2014-218s:\legal\aur doclsments\ardinances\14\ordis7�nce ordering election on hydraulic fracturing ban.docx
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WHEREAS, on May 7, 2014, members of a Committee of Petitioners submitted an
initiative petition regarding the banning af hydraulic fracturing in the City of Denton to the City
Secretary; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with the City Cliarter, said initiative petition had attached a
capy of the Ordinance the petitianers desired to initiate; and
WHEREAS, The City Secretary determined the petitian to be sufficient and further
certified it to be in campliance with the City Charter at the City Cauncil meeting of June 3, 2014;
and
WHEREAS, the City Cauncil af the City af Denton considered the proffered initiative
ordinance at its meeting of today's date; and
WHE AS, the City Council determined that the matter would be best resolved by the
voters of the City of Dentan; and
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SECTION l, The preamble clauses above are incorporated into this Ordinance as though
set forth in fu1L �W WF
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s:\legal\our documents\ordinances\14\ordinance ordering election on hydraulic fracturing ban.docx
SECTION 3. The form of the ballot shall be substantially as follows:
PROPOSITION REGARDING THE PROHIBITION
OF HYDRAULIC FRACTURING
SHALL AN ORDINANCE BE ENACTED PROHIBITING, WITHIN THE
CORPORATE LIMITS OF THE CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS, HYDRAULIC
FRACTURING, A WELL STIMULATION PROCESS 1NVOLVING THE USE OF
WATER, SAND AND/OR CHEMICAL ADDITIVES PUMPED UNDER HIGH
PRESSURE TO FRACTURE SUBSURFACE NON-POROUS ROCK FORMATIONS
SUCH AS SHALE TO IMPROVE THE FLOW OF NATURAL GAS, OIL, OR OTHER
HYDROCARBONS INTO THE WELL, WITH SUBSEQUENT HIGH RATE,
EXTENDED FLOWBACK TO EXPEL FRACTURE FLUIDS AND SOLIDS?
FOR THE ORDINANCE
AGAINST THE ORDINANCE
SECTION 4. The election and early voting shall be conducted at the time and in the
manner specified in and in accordance with an agreement between the Election Administrator of
Denton County and the City of Denton.
SECTION 5. The manner of holding such election and all questions pertaining thereto
shall be governed by the election laws of the State of Texas.
SECTION_ 6. Should any provision of this Ordinance be held finally invalid by a Court
of Law, such provision shall be severed from the remaining provisions of this Ordinance and the
remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.
SECTION 7. The City Council has found and determined that the meeting at which this
Ordinance is considered is open to the public, and that notice thereof was given in accordance
with provisions of the Texas open meetings law, Tex. Gov't. Code ch. 551, as amended, and that
a quorum of the City Council was present.
SECTION 8, This Ordinance shall become effective immediately upon its passage and
approval.
PRESENTED, PASSED AND APPROVED on the �� , n��i�° e��' • ,
2014 at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of i��;���t�r�, �I'�,;���, l� ����� f'
ayes and nays at the regular meeting ofthe City Council �t'tl�� C.ii� �CI)���tc�r�� '�'�x�s.
PASSED AND APPROVED this the day of __ , 2014.
Page 2
s:\legal\our documents\ordinances\14\ordinance ordering election on hydraulic fracturing ban.docx
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C:`l 11�1� ���1'l �, NC11Y01 : � a__..
