‹ Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 490 · All districts' issues
question
Professional services
1 conflict question
Confirm which Open Meetings Act section the January 22 closed session relied on and whether operator selection was deliberated in it.
Gov't Code §551.101 (announce the section); §551.071 (attorney consultation only)
The board action behind it
2026-01-22: After closed session, authorized a 30-day termination notice to Inframark and an agreement for operation services with Si Environmental
What else happened at that meeting
The Board approved an assignment of its tax assessor-collector agreement from B&A Municipal Tax Services, LLC to Assessments of the Southwest, effective February 1, 2026, and adopted a resolution authorizing an additional penalty on delinquent personal property taxes. It approved a sludge management agreement with HydroClear Services LLC and a 60-day termination notice to MagnaFlow International. The Board called the May 2, 2026 directors election, set election judge and clerk pay at $20.00 per hour, and authorized notice that the District will not provide electronic voting systems. After a closed session, it voted to give Inframark a 30-day termination notice and to enter into an operation services agreement with Si Environmental. The Board also approved participation in the annual Trace Air flyover at an estimated cost of $1,613 and ratified the earlier $35,000 engineering fee payment to BGE.The law and guidance in force on 2026-01-22
| Closed meeting: announce the authorizing section; final action in open session §551.101: Same text in force then and now§551.102: Same text in force then and now | Question | The minutes say only that the Board entered closed session at 1:14 p.m. and returned at 1:28 p.m.; no section is named. The posted agenda cited §551.071 (consultation with attorney). The vote was taken in open session (p.7). |
| Operator services not chosen by competitive bid Water Code §49.278 (may apply)
§49.278: Same text in force then and now |
Shown | An RFP drew responses from Inframark, Si Environmental and MDS; interviews were held November 20, 2025 (Dec 9, 2025 p.5). |
Who's involved
Inframark, LLC (operator (until April 2026))
Si Environmental, LLC (operator (from April 2026))
Harris County MUD No. 419 (recommended Si Environmental)
Schwartz, Page & Harding, L.L.P. (general counsel (also counsel to MUD 418, MUD 419, MUD 489 and the Bridgeland Water Agency))
Possible conflicts
Harris County MUD No. 419: MUD 419's board authorized a letter recommending Si Environmental, its own operator, to the MUD 490 and MUD 418 boards (MUD 419 minutes Dec 8, 2025). (MUD 419 minutes Dec. 8, 2025, Minutes_Approved_December_8_2025_HCMUD_419.pdf)
Why the board approved it
Recorded: “Decision followed the RFP and a closed session (p.7); no reasons for preferring Si Environmental are recorded.”
A competitive process was used, but neither the comparison nor Si Environmental's fees appear in the minutes.