The El Campo City Council on Sept. 8 approved Ordinance 2025-11, amending the city's fee schedule for multiple departments, after a public hearing and questions from council members. The ordinance passed unanimously.

City staff described the ordinance as a package of line-item updates affecting EMS ambulance fees, construction-related fees, health and retail food permits, business licensing, parks and civic-center rentals, utility rates (water and sewer), transportation user fees and solid-waste fees tied to the city's contract with Texas Disposal Systems. "The amendment to the fee schedule proposes updates to the following articles," a staff member said as he read the affected sections aloud.

Why it matters: the changes raise charges across different services rather than imposing a single uniform percentage increase. Council members pressed staff for explanations about specific increases that directly affect customers, including a proposed jump in the charge for a 4-inch sanitary sewer tap and higher park and retail food-permit fees.

Council questions and staff responses focused on practical details. Regarding the 4-inch sewer service tap, a council member noted the existing fee of $780 and observed the proposed fee of $2,000 is limited to 60 feet; staff said rising material and labor costs over recent years supported the increase and that past rates had not kept pace with costs. "Over the past few years, the volatility of the market, we have really haven't changed it much," the staff member said, adding that the updated fee reflected the actual cost of materials and time.

Council members also asked whether the $2,000 charge could create unexpected costs when a right-of-way or angled run made the excavated distance significantly longer; staff confirmed additional street-cut fees could apply in those situations. On EMS charges, a council member asked whether increased ambulance fees would be billed to Medicare patients; staff said Medicare payment rates are set by Medicare and that when Medicare pays less than the billed charge the city writes off the difference, explaining, "So even say if we bridal $2,000, Medicare is only gonna pay the 600. We have to write the other 1,400 off."

The council debated retail food establishment permit fees and parity with food trucks. Staff said the proposed increase from $100 to $150 would make small brick-and-mortar establishments comparable to current food-truck permit charges, which are currently $150 for vendors with one to five employees; fees would then scale upward for restaurants with more employees. One council member argued food trucks compete with brick-and-mortar restaurants and should face a comparable increase; another council member requested the food-truck fee be addressed separately so the council could approve the remaining fee changes without delay. Staff warned that removing a fee from the ordinance could require another public hearing; the council agreed to approve the fee schedule as presented and directed staff to return with the food-truck item for future consideration.

The motion to adopt Ordinance 2025-11 was made by Councilman Cobles, seconded, and passed unanimously. Council members agreed to bring the food-truck permit question back at a later meeting rather than delay adoption of the entire fee schedule.

The ordinance packet includes line-by-line details beginning on the meeting packet page referenced by staff; council members asked that staff prepare clearer definitions for park "season" fees (one council member said, "12 weeks is a season") and itemized examples of when additional street-cut charges would apply.