Magnolia City Council approved new rules and procedures Sept. 8 for the city’s Capital Improvements Advisory Committee, setting guidelines for how the group will review capital projects and weigh in on future impact fees.
What you need to know
The committee will serve in an advisory role as Magnolia works to update its capital improvement plans and impact fees for water and wastewater infrastructure. The group will advise council on land use assumptions, review the city’s capital improvements plan, monitor its implementation and flag potential inequities involving the plan or impact fees.
Under the approved procedures, the committee must have at least five members with at least half representing the real estate, development or building industries. At least one member must represent Magnolia’s extraterritorial jurisdiction and members will serve without compensation.
The committee is advisory only and cannot commit city funds, enter contracts, impose or collect impact fees or make final funding decisions. Those decisions will remain with the City Council, per the agenda documents.
The details
The committee is expected to meet twice a year, with meetings scheduled for the third Tuesday in March and September. Special meetings and work sessions can also be called as needed. Meetings will follow Robert’s Rules of Order, require a majority of members for a quorum and comply with the Texas Open Meetings Act.
The committee will also file semiannual reports on the progress of the capital improvements plan by Jan. 31 and July 31 each year. Those reports can include updates on implementation, potential inequities and recommendations for addressing problems identified by the group.
What’s next
The move comes as Magnolia continues its broader impact fee review. City Administrator Bob Harvey’s September presentation showed staff had been meeting weekly with Baxter & Woodman on the city’s land-use and capital improvement plan work and recruiting candidates for the advisory committee.
The council also approved appointments to the Capital Improvements Advisory Committee immediately following adoption of the committee’s rules.