BY: � _ � _
API� . VED ' TO LEGAL FORM;
ANITA BURGESS, CITY ATTORNEY
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BY: � � � � .-��n�.� ± �� ��-�'�� � _.. �m
Page 3
Exhibit A
CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS
ORDINANCE NO,
AN OROINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS,
AMENDINO CHAPTER 18, "LICENSES, PERMITS AND BUSINESS REOULATION;'
OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS, BY ADDING A
NEW ARTICLE VII, "PROHIBITION pF HYDRAULJC FRACTURING," OENERALLY
PROVIDINf3 THAT HYDRAULIC FRACTURINO OPERATIONS ARE PROHIBITED IN
THE CITY OF DENTON; MAKINQ FINDIN(33; PROVIDING A REPEALER CLAUSE;
PROVIDINO A SEVERA8ILITY CLAUSE; PROVIDINC3 FOR A PENALTY; AND
PROVIDINO FOR PUBUCATION AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREA3, as a Texes home-rule munlclpallty pursuant lo Article II, Section 5,
of ihe Texas Conatitutlon, the City of Denton, Texas ("Clty"), may enact regulatlons not
Inconsletent wlth lhe general laws of the Stete of Texae In the Interest of the health,
safety end welfare of the cRlzens of the Clty; and
WHEREA3, natural ges drllllnp a�d producllon operatlons In generel Involve or
olherwise Impact the Cily's envlronment, Infrestructure and releted publlc. health,
welfare end eafety metters, Including but not Ilmlted to nolse issuea, roed repelr Issues
due to use of heavy equlpment, slte securlty and alenepe Iseues, lasuea related lo
operatlng houre, venQnp of gas, 11re suppression lesues, Ilghtl�0 Isaues, contalnment
syelema, hezerdoue meterlala menapement, aplll laeuee, operator Insurence Iseuea,
envlronmental Impairment meqere end other regulatory leeues; end
WHEREAS, there le en abundance of reporte, etudies, Infortnation and data
about the effeds of natural gas drllllne on publlc heaRh, welfere and sefery, eome of
whlch reports, studlea, InfortneGon end date are contredidory, and due to such, many
ot the Cky's resldents heve undertaken extenelve etudy lo detertnlne what, If any,
effecta neturel gas drllling may have on the publlc heaRh, welfere end safety of Denton
end ite resldents; and
WHEREAS, the well atlmulatlon process known as hydreulic frecturing Is used to
extract oil, gas, and other hydrocarbons through the underground InJection of water,
gels, aclds or Bases, sands or other proppanls along wlth chemlcal additives, many of
which chemlcals ere known to be loxlc; and
WHEREAS, during hydraulic fracturing, chemlcels end weate fluid pumped inlo
such wells may be Introduced Inlo end could contaminate drinking water aqul(ers; end
WHEREA3, il Is the purpose of thla Ordinance to protect the public health, safety
end welfare, lhe environment, and property values by prohibiting hydreulic fracturing
within the Clry of Denton, Texas; and
WHERFAS, this Ordlnance la enaded purauant lo the rlght of the reaidents of
the Clty of Danton to eovern their own wmmunity, epecifically wlth regard to the well
stimulation procese known as hydraulic fracluring, ae referenced In this Ordlnance; and
WHEREA3, the citlzene of Denton ere eeeking to protecl themselvee from the
danpera aesoclaled wkh hydraulic fracluring, Includlnp ground and suAace water
conteminatlon, elr polluUon, property devaluetlon, and other threata to lhe public aetety,
health, end welfere; and
WHEREA3, mora then ten years of experlence has proved thal meanln0ful
Ilmkatlona conceminp hydraullc fracturinp, elong with other land uee provislons, ere
IneHactNe for a varlety of reasone, InGudlnp bolh legal and reguletory; and
WHEREAS, lhe cltizena o( Denton recognize that _their ehared velues of
envlronmental and economlc austalneblllly end a commkment to reneweble forma of
eRergy cennot be echleved if ihase goals are roulinely thwarted by oll end neturel pas
producers and corporatlona; end
WHEREAS, R le n�alther th� Inle�nt nor lhe purpos� of fhlo uiainenca to ruzone
property and/or otherwlse enpape In land use repuladon authoAzed by Chepter 211 of
ihe Texae Locel Govemment Code, as amended; rather, It Is the Intent of thle
Ordlnance lo regulete certaln especle of buefness operellona that Impad the publlc
sefaty, health, end welfare; and
WHEREAS, the cKizena of Denton believe that the protectfon of the Ciq/s
realdents, nelghborhoods, wmmunlry Integrity, end the netural envlronmant ia en
epproprlete purpoee for lhe adoptlon of thla Ordlnance end as such, the Clty is legelly
authorized to adopt thle Ordlnence pureuant to ka police powers.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF DENTON, TEXAS, THAT:
SECTION 1
The mettere end facts recited In the preamble to thle Ordinance are hereby found
and detertnined to be true and wrrect and Incorporeted hareln by reference as If fully
setfoAh hereln.
