Sharon Smith

Sharon Smith practices in the utility, districts, municipal, and environmental areas. She was an assistant city attorney for the City of Austin and provided counsel in a variety of areas, including water and wastewater utility issues, public finance, and special districts creation. She has provided legal counsel at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and its predecessor agencies in all environmental areas - as a staff attorney for issues relating to water quality and water utilities, and overseeing legal work in water rights, municipal and hazardous waste permitting, low level radioactive waste, and enforcement.

• Representative Experience
  • Provision of legal counsel to public and private clients in municipal utility district creation, including legislative authorizations and negotiation of consent agreements
  • Representation of public and private clients in creation of public improvement districts and related finance mechanisms
  • Lead attorney for the first in-city municipal management district in the City of Austin
  • Negotiation of developer and municipal water and wastewater cost reimbursement agreements, and contracts for water and wastewater service
  • Senior attorney at TCEQ and its predecessor agencies, managing attorneys in municipal, industrial, and hazardous waste, low-level radioactive waste, enforcement, and water rights, and representing the Texas Water Commission in its application for Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System federal authorization and on water quality permitting and enforcement matters
• Professional/Community Involvement
  • State Bar of Texas
  • Austin Bar Association
  • Texas Women in Public Finance
  • All Saints Episcopal Church — Children's Sunday School Teacher
  • Austin Partners in Education - Tutor
  • Austin Rowing Club