Texas-side votes to support Riverbend legislation

The Texarkana, Texas, City Council on Monday passed a resolution of support for proposed state legislation regarding Riverbend Water Resources District.

With one member absent, the council voted unanimously to support companion Texas House and Senate bills that would allow water supply corporations to become members of the district and remove term limits for Riverbend’s board of directors.

The term limits are no longer considered necessary and make it difficult to retain qualified board members, said Steve Mayo, the city’s water liaison.

“When we formed Riverbend in 2010, we asked them to put term limits on it,” Mayo said. “Now, times have drastically changed since then. Back then, all the member cities were basically fighting, and over the last 10 years and several of us spending thousands of hours with each other, that’s all changed. …

“It is very hard to find not only qualified people but qualified people that are willing to give their time to serve Riverbend. It is a huge time commitment.”

The Riverbend board is asking all of the district’s member cities to pass similar resolutions.

In other business, the council conducted public hearings and voted unanimously to approve a number of rezoning and land use issues, including:

■ rezoning land at 5812 McKnight Road to allow an inspection business there;

■ specific-use permits to allow electronic billboards at 3408 and 6241 St. Michael Drive;

■ a specific-use permit to allow a tattoo studio at 1423 New Boston Road;

■ and site plan approval for a dentist’s office to be built at 4009 Moores Lane.

Ward 2 Council Member Mary Hart was not in attendance. The council’s next meeting is scheduled for March 11.