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Grand Saline council adopts ordinance regulating residential solar installations
Summary
The Grand Saline City Council unanimously approved Ordinance 2026-01 on Feb. 17, 2026, establishing standards for installation, design and maintenance of residential solar-energy systems; the ordinance sets scope and technical limits while leaving fee schedules to be set later.
The Grand Saline City Council voted unanimously on Feb. 17 to adopt Ordinance 2026-01, creating citywide standards for the installation, design and maintenance of residential solar-energy systems.
City staff told the council the ordinance is intended to provide uniform permitting and aesthetic standards after a rise in permit requests. The draft ordinance covers permanently mounted rooftop or ground-mounted systems, establishes installation and maintenance requirements, and, as drafted, includes a 15-foot maximum height limit for structures where that measurement applies. The draft does not include a finalized fee schedule; staff said fees will be set separately and the ordinance can be amended when that schedule is ready.
Council members and staff discussed scope and exceptions during a question-and-answer period. Council members asked whether small portable panels used for devices such as security cameras or small battery chargers would fall under the rules; staff said those small, non-permanently mounted panels would not require the same permitting as permanently affixed systems. Legal review of the ordinance was completed before the meeting, a staff member said.
A council member moved to adopt the ordinance, another seconded, and the mayor announced the motion carried with all in favor and none opposed. The ordinance was identified in the agenda as "2026-01: establishing standards and regulations for the installation, design and maintenance requirements" of solar-energy systems.
The council also agreed to continue work on related fee schedules and technical guidance during upcoming staff work sessions and the April ordinance workshop the council scheduled to begin addressing rates and code updates.
