2019-074 Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone Number Two (Westpark TIRZ) BylawsDate: April 12, 2019 Report No. 2019-074
INFORMAL STAFF REPORT
TO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT:
Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone Number Two (Westpark TIRZ) Bylaws
BACKGROUND:
Staff is providing this report in advance of the City Council’s consideration of changes to the
Westpark TIRZ Bylaws on April 16, 2019 as a part of the Consent Agenda. The proposed
changes are reflective of changes previously approved by the City Council related to the
Economic Development Partnership Board (EDPB), which comprises 13 of the 15 members of
the Westpark TIRZ Board. As such, staff is proposing the following changes to ensure
consistency between the two Boards:
1. Page 2, Section 1 – Clarify that the Westpark TIRZ Board is made up of all members of
the EDPB, currently 13, plus one member appointed by Denton County one member
from the Developer. Additionally, clarify that the chairman of the Board will be elected
by the Board which is consistent with other similar committees and boards.
2. Page 2, Section 3 – Clarify that exceptions to the open meetings act are provided in
accordance with Chapter 551 of the Texas Government Code.
3. Page 2, Section 5 – Clarify that a meeting quorum is comprised of a majority of the
Board rather than the previously stipulated six members.
4. Page 4, Section 2 – Clarify that amendments to Bylaws will be submitted to the City
Council for consideration and approval.
The proposed changes were discussed with the TIRZ Board on February 13, 2019 and were
approved unanimously 9-0 to be forwarded to the City Council for consideration.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Redlined Westpark TIRZ Bylaws
STAFF CONTACT:
Antonio Puente, Jr., Interim Assistant City Manager
(940) 349-7283 / Antonio.Puente@cityofdenton.com
BYLAWS Denton Page 1
City of Denton
Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 2 (Westpark TIRZ)
BYLAWS
ARTICLE I
POWERS AND PURPOSE
Section 1. Financing Development or Redevelopment in the Zone. In order to implement
the purposes for which Westpark Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. Two, City of Denton,
Texas (the “Zone”) was formed, as set forth in Ordinance No. 2012-366, dated December 18,
2012, creating the Zone, the City of Denton, Texas (the “City”) may issue obligations to finance
all or part of the cost of implementing the “project plan” for the Zone as defined in the Tax
Increment Financing Act of the Tax Code, Chapter 311, Vernon’s Texas Codes Annotated (the
“Act”).
Section 2. Books and Records: Approval of Programs and Financial Statements. The
Board of Directors shall keep correct and complete books and records of account and shall also
keep minutes of its proceedings and the proceedings of committees having any of the authority of
the Board of Directors. All books and records of the Zone may be inspected by any director or his
agent or attorney for any proper purpose at any reasonable time; and at all times the City Council
and the City Auditor will have access to the books and records of the Zone. The City Council
must approve all programs and expenditures for the Zone and annually review any financial
statements of the Zone.
ARTICLE II
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1. Powers, Number, and Term of Office. The property and affairs of the Zone shall
be managed and controlled by the City Council based on the recommendations of the Board of
Directors of the Zone (“Board of Directors” or “Board”), subject to the restrictions imposed by
law, the ordinance creating the Zone, and these Bylaws. It is the intention of the City Council that
the Board of Directors shall function only in an advisory or study capacity with respect to the Zone
and shall exercise only those powers, advisory in nature, which are either granted to the Board
pursuant to the Act or delegated to the Board by the City Council. The Board will comply with
the policies and procedures as outlined in the City of Denton Handbook for Boards, Commissions,
and Council Committees, including, but not limited to, matters regarding ethics conflicts of
interest, and the Open Meetings Act.
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BYLAWS Denton Page 2
All members of the board shall meet the eligibility requirements set forth in the Act. Board
membership shall consist of the following:
1. The members of the Economic Development Partnership Board,
2. One member shall be appointed by the governing body of Denton County, and
3. One member shall be appointed by the “Developer,” Rayzor Investments, LLP.
The terms of the board members shall be two-year terms; the members appointed by City Council
will serve terms concurrent with their EDP terms. A board member may serve no more than three
consecutive terms. The board shall elect from its members a chairman, vice chairman, and other
officers as it sees fit.
