The city of Katy has updated its platting procedures to get developments approved and processed more quickly.
In a nutshell
At an Oct. 26 meeting, Katy City Council voted to amend its subdivision regulations for plats, which Mayor Pro Tem Gina Hicks said now comply with state regulations.
City Planner Rachel Lazo said plats would not come to council, but changes to planned development districts, zoning, new tracts or changes to lot sizes would. The change aims to cut down on the time it takes for approval of certain plats.
Administrative or final plats would now be approved by the city’s community development director or their designee, according to agenda documents. Preliminary plats and all plats requiring a public hearing would be approved by the planning and zoning commission.
However, City Attorney Bridgette Begle said council writes and sets the subdivision ordinance, which is what the plats get compared to.
Diving in deeper
The agenda item was tabled at the Oct. 12 meeting after council member Michael Meihls raised concerns regarding a lack of transparency in how the approval of plats and survey reviews are done internally by city staff. He also called for the community development director to be replaced with the mayor or the mayor’s designee.
Meihls made a motion on Oct. 26 for the community development director or their designee to be replaced with the mayor or their designee, but it failed after Hicks and council members Paula Taylor and Paul Follis voted against it.
Also on the agenda
Council also approved a contract for the planning and zoning commission to livestream its meetings beginning Nov. 10, city officials said.
To further promote transparency, Lazo said the city is currently developing a tracking map for the city’s website that will go online next month.
City Secretary Becky McGrew said planning and zoning commission meeting notices and agendas are now being posted on social media.
