Welcome New Residents

We may not have all the answers, but we sure have a lot to tell you!

All of our city services come from Kaufman County with the exception of road maintenance

 

Our children attend Scurry-Rosser Schools

 

We have farm animals, long grass and natural trees

 

Cottonwood dates back to the late 1800’s, started by less than 20 families that took exceptional pride in their community

 

You can find community ordinances and zoning restrictions within this site

 

The city council is a volunteer organization that works hard to find additional resources and opportunities to support the residents for today and tomorrow

 

 City Hall is an office located within the CIVIC CENTER.  Hours are by appointment only or join us for City Council Meetings

 

Although the City of Cottonwood does not have a burn ordinance, KAUFMAN COUNTY requires an outdoor burning permit – 

Permit is Required for all Outdoor / Controlled Burns

To apply for an Outdoor Burn Permit, follow the steps below:

  • Create an account in the Permit Portal.
  • Apply for a new operational permit.
  • Select the appropriate permit type:
    • Outdoor Burn (Private Property, Recreational, Ceremonial)
    • Outdoor Burn (Commercial)
    • Outdoor Burn (Trench / TCEQ Air Curtain)
  • Complete the application form and submit it for review.
  • Once approved, your permit status will change to “ready to activate.”
  • When you are ready to begin burning, you can call or text 469-595-8899 to activate your burn permit. You may also log into the Permit Portal to activate the burn permit on the website.

Zoning & Permits  Has all the answers you need.  If you still have questions contact the mayor or City Council.  

You can find information regarding septic systems on the Services page.  Yes, you will need a permit for a new septic. Kaufman public works will assist you with the permit, but you will need to contract with a septic company to design and build your system.

Check out the Scurry-Rosser ISD pages – https://www.scurry-rosser.com/

 

Although Cottonwood is located in Kaufman County, it is geographically located 1/2 way between Ennis in Ellis County and Kaufman in Kaufman County.  Check out county information here – 

https://www.kaufmancounty.net/

https://www.co.ellis.tx.us/

 

 

Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ)

The Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) is a designated buffer area located just outside of the city limits. Each municipality is afforded an ETJ by the Texas Local Government Code as a method of defining potential growth and future service boundaries. An ETJ boundary cannot overlap with another municipality’s ETJ, and property owners cannot elect which boundary they want to be part of, unless mutually agreed upon by the municipalities.

What is the Extent of an ETJ?

The extent of an ETJ is dependent on the population size of the municipality. A municipality’s population only incorporates those within the City Limits and does not include the residents within the ETJ. An ETJ can extend as little as one-half mile (less than 5,000 inhabitants) or as much as 5 miles (100,000 inhabitants or more).

 

Learn more –

Texas Public Policy ETJ

 Forney ETJ

 

The basic purpose and function of zoning is to divide a municipality into residential, commercial, and industrial districts (or zones), that are for the most part separate from one another, with the use of property within each district being reasonably uniform. Jul 2, 2019.www.findlaw.com




© City of Cottonwood Texas 2022