Katy council enacts 120-day moratorium on in‑ground telecom fiber permits

KATY, Texas — The Katy City Council on March 4, 2025 adopted an ordinance placing a temporary 120-day moratorium on the city’s acceptance, review and issuance of right-of-way permits for new in‑ground telecommunication and fiber installations, citing repeated damage to underground water and wastewater infrastructure.

Council members said the pause is intended to give staff time to draft and present an amended rights-of-way management ordinance that would address permitting, licensing and protections for in‑ground utilities. The ordinance passed on a motion by Mayor Pro Tem Chris Harris, seconded by Council Member Roy Robertson; Council voted in favor with no recorded opposition.

Council cited a series of incidents and a surge in permit activity as the basis for the moratorium. The ordinance text states that, since October 2024, there have been at least 16 water-line hits — including hits to main water lines requiring immediate city repairs — and that the city…