Procedures

Practices and Procedures

Subject: Commission Meetings – Section: 1.1

Agenda Item Submission

Commissioners will discuss and consider approval of items to be placed on the agenda for the upcoming Commission Meeting at the Commission Meeting held prior thereto. In the event an urgent matter arises after the agenda approval, the President may add an additional item to the agenda with notice to the Commissioners.

Agenda Preparation

Commission Meeting agendas will be prepared by the Secretary at least ten (10) calendar days prior to the date of the Commission Meeting and forwarded to the President and legal counsel for review. The final draft is signed by the President, or a designee in his/her absence.

Agenda Posting

Agendas are required to be posted for public notice at the Brazoria County Courthouse or posted on the District’s website and the District Administrative Offices at least seventy-two (72) hours in advance of the meeting time.

Agendas are emailed by the Secretary to the Brazoria County Clerk’s office for posting at the Courthouse. The email is sent to the following address:

cclerkpublic@brazoria-county.com

The President is copied on the email to the Brazoria County Clerk’s office. In the body of the email, confirmation of receipt of email is ALWAYS requested of the County Clerk’s office so that we are aware of when the Clerk receives the agendas. The County Clerk’s office does not accept agendas past 4:30 p.m. for same day posting. The original agendas are posted in the display case of the Administration Building located at 7918 Broadway Street, Suite 104, Pearland, Texas 77581.

Commission Meeting Materials

Financial reports, financial information, prior meeting minutes and all other agenda item documentation are to be distributed electronically by the Secretary to the Commissioners’ via email prior to each Commission Meeting in accordance with the manners described below.

A PDF file of each document is emailed to the Commissioners by the Secretary no later than noon ten (10) calendar days prior to date of Commission Meeting. All comments shall be directed exclusively to the Secretary via email. The Secretary will then disseminate a final draft of the prior meeting minutes, financial reports, financial information, agenda item documentation or any other meeting material to the Commissioners and legal counsel via email at least seventy-two (72) hours in advance of meeting time.

Subject: Accounts Payable Procdures – Section 1.2

All invoices will be emailed to the President and the Treasurer at least ten (10) calendar days prior to the date of the Commission Meeting. Any invoices received after this time period will be deferred until the next Commission Meeting. The Treasurer will forward the invoices to the bookkeeper via email, with copy to the President. The bookkeeper will be tasked with preparing expenditure checks to present to the Commissioners at the Commission Meeting for approval. After the expenditures have been approved either one of the following shall occur in order to disburse the funds: (1) the President and the Treasurer will sign the expenditure checks or (2) the expenditure checks will be signed in accordance with Section 775.073 of the Texas Health and Safety Code.

Under Section 775.073. Expenditures.

(a)  Except as otherwise provided by this section, district funds may be disbursed only by check, draft, order, or other instrument that:

(1)  is signed by at least a majority of the board’s commissioners; or

(2)  is signed by the treasurer, or by the assistant treasurer if the treasurer is absent or unavailable, and countersigned by the president, or by the vice president if the president is absent or unavailable.

All checks are to be mailed out by the Treasurer within three (3) business days following the Commission Meeting. The Treasurer will forward receipts to the bookkeeper after deposit has been verified. The Treasurer should be responsible for keeping an accurate balance in the manual checkbook.

Subject: Financial Reports – Section 1.3

A financial summary report will be prepared monthly (or upon request) by the bookkeeper and submitted to the Treasurer via email at least ten (10) calendar days before each Commission Meeting. The Treasurer will forward the financial summary report to all Commission Members and legal counsel via email.