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TES Land Development

Stephen Delgado, P.E. and Hank Smith, P.E. lead the Land Development practice of Texas Engineering Solutions (TES). They understand that in today’s land development market, developers face extraordinary environmental, aesthetic, and marketing challenges to create a successful project. TES helps clients overcome these challenges by applying experience and a thorough knowledge of current engineering and development practices. With expertise in architectural, civil, and environmental engineering, we work to balance high visibility with environmental sensitivity while maintaining a focus on economic efficiency, timeliness and clear communications.

TES Municipal Utility District
Understanding Master-Planned Development Infrastructure Financing

Master-planned communities often require unique financing vehicles to make the projects financially viable. In Texas, Municipal Utility Districts are the most common method of major infrastructure financing. A Municipal Utility District (MUD) is a political subdivision of the State of Texas authorized by the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to provide water, sewage, drainage and other services within the MUD boundaries.

A majority of property owners in the proposed district petition the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality to create a MUD. The TCEQ evaluates the petition, holds a public hearing, and grants or denies the petition. After approval, the TCEQ appoints five temporary members to the MUD's Board of Directors, until an election is called to elect permanent Board members to confirm the MUD's creation, and to authorize bonds and taxing authority for bond repayment. The publicly elected Board of Directors manages and controls all of the affairs of the MUD subject to the continuing supervision of the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality. The Board establishes policies in the interest of its residents and utility customers. A MUD may adopt and enforce all necessary charges, fees and taxes in order to provide district facilities and services.

In addition to their common functions of water and wastewater service, MUDs are legally empowered to engage in conservation, irrigation, electrical generation, firefighting, solid waste collection and disposal, and recreational activities (such as parks, swimming pools, and sports courts). A MUD can provide for itself the recreational amenities that are approved by the Board of Directors and funded by the District.

TES currently acts as Engineer of Record for North Hays County MUD No. 1, West Cypress Hills WCID No. 1, and Cypress Ranch WCID No. 1. Hank Smith, P.E., TES’s Land Development Principal, has six years of professional engineering experience while working for the TCEQ Water Quality Division that was responsible for enforcing rules and regulations for utility districts statewide. Hank Smith, P.E. and Stephen Delgado, P.E. have authored District Creation Reports and processed numerous Bond Application Reports for Municipal Utility Districts throughout Texas. TES can assist you from inception through bond funding with the engineering expertise required to support a variety of funding alternatives.

Can we share our interest in serving you? Please feel free to call Stephen Delgado, P.E. at (512) 904-0505 or Hank Smith, P.E. at (512) 695-3914 or email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Stephen R Delgado, P.E. – Owner & Principal

Mr. Delgado is a native Texan, who attended the University of Texas at Austin. He earned his B.S. Degree in Architectural Engineering in 2002 and his MBA from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin in May of 2008. While attending graduate school, Mr. Delgado also received his Professional Engineer’s license in 2007. Mr. Delgado’s experience includes project engineering and management in residential and commercial development throughout Central Texas. The residential projects range from single lot subdivisions to master-planned communities such as Steiner Ranch and Belterra. The commercial projects range from single-acre bank site projects to large commercial retail centers. Mr. Delgado is a contributing member of the Austin Contractors and Engineers Associations of Austin (ACEA) and served as Chairperson of the Symposium Committee in 2009. He has also served as a member of the Real Estate Council of Austin (RECA), Travis County Chapter of TSPE, and the Austin Young Chamber.

Hank B Smith, P.E. – Owner & Principal

Mr. Smith has 27 years of experience in public works and land development and has worked on a diverse group of projects. He is skilled in both the design and regulatory aspect of water and wastewater systems, drainage design and project management. Prior to joining Stephen Delgado and creating Texas Engineering Solutions, he served as a Principal at C Faulkner Engineering, L.P. Prior to that, he worked for Carter & Burgess for eight years and the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) for six years. While at TNRCC, Mr. Smith was in charge of the Water Quality Enforcement program for municipal and industrial facilities in Texas. He was also in charge of approving all wastewater construction projects in the state and developed the Technical Guidance Document for the Edwards Aquifer. He was appointed by the state to help write the rules for the Wastewater Design Criteria. Mr. Smith currently serves as President Elect of the HBA and serves on the Governmental Relations Committee. He has worked with Travis County and the City of Austin on the “Single Office” review process that was mandated by the Texas Legislature. He also has worked on several stake holder committees including working with the Travis County Regional Water Quality program, Hays County and the LCRA on their various rule revision efforts. Currently, he is working with the Texas Water Development Board on their program to update the Uniform County Subdivision Regulations.

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