PASSEDHouston City Council · 2026-03-24

The City Council amended city code to create a new fee for reviewing construction and development plans or permits outside of normal business hours through the Office of the City Engineer. The Finance Department is authorized to add this fee to the official City Fee Schedule.

What it means for you

Developers or contractors who request after-hours plan or permit reviews from the city's engineering office will be charged a new fee for that service. Residents are not directly charged, but the change may affect the cost of construction projects in Houston.

Outcome

Adopted — vote recorded in official minutes. Council Member Jackson absent. Ordinance 2026-0260, official minutes of March 24, 2026.

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Official sources

Meeting minutes — full record with the vote (PDF) ↗

These are the official minutes — the narrative record of what happened at the meeting, including the vote on each item.

Official council district boundaries · City of Houston GIS. Tap a district to see who represents it.

How to weigh in

Where: City Hall, 901 Bagby, 2nd Floor, Houston, TX 77002
When: Council meets Tuesdays 1:30 p.m. & Wednesdays 9:00 a.m. Public Session — when you can speak — is Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m. (5:00 p.m. on the last Tuesday of the month).
Speak: Register by 3:00 p.m. the Monday before: call 832.393.1100, email speakers@houstontx.gov, or go in person to the City Secretary (City Hall Annex, 900 Bagby, Room P101). Each speaker gets 1–3 minutes.
Watch: Live on HTV ↗

From the City Council meetings information page. Confirm the exact date on the official agenda before you go.

Quick answersfrom the official record

Who decides?Houston City Council — its 16 members (11 district + 5 at-large) vote; the Mayor presides and also votes. Office of the City Engineer brought it forward. Taken up at the March 24, 2026 meeting — Adopted.minutes ↗

The official caption doesn't name a dollar amount, a beneficiary, or who pays for it — full details in the official minutes ↗

Cite this: https://plaindocket.com/item/real-cs20260324-8 — data from official records via PlainDocket.