Any director may be removed from office by the City Council for cause deemed by the City
Council as sufficient for their removal in the interest of the public, but only after a public hearing
before the City Council on charges publicly made, if demanded by such Board member within ten
(10) days.
In the event of a vacancy caused by the resignation, death, or removal for any reason, of a director,
the governing body of the respective taxing unit which made such Board appointment shall be
responsible for filling the vacancy.
Section 2. Meetings of Directors. The directors shall hold their meetings within a public
building in the City as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine.
Section 3. Regular and Special Meetings. Regular and Special Meetings of the Board of
Directors shall be held at such times and places as shall be designated, from time to time, by the
Board of Directors. All meetings of the Board shall be of a public nature unless pertaining to
matters authorized to be discussed in closed session in accordance with Chapter 551, Texas
Government Code. Notice of all regular and special meetings of the Board and any committees
thereof shall be posted in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 551, Texas Government Code.
There shall be at least one Regular Meeting held each year.
Section 4. Emergency Meetings. Emergency Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be
held whenever called by the chair, by the secretary, by a majority of the directors then in office or
upon advice of or request by the City Council. The secretary shall give notice to each director of
each Emergency Meeting. Notice of all Emergency Meetings shall state the purpose, which shall
be the only business conducted and shall be subject to the requirements of State Law.
Section 5. Quorum. A majority of the directors holding current appointments shall constitute
a quorum for the consideration of matters pertaining to the purposes of the Zone. The act of a
majority of the directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is in attendance shall constitute
the act of the Board of Directors, unless the act of a greater number is required by law.
Section 6. Conduct of Business. At the meetings of the Board of Directors, matters pertaining
to the purposes of the Zone shall be considered in such order as from time to time the Board of
Directors may determine.
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The Board of Directors shall consist of the members of the
Economic Development Partnership Board (EDPB) whom shall be
appointed by the City Council of the City.
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BYLAWS Denton Page 3
At all meetings of the Board of Directors, the chair shall preside and in the absence of the chair,
the vice chair shall exercise the power of the chair.
The secretary of the Board of Directors shall act as secretary of all meetings of the Board of
Directors, but in the absence of the secretary, the presiding officer may appoint any person to act
as secretary of the meeting. City staff shall provide notice of meetings and prepare meeting
agendas.
Within five days following each Regular, Special and Emergency meeting, a copy of the minutes
of the meeting shall be submitted to the City Secretary of the City.
Section 7. Compensation of Directors. Directors as such shall not receive any salary or
compensation for their services, except that they shall be reimbursed for their actual reasonable
expenses incurred in the performance of their duties hereunder.
Section 8. Attendance. Board members shall make every effort to attend all Regular, Special
and Emergency meetings of the Board and/or Committees. The City Council may replace a City
appointee of the Board for non-attendance at three consecutive meetings.
ARTICLE III
OFFICERS
Section 1. Titles and Term of Office. The officers of the Zone shall consist of a chair, a vice
chair, a secretary, and such other officers as the Board of Directors may from time to time elect or
appoint; provided however that the Board of Directors shall, on an annual basis, appoint the chair
whose term of office shall end on September 30st of each year. One person may hold more than
one office, except that the chair shall not hold the office of secretary. Terms of office for officers,
other than the chair, shall not exceed two years.
All officers, other than the chair, shall be subject to removal from office, with or without cause, at
any time by a vote of a majority of the entire Board of Directors.
A vacancy in the office of any officer, other than the chair, shall be filled by a vote of a majority
of the directors.
Section 2. Powers and Duties of the Chair. The chair shall be the chief executive officer of
the Board of Directors and, subject to the approval of the City Council, he/she shall be in general
charge of the properties and affairs of the Zone and shall preside at all meetings of the Board of
Directors.