SECTION 2
�rnn� ar� a#i�f tY�a �iFeCaivfa �#ete of thls Ordlnance, Chapter 16, "Llcenaes,
fi�ermlfi� er� Bu�slna�� R�gs�lcetioa�„" aP the Code of Ordinances of the Cily of Denton,
fi�aaaa„ i� hes�by eanendw� py �a#�kf€s0 e new Article VII, "ProhlbRlon of Hydreullc
Fra�4ur9ng," [�a r�ad e� CnYdaw�:
"ARTICLE VII PROHIBITION OF HYDRAULIC FRACTURING
Sec.14.200. Dallnitlon�.
The following words, tertns and phresae, when used In thls article, shall have the
meaninga ascribed to ihem In lhla eectlon, except where lhe contaM cleariy Indlcetes e
different meaning:
Fluld means eny material or aubstence whlch flows or movea whether In semi-
solid, liquid, sludge, gas, or any other form or stete,
Gas means ell nalurel pae, whether hydrocarbon or non-hydrocarbon, including
hydrogen aulfide, hellum, carbon dloxlde, nitrogen, hydrogen, casinghead gas, end all
other fluld hydrocarbona not defined as oll.
Hydraulic Irscluring meane the procese of dlrecdng preasurized fluids conteining
eny combinetion of water, proppant, and any edded chemlcals to penetrate tight
formetlons, euch aa ahale or coal formetlons, thet aubaequentiy requlre hlgh rate,
extended flowbeck to expal fracture fluida and aollde during completlona.
Oil means crude petroleum, oll, end all hydrocarbons, regardlesa af epeclfic
gravlly, that are in the liquid pheae In the reaervolr and are produced at the wellhead In
liquid form,
011 and gas meane bolh oll and gea, or elther oil or ges, as the wnteM may
require lo glve eftect to the purpoeas of thls erticle,
Person means any pereon, 11rtn, asaoclatlon of persona, company, corporation,
or their agenls, eervanls, or employees.
Sec.14.201 Prohibltion of Hydroullc FracWrinp,
It shall be unlawful for any peraon to engage In hydraulic fracturing wilhln the
corporate limils of the Ciry,
Sec.14.202 Penalty,
The vloletlon of or noncompliance wlth this article by any person, firm,
assoclalion of peraons, compeny, corporetion, or thelr agenls, aervante, or employees
ahall be punlehable ae a misdemeanor and upon convlctlon, such pereon, firm,
essocietion, company, corporetlon or thelr agents, serventa or employees shall be fined
a sum not less lhan one dollar (51,00) but ahall not exceed two thousand dollars
($2,000.00), end each day any violallon or noncompllence continues shall constitule a
separate end distlnct offense."
�,FCTION 3
AIl ordinances, orders orresoluNons heretofore pasaed and adopted by the City
Councll of the City of Denton, Texes, ere hereby repealed lo ihe extent thet said
ordlnances, reaolullons, or perts thereof, ere In confllct herawllh.
SECTION 4
If eny eection, subsecllon, clauee, phrase or provlsion of thls Ordinance, or the
applicatlon thereof lo eny person or clrcumstence, ehall to eny extent be held by e court
of compelent Juriadictlon to be Invelid, vold or unco�sUtudonel, the remeiNng aections,
subaedlone, claueea, phresea and provlafona of thle Ordlnanca, or the application
thereof to eny person or clrcumatence, ehall remeln In full farce end eHect and shall In
no wey be aHected, Impalred or Imalldeted.
9ECTION 6
Any person, firm or corporetlon vlolatln� a;iy of th? provlslons or terms of !h!s
Ordlnance sliall be deamed gultty of e mledemeanor end, upon convlction, shall be
punlahed pursuant to the provlslone contained In Sectlon 14.202 of the Code of
Ordinancas of the Clry of Denlon, Texae, ea amended.
8ECTION B
Thls Ordinence ehell be In full force end eHect irom end after ks passage and
publlcation ae provlded by lew, and Il le so ordelned,