mr. Sandlin represents the ABOUT THE COVER member cities of the Texas Municipal Meet Martha Castex-Tatum, League. Houston Vice Mayor Pro Tem and 2021-2022 TML President TEXAS TOWN & CITY • 3 JUNE 2021 ABOUT H TML BOARD OF DIRECTORS H TML The Texas Municipal League exists solely TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE BOARD OF DIRECTORS to provide services to Texas cities. Since its formation in 1913, the League’s mission PRESIDENT 15-Merlyn Holmes, Councilmember, Jennifer Bozorgnia, Court Services Martha Castex-Tatum, Kilgore Coordinator, Irving has remained the same: to serve the needs Vice Mayor Pro Tem, Houston Texas Court Clerks Association 16-David Rutledge., CMO, Mayor, and advocate the interests of its members. Bridge City Membership in the League is voluntary PRESIDENT-ELECT Jimmy Chew, Fire Chief, Stephenville Texas Fire Chiefs Association and is open to any city in Texas. From the VACANT AFFILIATE DIRECTORS original 14 members, TML’s membership has Lee Battle, Director of Community Amanda Campos, City Secretary, grown to more than 1,150 cities. Over 16,000 IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Enhancement, Allen Burleson Holly Gray-Moore, Mayor Pro Tem, American Planning Association Texas Municipal Clerks mayors, councilmembers, city managers, Roanoke Texas Chapter Association, Inc. city attorneys, and department heads are Lisa Norris, Human Resources/ member officials of the League by virtue of Marissa Ximenez, Councilmember, PAST PRESIDENTS Civil Service Director, Grand Prairie their cities’participation. Floresville Mary M. Dennis, CMO, Mayor, Live Oak Texas Municipal Human Resources Association of Hispanic Municipal Jungus Jordan, Mayor Pro Tem, Association Officials The League provides a variety of services Fort Worth Maria Redburn, Library Director, Bedford to its member cities. One of the principal Leonard Reed, CMO, Mayor, Willis Selso A. Mata, Director of Building Texas Municipal Library Directors Inspections, Plano purposes of the League is to advocate Henry Wilson, Mayor, Hurst Association Building Officials Association of Texas municipal interests at the state and federal Dock Jackson, CMO, Councilmember, Michael Thane, Director of Utilities, levels. Among the thousands of bills Bastrop Clifford Blackwell, CGFO, Assistant Round Rock Terry Henley, Board of Adjustment City Manager, Bedford introduced during each session of the Texas Texas Municipal Utilities Association Member, Meadows Place Government Finance Officers Legislature are hundreds of bills that would Association of Texas Brian Frieda, City Manager, Ballinger affect cities. The League, working through its DIRECTORS-AT-LARGE Texas Police Chiefs Association Legislative Services Department, attempts Robin Mouton, Councilmember, Jeff Williams, Mayor, Arlington Beaumont Timothy Slifka, Purchasing Manager, to defeat detrimental city-related bills Steve Adler, Mayor, Austin Texas Association of Black City Council Southlake and to facilitate the passage of legislation Paulette Guajardo, Mayor, Corpus Christi Members Texas Public Purchasing Association designed to improve the ability of municipal Eric Johnson, Mayor, Dallas Sid Hudson, Chief Information Officer, governments to operate effectively. Claudia Lizette Rodriguez, Erin Hart, Assistant Director of Parks, McKinney Arts and Recreation Department, Representative, El Paso Texas Association of Governmental Grand Prairie Betsy Price, Mayor, Fort Worth Information Technology Managers The League employs full-time attorneys who Texas Recreation and Parks Society are available to provide member cities with Martha Castex-Tatum, Vice Mayor Pro Tem, Houston Steve Rockey, Councilmember, information on municipal legal matters. On a Friendswood EX-OFFICIO NON-VOTING INVITED Ron Nirenberg, Mayor, San Antonio daily basis, the legal staff responds to member Texas Association of Mayors, REPRESENTATIVES cities’ written and oral questions on a wide Councilmembers and Commissioners TML Health Benefits Pool REGIONAL DIRECTORS Blake Petrash, Mayor Pro Tem, variety of legal matters. The League annually Steve Killen, Director of Development 2-Doyle Robinson, CMO, Mayor, City of Ganado Services, Stephenville conducts a variety of conferences and Panhandle training seminars to enhance the knowledge Texas Association of Municipal Health 3-Latrelle Joy, Councilmember, Officials TML Intergovernmental Risk Pool and skills of municipal officials in the state. In Lubbock Jeffrey Snyder, City Manager, Plainview addition, the League also publishes a variety 4-Jack Ladd, Councilmember, Midland Will Hampton, Communications of printed materials to assist member cities 5-Bill Lindenborn, Commissioner, and Marketing Director, Round Rock Texas Association of Municipal Burkburnett in performing their duties. The best known Information Officers of these is the League’s monthly magazine, 6-Robert Brown, Alderman, Menard Texas Town & City. Each issue focuses on a 7-Suzanne de Leon, CMO, Mayor, Kristina Ramirez, Planning and Balcones Heights Development Director, Harker Heights variety of contemporary municipal issues, Texas Chapter of American Public Works 8-Tito Rodriguez, Councilmember, including survey results to respond to Association North Richland Hills member inquiries. 9-Ray O’Docharty, Mayor, Groesbeck Charles E. Zech, City Attorney, 10-Connie Schroeder, CMO, Mayor, Pflugerville, Bee Cave, Wimberley, Prairie For additional information on any of Bastrop View, Rollingwood, Santa Fe, Leon Valley, and Fair Oaks Ranch these services, contact the 11-Patrick R. Rios, CMO, Mayor, Rockport Texas City Attorneys Association Texas Municipal League at 512-231-7400 12-Ricardo Villarreal, Mayor, Palmview or visit our website, www.tml.org. 13-Rick Grady, Councilmember, Plano Hugh R. Walker, Deputy City Manager, 14-Andy Brauninger, Mayor, Huntsville Bryan Texas City Management Association TEXAS TOWN & CITY • 4 JUNE 2021 BOARD OF DIRECTORS H TML MESSAGE H FROM THE PRESIDENT MARTHA CASTEX-TATUM Vice Mayor Pro Tem, City of Houston TML President Dear Texas City Official, I’m so excited to make this my first message to you in Texas Town & City. As I take over the TML presidency, I will start by thanking outgoing Coppell Mayor Karen Hunt for her leadership. I look forward to continuing the significant work that was accomplished during her term. By