Section 3. Vice Chair. The Vice chair shall be a member of the Board of Directors, shall have
such powers and duties as may be assigned to him by the Board of Directors and shall exercise the
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BYLAWS Denton Page 4
powers of the chair during that officer’s absence or inability to act. Any action taken by the vice
chair in the performance of the duties of the chair shall be conclusive evidence of the absence or
inability to act of the chair at the time such action was taken.
Section 4. Secretary. The secretary shall keep the minutes of all meetings of the Board of
Directors in books provided for the purpose, he/she shall have charge of such books, records,
documents and instruments as the Board of Directors may direct, all of which shall at all reasonable
times be open to inspection, and he/she shall in general perform all duties incident to the office of
secretary subject to the control of the City Council and the Board of Directors. The function of
Secretary may be performed by City Staff.
Section 5. Compensation. Officers as such shall not receive any salary or compensation for
their services, except that they shall be reimbursed for their actual reasonable expenses incurred in
the performance of their duties hereunder.
Section 6. Staff. Staff functions for the Board of Directors may be performed by the City
Manager or his designees.
ARTICLE IV
PROVISIONS REGARDING BYLAWS
Section 1. Effective Date. These Bylaws shall become effective only upon the occurrence of
the following events:
(1) The adoption of these Bylaws by the Board of Directors, and
(2) The approval of these Bylaws by the City Council.
Section 2. Amendments to Bylaws. The Board of Directors shall make a written application
requesting that the City Council approve amendments to the Bylaws, specifying in such
application, the amendments proposed to be made. The City Council may adopt amendments to
the Bylaws by ordinance if it is advisable that the proposed amendment be made.
After consultation with the Board of Directors, the Bylaws may also be amended at any time by
the City Council by adopting an amendment to the Bylaws by ordinance of the City Council and
delivering the Bylaws to the secretary of the Board of Directors.
Section 3. Interpretation of Bylaws. These Bylaws and all the terms and provisions hereof
shall be liberally construed to effectuate the purposes set forth herein. If any word, phrase, clause,
sentence, paragraph, section or other part of these Bylaws, or the application thereof to any person
or circumstance, shall ever be held to be invalid or unconstitutional by any court of competent
jurisdiction, the remainder of these Bylaws and the application of such word, phrase, clause,
sentence, paragraph, section or other part of these Bylaws to any other person or circumstance
shall not be affected thereby.
Deleted: These Bylaws may be amended by majority vote of the
Board of Directors, provided that t
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Deleted: , authorizes the same to be made and approves the form of the proposed amendment, the Board of Directors shall proceed to
amend the Bylaws
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BYLAWS Denton Page 5
ARTICLE V
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 1. Notice and Waiver of Notice. Unless otherwise required by State Law, whenever
any notice whatsoever is required to be given under the provision of these Bylaws, said notice shall
be deemed to be sufficient if given by depositing the same in a post office box in a sealed postpaid
wrapper addressed to the person entitled thereto at his post office address, as it appears on the
books of the Zone, and such notice shall be deemed to have been given on the day of such mailing.
Attendance of a director at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except
where a director attends a meeting for the express purposes of objecting to the transaction of any
business on the grounds that the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. A waiver of notice in
writing signed by the person or persons entitled to said notice, whether before or after the time
stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent to the giving of such notice.
Section 2. Resignations. Any director or officer may resign at any time. Such resignation
shall be made in writing and shall take effect at the time specified therein, or, if no time be
specified, at the time of its receipt by the City Council. The acceptance of a resignation shall not
be necessary to make it effective, unless expressly so provided in the resignation.
Section 3. Approval or Delegation of Power by the City Council. To the extent that these
Bylaws refer to any approval by the City, such approval of delegation shall be evidenced by a
certified copy of an ordinance, or resolution (if permissible), duly adopted by the City Council.
Approved by the Westpark TIRZ No. 2 Board of Directors on the _____ day of _____ 2019.
Approved by the Denton City Council on the ________ day of _____________, 2019.
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