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Guadalupe County split the diagnostic phase from a $319,000 Friese & Nichols contract to rewrite development regulations
Summary
The commissioners discussed a proposed $319,000 professional services agreement with Friese & Nichols to rewrite the county's subdivision and development regulations, agreed to ask the firm to carve out an initial diagnostic/triage phase for December consideration, and stressed front-loading a fee-schedule update to offset county costs.
Guadalupe County's Commissioners Court on Nov. 19 opened a substantive discussion about a proposed $319,000 professional services agreement with Friese & Nichols to update the county's subdivision and broader development regulations.
Judge (presiding) said the contract is important because a rapid pace of development has strained county staff and out-of-date rules no longer fit current development patterns. "I asked for us to have a discussion first just because it's a $319,000 contract," the Judge said, noting the county budget includes $400,000 in engineering services and suggesting the court could front-load a fee-schedule update so developer fees can help pay consultant costs.
Commissioners raised timing and scope concerns, arguing some changes should be fast-tracked while a full rewrite proceeds. One commissioner urged carving out an initial triage or diagnostic phase so the court could act quickly on high-priority changes rather than waiting for an entire yearlong draft. "We can restructure this very easily to accomplish that," Champ Sparks of Friese & Nichols replied, describing the diagnostic-first approach as a way to estimate drafting effort and prioritize items that need immediate attention.
Sparks told the court many Texas counties near metropolitan areas are undergoing similar rewrites following the 2023 legislature and recommended public exposure during drafting. "Writing development regulations benefits a lot from daylight, and some good public exposure," Sparks said, adding that the firm would include fee-schedule work in the triage package if the court prefers to front-load it.
The court discussed limits of county authority (counties cannot zone under state law) and the need to coordinate changes with cities via interlocal agreements. Commissioners and staff agreed to ask Friese & Nichols to present a restructured proposal that isolates an initial diagnostic package for potential approval on Dec. 3, 2024 so the county can schedule its first working sessions with staff and municipal partners.
Next steps: the court requested the consultant revise the proposal to carve out the initial analysis phase and return the revised scope in time for the Dec. 3 court agenda.
