Save Lucas! Flush Moore!
Lovejoy ISD shows complete contempt for Lucas Voters,
City Council Election Results and Lucas Home Rule Charter

Lucas citizens won an important victory for keeping Lucas’ large lots this spring by electing city council candidates who will not vote for more sewer! Or so we thought….

The wishes of Lucas citizens have fallen on deaf ears at Lovejoy ISD.  Lovejoy ISD is now showing their true colors and their complete disregard and comtempt for what the Lucas residents desire and are attempting to circumvent Lucas elections and the Lucas Home Rule Charter.  

The Lovejoy ISD school board has gone behind the back of the city of Lucas to North Texas Municipal Water District to obtain sewer to FOUR school sites: the middle school, new elementary, bus barn, and Hart elementary!

https://v3.boardbook.org/Public/PublicItemDownload.aspx?ik=30444408 https://v3.boardbook.org/Public/PublicItemDownload.aspx?ik=30444402

The Lovejoy School Board – Rich Hickman, Lynette McDonald, Ann Casey, Mike Guilbeau, Chad Collins, Elena Westbrook, Julie James, and Ted Moore listed as a CONSENT agenda item, the agreement with North Texas Municipal Water District even though there has never been public discussion on this. https://v3.boardbook.org/Public/PublicItemDownload.aspx?mk=50007207&fn=notice.pdf

It appears that the Lovejoy ISD school board was  ”knowingly conspiring to circumvent” the Open Meetings Act by placing the agreement on the consent agenda. School board members convicted of TOMA violations could be fined and serve jail time. 

After a Lucas resident read the following Sections of the Texas Open Meetings Act, Rich Hickman removed the agreement from the consent agenda.

Section 551.141 provides that “[a]n action taken by a governmental body in violation of this chapter is voidable.

Sections 551.143 and 551.144 of the Government Code establish criminal sanctions for certainconduct that violates openness requirements. A member of a governmental body must be found to have acted “knowingly” to be found guilty of either of these offenses.
Section 551.143 provides as follows:
(a) A member or group of members of a governmental body commits an offense if the member or group of members knowingly conspires to circumvent this chapter by meeting in numbers less than a quorum for the purpose of secret deliberations in violation of this chapter.`
(b) An offense under Subsection (a) is a misdemeanor punishable by:
(1) a fine of not less than $100 or more than $500;
(2) confinement in the county jail for not less than one month or more than six months; or
(3) both the fine and confinement.351

Section 551.144 provides as follows:
(a) A member of a governmental body commits an offense if a closed meeting is not permitted under this chapter and the member knowingly:
(1) calls or aids in calling or organizing the closed meeting, whether it is a
special or called closed meeting;
(2) closes or aids in closing the meeting to the public, if it is a regular meeting; or
(3) participates in the closed meeting, whether it is a regular, special, or called meeting.
(b) An offense under Subsection (a) is a misdemeanor punishable by:
(1) a fine of not less than $100 or more than $500;
(2) confinement in the county jail for not less than one month or more than six months; or
(3) both the fine and confinement.

Rich Hickman, Mike Guilbeau, Ann Casey, Lynette McDonald, Elena Westbrook, and Julie James abdicated their duty as School Board members and delegated the approval of the contract to Ted Moore, Lovejoy ISD superintendent. Mr. Moore does not live in Lovejoy ISD or pay one penny in taxes.

There are six school districts in Lucas. Four have expressed interest in building in Lucas.
If NTMWD provides sewer to one district, would it not have to provide it to all?

Besides the risk of losing our lifestyle and having Lovejoy ISD turn in to a 5A school overnight, Lucas residents have these concerns as well.
If six districts build in Lucas because of available land, the city of Lucas would be required to pay for the safety and welfare and provide roads for a population that could double or triple the population of Lucas residents. (see rough estimates below)

Not only would traffic become a major issue, but our taxes would go up to support the needed infrastructure (roads and water) to support all these districts. Lucas would probably have to hire a police force have a paid fire department as well. School districts do not pay any taxes to cover these costs and do not even pay impact fees.

Rough Population estimates:
Population of Lucas approximately 5000 Lucas already as existing or planned schools that will put our population at around 8000 – 3000 additional non-residents.

Wylie High School will house approximately 2000 students with only approximately 40 being Lucas residents – almost 2000 non-residents in Lucas five days a week

Lovejoy high school and Hart elementary house approximately 2000 students with only approximately half being Lucas residents.  1000 non-residents in Lucas five days a week

Allen ISD, Plano ISD, and McKinney ISD have also considered purchasing property in Lucas.