What changed in Baytown
32 reviewed, source-linked changes around Baytown — openings and closings, roads and construction, City Council, schools, facilities and official civic updates.
This week (news reported Sept 28 to Oct 4, 2026)
- Voting: Monday, Oct. 5 is the last day to register for the Nov. 3 election. Early voting runs Oct. 19 to 30. Harris and Chambers counties are still processing registrations that a state system failed to send them, so check your status at votetexas.gov. If you're not on the list at the polls, you can still cast a provisional ballot.
- New ambulance in service: Baytown Fire put a new advanced life support ambulance, Medic 1, in service at Fire Station 1. It cost about $400,000, paid by the fire control district's sales tax, and lets the ambulances at Stations 3 and 5 stay in their own areas.
- Goose Creek CISD: the school board extended Superintendent Joe Rodriguez's contract through June 2029, with no raise.
- Barbers Hill ISD tax rate: the district kept its total tax rate at $1.0523 per $100 of value for 2026–27, the same as last year.
- Guns in city parks: the City's park rules now ban firing a gun in a park instead of banning carrying one. The council made the change in July, and police have told officers not to enforce the old wording.
- Police chief named to national group: Police Chief John Stringer was named to the International Association of Chiefs of Police's Policy Center Advisory Group, which reviews model policies for police departments.
- Closing: SpeakEasy Boutique, 300 W. Texas Ave., is closing at the end of October.
- Coastal recreation area proposal: a bill backed by Sen. John Cornyn would create the Lone Star Coastal National Recreation Area along about 170 miles of the Texas coast, including Chambers County. It has not passed.
- Day of Caring: about 500 volunteers worked on projects for more than 40 nonprofits, schools and community groups across Baytown, Highlands and Chambers County on Oct. 1 and 3.
Openings and closings (4)
- Infinity Business Park held a Chamber ribbon-cutting grand opening (developer Avish Patel).
- Main 101 Grill & Bar owner Joe Bertuglia publicly announced retirement and a decision to sell or lease the property after about 20 years of operation.
- PsychPlus Baytown Clinic held an open house and ribbon cutting at 3711 Garth Rd, Ste 180B, marking the clinic's opening celebration.
- Chick-fil-A I-10 at John Martin opened a new Playland; Baytown Chamber held a ribbon cutting with Mayor Charles Johnson and Councilman Kenrick Griffith present.
Roads and construction (1)
- TxDOT began a $4.4 million project to add dual left-turn lanes at the Interstate 10 and State Highway 146 interchange; work expected through fall 2027.
City Council (21)
- City Council marked October as National Community Planning Month.
- Neighbors spoke to City Council about Lakewood Park, and the council talked about it. No vote was taken.
- After a public hearing, City Council rezoned about 1 acre at 8220 N SH 146 from Open Space/Recreation to General Commercial. An express oil change shop has been proposed there.
- City Council approved, on second and final reading, a limited-purpose annexation of about 79 acres east of N Main St, west of Hadden Rd and north of E Wallisville Rd (the Baytown Crossings area).
- City Council put the newly annexed 79 acres into Council District 4.
- On the consent agenda, City Council approved an agreement with Exxon Mobil for the Baytown Blue Hydrogen project. The city gives up its interest in about 23.6 acres of street right-of-way near Bayway Dr and signs a quitclaim deed.
- On the consent agenda, City Council approved the Fire Department's yearly contract for medicines and medical supplies, and Public Works equipment: three Ford trucks, a trailer jetter and a John Deere backhoe.
- On the consent agenda, City Council corrected the name of the assignee in Ordinance No. 16,576.
- On the consent agenda, City Council approved professional services for the Market Street Revitalization, the Oak Leaf Dr reconstruction, and the Staples and Cedar Landing lift stations.
- On the consent agenda, City Council approved Change Order No. 2 for the Phase 2 expansion of the BAWA East Surface Water Plant.
- City Council met in closed session under Texas Government Code 551.071 and took no action afterward.
- On the consent agenda, City Council approved buying a Dell server for the HIDTA program through the Texas DIR contract, for no more than $76,578.41.
- On the consent agenda, City Council approved a service agreement between HIDTA and The KACE Company, LLC for an IT administrator, for no more than $169,523.65.
- City Council adopted the FY 2026-2027 municipal budget (~$149.4M General Fund revenue; ~$144.9M operating expenditures) and an ad valorem tax rate of $0.69803 per $100 valuation (M&O $0.43812; debt $0.25991).
- On second reading, City Council approved voluntary annexation of ~0.998 acres at N. SH 146 (address cited as 8220/8820 N. SH 146 in city materials) and assigned it to Council District 5; also dissolved the Baytown Strategic Planning Advisory Committee.
- Proposed budget package carried a combined water and sewer rate increase of 7.9 percent (discussed Aug. 27; budget adopted Sep. 10).
- City Council approved a Special Use Permit for ~31.124 acres at 10108 Old Needlepoint Road allowing multifamily apartment dwellings (including garden apartments) in Freeway Commercial zoning.
- City Council approved rezoning ~10.34 acres at the NE corner of I-10/East Freeway and N. Main Street from Open Space/Recreation and General Commercial to Freeway Commercial.
- City Council approved FY 2026-2027 budgets for Baytown Area Water Authority, Crime Control and Prevention District, and Fire Control/Prevention/EMS District.
- City Council approved Unified Land Development Code short-term rental amendments replacing SUP with an annual permit process (inspections, local contact, parking, occupancy, posted rules) and a $350 annual residential STR fee.
- City Council approved a Chapter 380 economic development agreement with Texas Roadhouse of Baytown, TX LLC and Strategic Restaurant Enterprises, Inc., for a larger Texas Roadhouse and a Bubba's 33, with a post-performance sales-tax rebate capped at $300,000 over 10 years.
Schools (3)
- GCCISD board approved the district's annual SB12 DEI certificate of compliance; faculty beginning the school year remained prohibited from DEI practices for a second year (certificate due to TEA by Sept. 30).
- GCCISD updated its proposed student dress code (removing prior gender-specific hair/piercing proposals) and stated the updated dress code would be implemented for the school year beginning Aug. 12, 2026.
- Goose Creek CISD Board unanimously approved a two-tier Guardian Program framework allowing certain screened/trained employees and qualified retired law enforcement to carry firearms on campus after superintendent authorization; district stated no Guardians had been selected yet as of June 19.
New public facilities (3)
- City Council approved pursuing Bird City Texas designation from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
- Sterling Municipal Library relocation prep advanced: City announced temporary library use of former San Jacinto Elementary at 2615 Virginia Street (lease with GCCISD); Baytown Sun reported Aug. 17 that Council approved a >$140,600 Brown and Root contract for construction/repair services for the temporary location, with EMBEC/library renovation construction expected to begin in 2027.
- City Council approved an agreement with Native Construction to remove derelict fishing piers and construct four new fishing piers at the Baytown Nature Center (partial FEMA reimbursement expected).
From HERE Baytown's reviewed change ledger and source-native civic feeds; only accepted items with a checkable source are shown. Send a correction.