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Helotes resident tells council permit process delayed; asks for fee waiver and investigation
Summary
Anthony Gonzales told the Helotes City Council on May 22 that his March 6 building‑permit application has not been processed despite a May 9 engineer report and requested an immediate review, a fee waiver and an investigation of the building department’s handling of his case.
Anthony Gonzales, a Helotes property owner, told the City Council on May 22 that the city delayed processing his building‑permit application filed March 6 despite an engineer’s report he submitted on May 9 and asked the council to waive permit fees and investigate the building department.
Gonzales said he supplied a stamped and signed engineer report on May 9 confirming a retaining wall’s structural adequacy and only “received a response just last week for the first time acknowledging receipt of that report.” He said a compliance officer photographed the wall in December and that police were dispatched when he placed crushed stone on his property on May 2.
“I submitted a complete building permit application on March 6 of this year,” Gonzales said. “I received a response just last week for the first time acknowledging receipt of that report.” He asked the council to “ensure my building permit is processed immediately without further delay, asking to waive the building permit fees” and to investigate the building department’s decision not to notify him earlier of an alleged code violation.
Mayor Rich Whitehead responded that the city processes permits and follows required steps, including waiting for engineering reports when they are needed. Whitehead encouraged Gonzales to continue conversations with the city administrator and the building compliance officer to resolve outstanding items.
Gonzales also said he has filed a formal complaint and a request for waiver with supporting photos and documents. He told the council he was seeking “fairness, not favors,” and said the delay felt retaliatory because he previously filed a complaint about a different permit matter.
The council did not take formal action on Gonzales’s requests during the meeting. City staff suggested follow‑up between Gonzales, the city administrator and the building compliance officer to address his outstanding paperwork and any enforcement concerns.
Because this was a citizen comment during the public‑comment portion of the agenda, no vote was recorded on the requests Gonzales presented.
