Lower Colorado River Authority

Final Results of Last Sunset Review

Public Engagement

• Require the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) to adopt a public engagement policy for water supply projects.
• Require LCRA to develop and maintain a system for receiving and acting on complaints and to make information available regarding its complaint procedures.
• Require LCRA to provide an official opportunity for public testimony at meetings of its board and its committees-of-the-whole.  Clarify “committee-of-the-whole” means a committee of the board in which every director is a member of the committee, even if not all of the members are in attendance.
• Direct LCRA to amend its public testimony protocols to provide greater accessibility.  (Management action – nonstatutory)

Transparency

• Direct LCRA to provide more detailed financial information in its publicly available documents.  Specify that in providing more detailed financial information, LCRA should do so in an annual, publicly available report that strives to include the information listed in the staff recommendation.  Clarify that the clear explanation of money transfers between business units, departments, and funds applies only to material transfers.  For its operational reserve funds, LCRA should provide a list of each fund, its purpose, and its balance.  For its strategic reserve funds, LCRA should just provide the cumulative balance of all the funds.  (Management action – nonstatutory)
• Direct LCRA to provide more transparent, consistent, and accurate agenda meeting notices to the public.  (Management action – nonstatutory)
• Direct LCRA to improve transparency of its committees-of-the-whole.  (Management action – nonstatutory)

Colorado River Land Trust

• Direct LCRA to clearly separate the governance and management of the land trust from its own board and staff.  (Management action – nonstatutory)
• Direct LCRA to update its service agreement with the land trust to include performance goals and a timeline of expectations for the land trust to move toward greater financial independence from LCRA.  (Management action – nonstatutory)

Regulatory Programs

• Direct LCRA to document and publish a clear appeals process for on-site sewage facility regulatory decisions.  (Management action – nonstatutory)
• Direct LCRA to develop and publicize an online option for submitting on-site sewage facility permit applications and payments.  (Management action – nonstatutory)
• Direct LCRA to develop and publicize a clear complaints process for all three water quality regulatory programs.  (Management action – nonstatutory)
• Direct LCRA to collect, maintain, and report detailed information on complaints.  (Management action – nonstatutory)

Grant Program Administration

• Direct LCRA to develop and adopt a conflict-of-interest policy specific to the grant program including disclosure and recusal elements.  (Management action – nonstatutory)
• Direct LCRA to update its grant application materials to more clearly disclose scoring criteria to applicants.  (Management action – nonstatutory)
• Direct LCRA to update the overall goals for its community development partnership grant program to include more specific program priorities and outcome measures to inform future investments.  (Management action – nonstatutory)
• Direct LCRA to use available technology to improve grant tracking and communication to applicants and grantees.  (Management action – nonstatutory)

Oversight and Organizational Best Practices

• Specify LCRA is subject to Sunset review, but not abolishment, again in 2031.
• Apply good government standards to LCRA’s governing laws to promote accountability and best practices relating to board practices and alternative dispute resolution.
• Direct LCRA to update its board nepotism policy to fully conform to Texas Commission on Environmental Quality requirements and state law.  (Management action – nonstatutory)
• Direct LCRA to improve its Small and Diverse Supplier Program to better comply with the intent of historically underutilized business laws.  (Management action – nonstatutory)
• Direct LCRA to plan, more proactively implement, and monitor its efforts to increase workforce diversity.  (Management action – nonstatutory)