(a) The board shall designate one or more places inside or outside the district for conducting the meetings of the board. The meeting place may be a private residence or office, provided that the board, in its order establishing the meeting place, declares the same to be a public place and invites the public to attend any meeting of the board. If the board establishes a meeting place or places outside the district, it shall give notice of the location or locations by filing a true copy of the resolution establishing the location or locations of the meeting place or places and a justification of why the meeting will not be held in the district or within 10 miles of the boundary of the district, if applicable, with the commission and also by publishing notice of the location or locations in a newspaper of general circulation in the district. If the location of any of the meeting places outside the district is changed, notice of the change shall be given in the same manner.
(b) After at least 50 qualified electors are residing in a district, on written request of at least five of those electors, the board shall designate a meeting place and hold meetings within the district. If no suitable meeting place exists inside the district, the board may designate a meeting place outside the district that is located not further than 10 miles from the boundary of the district.
(c) On the failure, after a request is made under subsection (b) of this section, of the board to designate the location of the meeting place within the district or not further than 10 miles from the boundary of the district, five electors may petition the commission to designate a location.
  (1) The petition shall include the following items: the name of the district; reason(s) why the current meeting location deprives the residents of a reasonable opportunity to attend district meetings; evidence that the petitioners have requested a change in the meeting location in accordance with subsection (b) of this section; certification that there are at least 50 qualified voters residing in the district; and evidence that the five petitioners are qualified voters residing in the district.
  (2) The petition may include proposed new meeting locations and addresses.
(d) If the commission determines that the meeting place used by the district deprives the residents of a reasonable opportunity to attend district meetings, the commission shall designate a meeting place inside or outside the district which is reasonably available to the public and require that the meetings be held at such place.
(e) After holding a meeting at a place designated under subsection (b) or (c) of this section, the board may hold a hearing on the designation of a different meeting place, including a meeting place outside of the district. The board may hold meetings at the designated meeting place if, at the hearing, the board determines that the new meeting place is beneficial to the district and will not deprive the residents of the district of a reasonable opportunity to attend meetings. The board may not hold meetings at a meeting place outside the district or further than 10 miles from the boundaries of the district if the board receives a petition under subsection (c) of this section.
(f) The commission shall make a determination under subsection (c) of this section not later than the 60th day after the date the commission receives a complete petition.

Source Note: The provisions of this §293.90 adopted to be effective October 29, 2020, 45 TexReg 7593