Author Archives: Heather N. Cook
ALERT: New Open Meetings Act Notice Deadline
Once upon a time, municipalities and other entities subject to the Texas Open Meetings Act (the “Act”) were required to post notice of their meetings seventy-two (72) hours prior to the date and time of the actual meeting. This meant that an entity with regularly scheduled Monday night meetings would be perfectly in compliance… Read More »
Elections 101: How to Resolve a Tie Vote
Many municipalities have completed their May elections, and some are in the middle of runoffs. Although it is uncommon, tie votes can happen, and they are more likely to occur in smaller jurisdictions with fewer votes cast in a particular election. So, what happens in the unlikely event of a tie vote? The Texas… Read More »
TikTok, TikTok, . . . Time is Running Out
Do you remember back in 2023 when the Texas Legislature banned the use of certain social media applications on government devices? Senate Bill 1893 added Chapter 620 to the Texas Government Code to require certain governmental entities to adopt policies that prohibit the installation of certain social media applications on government-owned and -leased devices… Read More »
Chopped and Screwed: Mass Gatherings and Concerts in Texas
It’s summertime and events are popping up left and right! On June 19th the nation celebrated a holiday that started right here in Texas, Juneteenth. On June 27th Houstonians honored a homegrown music legend with DJ Screw Day. On July 4th we will celebrate America with Independence Day, and on July 13th Houstonians will… Read More »
Are Non-Compete Agreements Really Dead?
Right now, they are indeed dead according to a final rule issued by the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) on April 23, 2024. But what is a non-compete anyway, and how does the FTC rule impact regular folks? A non-compete agreement is often a document that is signed by an employee as a condition of… Read More »
Mind the Shot Clock
As we come out of an epic college basketball season, shot clocks may still be on the mind. Maybe you are new to municipal planning or maybe you just want a refresher, but either way we are going to chat a bit about the platting process and critical timing elements of that process. What… Read More »
Call Off the Dogs, We’re Letting the Cat Out of the Bag: New(er) Laws for Fido and Tiger
“The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” Mahatma Gandhi Are you a cat person? A dog person? Both? Well, then you might be interested in learning about two new laws adopted during the 88th Legislative Session in Texas that are intended to offer greater protection to… Read More »
County Appraisal District Chaos?
If you are a property owner in Texas, you were probably thrilled last November to vote in the constitutional amendment election to reduce your property tax liability and to increase the homestead exemption from $40,000 to $100,000. Given the unprecedented increases in property values across most of the state over the last several years,… Read More »
The End of the “Dead Suspect Loophole” and Other TPIA Changes
During the last legislative session, changes were made to Chapter 552 of the Texas Local Government Code which altered important government transparency provisions related to the release of information under the Texas Public Information Act (TPIA). Public Information Officers (PIOs) need to be aware of these changes which impact: 1) the release of information… Read More »
Go Speed Racer, Go! (Or Maybe Don’t)
Those of a certain vintage might remember the late 1960’s animated Speed Racer series and others might be more familiar with the re-airing of the series in the 1990’s or even the 2008 movie remake, but either way, you probably now have the earworm opening song stuck in your head. Speed Racer sought to… Read More »