League City officials approved amendments to a controversial liveaboard ordinance, loosening permit requirements while strengthening environmental protections following months of resident feedback.
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The League City Council has approved revisions to its liveaboard ordinance, scaling back some requirements for people living on boats while tightening rules aimed at preventing pollution and unsafe conditions at local marinas.
The updated measure follows months of public feedback after the original ordinance passed in December 2025 drew criticism from residents who cited privacy concerns, vague language, and overly strict regulations.
Under the revised rules, individuals must now live aboard a vessel for more than 15 days within a 30-day period before needing a permit, up from the previous threshold of 10 days. The council also removed a provision that barred applicants from reapplying for one year if they failed to meet requirements.
Officials further eased documentation rules by eliminating a mandate for daily sanitation logs. Instead, liveaboards are now required to track only pump-out activities related to waste disposal.
At the same time, the city strengthened environmental safeguards. Marina operators must now provide functional pump-out stations to handle human waste, a response to prior complaints about sewage discharge, unlawful dumping, and derelict vessels.
Nick Long said the changes aim to strike a balance between enforcement and fairness. “There were a couple of things that people wanted to see tweaked to make it a little bit easier to deal with and a couple of items that they really want to see kind of more stringent,” Long said.
The ordinance was initially introduced after reports of increased criminal activity, disturbances, and deteriorating conditions at certain marinas. City leaders said regulation was necessary to address those concerns and protect public waterways.
Some liveaboard residents, however, remain opposed. Michael Sample, who has lived on a boat for more than five years and participated in a community advocacy group, said the revised ordinance is still too broad.
“I’m happy with some of the changes that they’ve made,” Sample said. “I still don’t support the ordinance because virtually all the items that are pointed out … are also spelled out by the private marinas.”
Sample argued that the city should focus enforcement efforts on problem locations rather than broadly regulating all liveaboards, pointing to concerns at specific marinas and calling for faster removal of abandoned boats.
Long said the ordinance has already produced “pretty significant results,” including identifying problematic operators. He added that the city’s long-term goal is to maintain clean waterways and reduce abandoned vessels.
The amended ordinance is expected to take effect within 30 days.
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