Charter review panel keeps newspaper-notice language, agrees to define "official notices" and tables access changes

The Lago Vista Charter Review Committee on an unspecified date voted to keep Section 3.17 of the city charter as written and to add a definition clarifying that "official notices" include public and legal notices posted on the city's website. The panel also tabled a broader rewrite of sections governing individual council members' access to city staff and investigative powers and approved removing duplicative procedural language in Chapter 4.

Committee members said the decisions were driven by concern that residents have not reliably been able to find public notices online since October 2024 and by a desire to make the charter's wording less ambiguous. Committee member Linda said, "If it is posted in the newspaper, then it should be posted on the city website," arguing simultaneous posting would make notices accessible to residents who do not regularly pass a posted sign.

Panel members who opposed adding a new requirement argued the city already has policies and state law that address notice requirements and that changing charter text would not by itself fix staff execution. The committee discussed…