Murphy — At the Oct. 21 meeting the city attorney provided Council with a legislative-summary briefing covering new state laws the city must consider, with particular emphasis on land-use and notice changes affecting residential development.

The attorney told council that the 2025 legislature filed thousands of bills and that staff are already preparing policy responses; he said the Texas Municipal League tracked roughly 2,200 bills and that 262 bills tracked by TML passed. The briefing highlighted land-use items staff expect to bring back to council for policy discussion or ordinance drafting, including changes to notice and protest thresholds tied to residential zoning changes, a requirement that jurisdictions allow manufactured housing in at least some zoning districts, and revised mailed- and newspaper-notice rules for proposed comprehensive zoning changes.

Other topics covered included limits on city authority relative to homeowner associations and lawn-care requirements; electronic service for zoning notices (with discretion to require mailed notice unless receipt is acknowledged); rules affecting home‑based businesses and mobile food vendors; a presumption of validity for local actions that may reduce litigation risk; and several procedural changes to open-meetings and public‑information rules that affect agenda posting and records responsibilities.

The attorney said staff are already drafting or reviewing ordinances to comply with new laws and that the city secretary met an Oct. 1 statutory filing deadline referenced in the briefing. He also introduced Jonathan Moss, who will serve as the new assistant city attorney assigned to Murphy through the attorney’s firm.

Council asked a few clarifying questions about implementation and constitutional amendments on an upcoming ballot; the attorney said he had not yet analyzed the ballot amendments and would follow up if council desired.