Fire marshal, permitting staff outline proposed commercial permitting and fee changes; court to consider next week

At the Feb. 20, 2025 special meeting, Liberty County staff discussed consolidating fire plan reviews, inspections and certificates of occupancy into the county permitting system and proposed adding fees to offset the cost of fire‑related reviews and inspections for commercial projects.

Mister Green, identified in the meeting as the fire marshal, explained that fire plan reviews, sprinkler and alarm inspections, and annual commercial inspections were not currently being charged or tracked through the county permitting office. He said the change would make those reviews part of the same permit record so both permitting staff and the fire marshal would have a visible paper trail for plan review statuses and inspections.

Green and permitting staff said the proposed fee schedule was modeled on comparable regional jurisdictions. They told the court the fees are intended to offset the county’s cost of providing required plan review and inspection services and are not intended to be a revenue generator. Green noted most fees would apply to commercial projects; residential homeowners would not be affected except where state licensing already requires inspections (for example certain daycare or foster facilities where state forms apply).

Staff also raised several operational gaps discovered during the review: county staff said they currently lack an appropriate permit type and inspection tracking for large communications (fiber) projects, and that a planned federal‑grant fiber build of roughly $90 million will begin in the county in spring 2025. Officials said they do not have consistent information on where contractors are placing conduit or splice enclosures in county easements and that some installations have restricted drainage and damaged ditches and road shoulders.

County staff also described recurring road‑damage issues from overweight haulers and utility work performed without adequate permits or supervision; staff said existing processes have limited enforcement teeth and that third‑party inspection and compaction verification are not consistently required for road base work.

Permitting staff advised the court that the fee schedule and permit consolidation will be presented as an action item at the next commissioners court meeting so the court can approve, modify, or table the proposed fees and the revised permit workflow.

Court members asked staff to provide a clearer schedule, a legal review of whether the fees require public posting or notice, and to identify which fees would apply only to new construction. The court did not take a vote on fees during the Feb. 20 meeting and set the item for formal action on the following Tuesday’s agenda.

Ending: County staff said they will return with a formal ordinance or fee schedule and clarified that the goal is to create permit visibility, improve enforcement of road‑use and utility work, and recover a portion of the county’s costs for fire plan reviews and inspections.