La Marque council holds off on higher impact fees, approves rezoning, ARPA K‑9 purchase and other items

La Marque — The City of La Marque City Council on April 14 voted to hold off adopting a staff-recommended increase to the city’s water and wastewater impact fees and instructed staff to return with more research, while approving several other items including rezoning requests, use of ARPA funds for the police K‑9 program and an amendment to the minutes that added a $2,666,037.84 balance from a 2018 certificate of obligation.

Why it matters: Impact fees determine how much new development pays to fund water and sewer capacity. Council members debated whether a higher fee could deter builders at a time of regional development pressure. The pause gives staff time to provide alternatives and comparables for council to consider before a final vote.

Votes at a glance

- Impact-fee update (ordinance O-2025-0005): Council voted to hold the recommended increase and direct staff to research alternatives and comparables. Motion passed (3 in favor, 1 opposed, 1 abstention). Staff had presented a study recommendation that would yield a maximum combined water/wastewater fee of $8,448.70 (this figure reflected a 50% reduction the consultant applied under the law); that amount was broken out in the presentation as about $3,593.41 for water and $4,855.29 for wastewater. Council noted the city’s current fee is much lower (the packet referenced $37.07). The council also heard that developments underway would be grandfathered for 12 months under the ordinance as allowed by statute.

- Rezoning ordinances (O-2025-0006, O-2025-0007, O-2025-0008, O-2025-0009): Council approved rezoning several parcels from L‑1 (light industrial) to R‑1 (single-family residential). The items were taken together and approved in one vote; no roll-call tally was read aloud.

- ARPA funds for K‑9 program (agenda item 9-5): Council authorized the use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds set aside for the police K‑9 program, not to exceed $41,250, to purchase canines, training and related equipment. Staff said the funding would allow the department to expand from the two current dogs toward having canine coverage across shifts.

- Minutes amendment (agenda item 6): Council approved an amendment to past minutes to include the balance remaining from the 2018 certificates of obligation. Finance staff read the amount into the record: $2,666,037.84 as of April 11, 2025. The amended minutes were approved.

- Naming policy (agenda item 8-1): Council approved an updated naming policy and added a requirement that applicants pay the city’s true cost plus an administrative fee for actions that generate costs (for example, street sign changes or address updates).

- Saltgrass Park / Westside City Park (agenda item 9-6): Council approved naming the city-owned park on the west side as Westside City Park to clarify it is a city park rather than a private subdivision facility.

- Volunteer background checks (agenda item 9-7): Council tabled a proposal to require background checks for volunteers, boards and commissions and asked staff to return with a revised application/policy for consideration.

- Pavilion rental fee waiver (agenda item 9-8): Council approved a fee waiver for Highland Bayou Pavilion for the Southeast Texas Sports Fishing Association; staff noted the resident rental fee is $100 plus a refundable deposit (deposit: $250; nonresident fee: not specified in the packet).

- Council privileges / records process (agenda item 9-9): After extended discussion about legislative privilege and staff workload, council approved a procedural action asking each council member to use the public records request process for information requests and directed the city clerk’s office to prepare a standard operating procedure (SOP) or form documenting how those requests should be made and handled. The motion carried with one recorded opposition.

Key discussion points and context

Impact fees: Brent of the engineering department presented the statutory update and the consultant’s recommended maximum combined impact fee of $8,448.70, noting the figure in the recommendation had already been discounted by 50 percent as allowed under state law. “This amount is already discounted or reduced by 50% of what the recommendation is,” Brent said during his presentation. Proponents of holding the rate said the figure reflects infrastructure needs; critics said such a high fee could push builders to neighboring cities and slow housing supply. Mayor Pro Tem Compion and others urged caution given regional market pressures and pending state/federal uncertainty; members asked staff to return with neighborhood and peer-city comparisons and a more palatable alternative.

Rezoning: Planning & Zoning had recommended approval of the series of rezoning requests moving several small, contiguous parcels from light industrial to single-family residential. Council moved to take the items together and approved the change.

ARPA K‑9 purchase: Police staff described intent to expand K‑9 coverage to more shifts and explained the ARPA allocation would cover animals, training and equipment up to the authorized cap. Staff noted mutual-aid arrangements with neighboring departments are used when a local K‑9 is not on duty.

Minutes amendment / CO balance: Finance staff read the exact amount remaining from the city’s Certificates of Obligation (series 2018) into the record and council moved to amend the minutes to include that figure. The amount read by finance staff was $2,666,037.84 as of April 11, 2025.

Process notes and next steps

- On impact fees, staff were directed to return with specific alternatives and comparisons to peer cities; council may consider an amendment to the ordinance at a future meeting. The city’s update is done every five years; staff noted council could amend the ordinance sooner if it chose to.

- For volunteer background checks and the naming policy, clerk and staff will bring revised language or ordinance language back to a future agenda.

Ending

Council completed its regular business and scheduled follow-ups; several items—most notably the impact-fee rate—were left open for additional staff work and a future council decision.

Quotes in this article are taken verbatim from the April 14, 2025 City of La Marque City Council meeting and attributed to speakers listed below.