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The Articles amend the Edwards Aquifer Authority Act ("Act"), Chapter 626, Acts of the 73rd Legislature, Regular Session, 1993, Section 1.26(A) of the Act provides for the development of a recovery implementation program. Identical provisions are included in Article 2 of House Bill 3, 80th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature. Section 3.2. Construction. The Parties intend this MOA to be construed to comply with Senate Bill 3 establishing, among other things, minimum requirements applicable to the Program and with applicable requirements of the Endangered Species Act. Article 4. Participation Section 4.1. The Parties pledge to participate in good faith in an open, voluntary, and cooperative process that will strive to reach consensus on issues that further the purposes and goals of the Program. To achieve these purposes and goals, the Program will be overseen by a Steering Committee designed to ensure opportunities for participation and adequate representation of stakeholders. The Steering Committee will adopt procedures consistent with the MOA to ensure the Program includes, but is not limited to, the following procedural elements: an open process, advance public notice of meetings and proposed actions, opportunity for stakeholder participation, open communication, and consensus-based decision-making. Section 4.2. Senate Bill 3 established the composition of an initial Steering Committee. Senate Bill 3 also allows, upon execution of this MOA, the initial Steering Committee to vote to add Members and to change the composition of the Steering Committee. In order to ensure adequate stakeholder representation on the Steering Committee, the signatories of this MOA recommend that the Steering Committee, at its earliest opportunity, add to the Steering Committee five other persons in the following categories: (a) A representative of a holder of an Edwards Aquifer Authority initial regular permit issued to a small municipality (population under 50,000) located east of San Antonio, (b) A representative of Edwards Aquifer region municipal ratepayers/general public, (c) A representative of Guadalupe River Basin municipal ratepayers/general public, (d) A representative of a conservation organization, and (e) A representative of the Nueces River Authority. Section 4.3. The Steering Committee will adopt procedures for the designation of primary, alternate, and replacement members of the Steering Committee. When changing or adding members, including members in addition to those listed in Section 4.2, the Steering Committee shall seek to maintain the balance of interests represented in the initial Steering Committee as set out in Senate Bill 3. Section 4.4. In accordance with Senate Bill 3, the Steering Committee shall appoint an Edwards Aquifer area expert science subcommittee no later than December 31, 2007. As soon as reasonably possible, the Steering Committee shall establish a recharge facility feasibility subcommittee; other subcommittees shall be established as the Steering Committee determines appropriate. The Steering Committee shall ensure procedural elements are adopted to ensure an open process, advance public notice of meetings and proposed actions, opportunity for December 13,2007 3