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Gonzales County tables proposed permit and driveway-fee changes after lengthy discussion
Summary
County staff proposed raising several permit fees — septic, floodplain, commercial and residential driveway/entrance fees — but commissioners requested more detail and tabled the item for further drafting and a workshop on subdivision rules.
County staff presented a package of proposed changes to Gonzales County permit fees intended to take effect in October 2024, prompting questions and discussion about fee levels, enforcement and whether driveway permits should be folded into the county subdivision order.
Staff outlined increases including roughly $100 per septic-system type and a $100 commercial / $50 residential increase for floodplain reviews; commissioners discussed the residential driveway fee and several amounts were mentioned in the record. Staff’s spoken proposal included raising the residential driveway fee "from 50 to $2.50" (the figure in the transcript is unclear), and commissioners discussed intermediate figures ($70; $100–$175) and the existing $400 commercial-entrance fee for subdivision connections.
Commissioners debated enforcement options — an on‑call road inspector, maintenance bonds and inspection regimes used by neighboring counties — and asked staff to prepare clearer application language and an updated fee schedule to bring back to a workshop. The court motioned, seconded and tabled the permit-fee proposal pending compilation of additional information and revised application wording.
Next steps: Staff will prepare revised fee language and an updated application for the court to review in a future workshop; commissioners also requested the subdivision rules be reviewed to incorporate driveway permitting where appropriate.
