Council adopts year-round water conservation ordinance (Ordinance 836)

The Everman City Council on July 22 adopted Ordinance No. 836, adding a water conservation plan to Chapter 20 of the city code that establishes year-round watering and landscape irrigation restrictions, affirmative defenses, exceptions and a variance procedure. The ordinance includes standard severability and penalty clauses and directs publication in the official newspaper. Council considered and approved two drafting amendments to correct language and remove typographical errors so the ordinance would be posted and codified accurately; staff said the edits were necessary to provide Municode (the city's codifier) a clear replacement text for sections 20-17 (variances) and 20-18 (lawn and landscape irrigation conservation). After the amendments were read into the record, council voted unanimously to adopt the ordinance. Staff did not present enforcement tallies or specific fine amounts during the discussion; the ordinance text as adopted includes affirmative defenses, exceptions and a procedure for variances, but council did not amend enforcement mechanisms in the meeting record. Council members did not request additional changes and staff will provide the codified ordinance for public reference following publication.