Council directs staff to require engineer certification or craft inspection/fee plan for subdivision permits

Gun Barrel City councilors and staff engaged in a detailed debate over a proposed subdivision site-plan permit aimed at ensuring infrastructure (pipes, roads, retaining walls, sidewalks) is constructed to the approved engineered site plan before it is covered or accepted.

City staff said the redline ordinance's purpose is to "verify the site infrastructure is being developed in accordance with the approved engineering plans," and asked council whether verification should rely on a certified engineer statement from the developer or on additional city inspections funded by impact or processing fees.

Several councilors argued the city lacks the staffing and technical depth to perform continuous construction verification and preferred requiring the developer's engineer to provide a signed statement and supporting documentation. One councilor suggested that if the city takes on inspections, an impact fee that reflects inspection time and potential multiple site visits would be needed; others said city inspectors (building staff) already verify many elements for houses and commercial projects.

The council asked the attorney and staff to rewrite the ordinance to require a certified engineer statement that the infrastructure conforms to the approved site plan, and to return with options for fees and a processing workflow. Staff said they would also examine models used by Garland and other regional cities, which combine developer engineer sign-offs, city spot inspections and impact-fee-funded inspection programs.

No formal vote was taken; council provided direction to return with proposed ordinance language and fees before the next development is considered for preliminary approval.