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Saint Anthony Church asks Houston to re-evaluate permit fees after annexation, council agrees to agendize
Summary
Leaders of Saint Anthony Church and their contractor told the Houston City Council that permit fees for a sidewalk and sewer connection after annexation were about six times higher than expected and asked the city to consider fee reductions or alternative fee structures; the council agreed to place the issue on a future agenda for discussion.
Representatives of Saint Anthony Church and a contractor told the Houston City Council on July 14 that permit and project fees tied to a sidewalk and sewer work after the church’s annexation came in far higher than expected, and they asked the city to reconsider how fees are calculated for the project.
Father Luis, representing Saint Anthony Church, said the parish had been told in a 2001 agreement with the city that the church would receive city water and that sidewalks would be installed; he asked the council to consider waiving or reducing permit fees because the parish’s regular income is limited. “...if we have any way to waive our fee or forgive part of our fee or evaluate this fee in different way, not as a commercial carrier, but as a different way,” Father Luis said.
Contractor Craig Harris, who has worked on the annexation and project, said the church’s construction plans were “ancient” and that the 2001 commitment to install sidewalks around the church was not fulfilled. Harris told council members that the permit fees were “about 6 times what everybody expected” and reported a figure of roughly $630,000 for permit-related charges while saying the construction project itself was “less than a half million.”
Why it matters: the church says the fee amount would make the project infeasible and asked the city to start a conversation about reclassifying or restructuring fees for small, nonprofit parishes. Council members indicated they would agendize the matter so staff can prepare options, because the topic was raised during public comment and no formal action could be taken that night.
Details and next steps: the mayor acknowledged the issue’s importance and said the city would place it on a future meeting agenda to allow staff analysis and stakeholder discussion. City staff said they would begin a partnership conversation and report back at a later date. No fee waivers or adjustments were approved at the July 14 meeting.
Public comments and context: several parish supporters and community members spoke in favor of the church, explaining that Saint Anthony is a mission parish with limited regular income and that the church’s diocese allocates resources across parishes. Speakers urged the council to consider that context when reviewing permit fees.
Outcome: council directed staff to agendize the request for further discussion; the item was not acted on because it was raised during public comment.
