WACO — The Waco City Council on Oct. 21 cleared a range of business including the consent agenda, land-use rezonings, multiple code amendments and budget/contract actions.

Key actions at a glance

- Consent agenda approved: The council approved minutes (item 2025-744) and resolutions numbered 2025-745 through 2025-765 on a single motion and roll call.

- Drainage fee decrease (public hearing item 2025-766): The council held the required public hearing and approved a resolution to reduce the monthly municipal drainage fee by $1 per equivalent residential unit, lowering the fee from $6.55 to $5.55. Floodplain administrator Roger Glick said the changes would be included in the FY25-26 drainage utility fund schedule and, per state law and city ordinance, the fee change would take effect Jan. 1, 2026. "Staff has verified that all required notices of this public hearing have been published in accordance with state law and ordinance," Glick said. Council approved the fee reduction by roll call.

- Certificate of occupancy ordinance (public hearing item 2025-767): Council considered an ordinance moving section 28-90 (certificates of occupancy) from the zoning chapter to the buildings and building regulations chapter and adding new issuing guidelines. Plan Commission recommended approval 9–0. Commenter Ephraim Harry raised concerns that the ordinance's referenced penalties appeared inconsistent with class C misdemeanor limits and that documents did not clearly identify who receives citations. Staff responded that section 2 of the ordinance was not being changed and that the change was limited to relocating and adding guidelines. Council approved the ordinance on the record.

- Rezoning and land-use changes (public hearing items 2025-768 and 2025-769): The council approved a land-use change and rezoning at 2924 N. 19th Street, moving from mixed-use flex to medium-density residential flex and rezoning from C-3 to R-2 (approx. 0.1164 acres); Plan Commission recommended approval. The council also approved land-use and multiple rezoning changes for parcels around Parker Springs Drive and Salem Way (approx. 10.12 acres and 18.125 acres) to permit a mix of C-2 community commercial and R-3C multifamily residential zoning; staff said the change reduces allowable density relative to previous zoning and provides a commercial buffer along China Spring Road. Council approved both by roll call.

- Historic landmark hearing continued (public hearing item 2025-770): The council accepted a continuance request from the applicant for the Marjorie and Philip Sanger House (3600 MacArthur Drive) and continued the public hearing to Dec. 16, 2025.

- Individual consideration ordinances (first and second readings): Multiple code and regulatory changes came before council. Items approved on first reading included nuisance/weeds chapter amendments (Ord. 2025-7-71), adoption of 2024 international building codes and the national electrical code (Ord. 2025-7-72), a developer participation agreement to reimburse up to $182,223 for oversizing detention/ drainage improvements (Ord. 2025-7-73), and updates to food-employee education and food-establishment permit rules (Ord. 2025-7-74 and 2025-7-75). An open-air vending amendment (Ord. 2025-7-76) was approved on second reading; an easement-abandonment ordinance for a 10-foot electric-line easement at 2500 Mary Avenue (Ord. 2025-7-78) passed second reading.

What council said and next steps: Councilmembers recorded support across the motions on the consent agenda and the listed ordinances. Staff committed to publishing ordinance language, implementation details and any updated enforcement procedures where required, and to administering continuances set by council (the Sanger House hearing will be heard Dec. 16).

Why it matters: The drainage-fee reduction will lower a recurring utility charge for ratepayers beginning Jan. 1, 2026. The zoning and code changes affect development patterns and regulatory compliance for construction, food-service operations and vendor activity across the city. The developer participation agreement enables reimbursement tied to oversizing work that supports future capacity on Harris Creek Road.

Selected clarifying details (from meeting record)

- Drainage fee change: from $6.55 to $5.55 per equivalent residential unit; effective 01/01/2026 (Roger Glick).

- Certificate of occupancy ordinance: Plan Commission recommended approval 9–0; public commenter questioned whether an alleged $1–$2,000 penalty conflicted with class C misdemeanor limits; staff said section 2 of the ordinance is not changing and the move is a reorganization and guidance addition (Clint Peters, Director of ___per transcript "Clint").

- Rezoning addresses: 2924 North 19th Street (approx. 0.1164 acres); Parker Springs/China Spring Drive and Salem Way parcels (approx. 10.12 acres and 18.125 acres).

- Developer participation reimbursement: Not to exceed $182,223; payments indexed to percentage of work completed, with monthly payments not to exceed 40% of oversizing cost per month as described in the proposed agreement.

- Historic landmark (Sanger House): Applicant requested continuance to Dec. 16, 2025; council granted request.

Roll-call practice: For each ordinance or resolution that required a roll call, the city secretary polled council members by name during the meeting record. Where a recorded roll call appears in the transcript, that roll-call record is reflected above and in the actions fields below.