CITY & COUNTY
News from Tomball, Magnolia and Harris & Montgomery counties
Counties look to reduce opioid overdoses
Council raises impact fees for developers
BY EMILY LINCKE & JISHNU NAIR
HARRIS & MONTGOMERY COUNTIES Commissioners in Harris and Montgomery counties announced initiatives in May to address opioid overdoses. Harris County approved an interlocal agreement with The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston to study local efforts to reduce opioid overdoses May 24. Commissioners unanimously approved the agreement, which will receive a max- imum backing of $306,841 and last until Aug. 31, unless terminated earlier, according to the court’s May 24 agenda. “I think we could always make more invest- ments,” said Barbie Robinson, who serves as Harris County Public Health’s executive director. “I believe our behavioral health, substance abuse and mental health services are underfunded, given the prevalence in our county.” As previously reported by Community Impact Newspaper , opioid overdose deaths have steadily climbed in Texas during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, rising from 4,154 deaths in 2020 to 4,831 deaths in 2021, according to the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics. UTHealth Assistant Professor J. Michael Wilkerson will lead the evaluation, according to
RISING CONCERN Montgomery County commissioners are forming a task force to investigate fentanyl use in the county as drug-related deaths have risen in Texas. The Drug Enforcement Agency describes fentanyl as a synthetic opioid.
BY KAYLI THOMPSON
MAGNOLIA Magnolia City Council voted to raise its impact fees per single-family con- nection at a May 10 regular meeting, which raises the cost for new developments to tap into the city’s water systems. Impact fees are one-time fees collected to fund a new water user’s share of the city’s water or wastewater capacity, Community Impact Newspaper previously reported. City Administrator Don Doering said the impact fees were raised to $7,400 in total instead of $4,800 in total; the fee increase does not affect current customers, only new connections to the city’s systems. The increase went into effect as soon as council approved it May 10. These impact fees have not been raised since 2019, according to Doering. “The increase in need for additional capacity required multiple new water plants and wastewater treatment facilities. ... Impact fees are needed to fund these much- needed improvements,” Doering said in an interview.
The total reported drug overdoses in Texas increased
Synthetic opioid overdose deaths nationwide rose
33% 55.6%
from 2020-21.
from 2020-21.
the interlocal agreement attached to the court’s May 24 agenda. Montgomery County commissioners are also putting together a task force to investigate fentanyl use in Montgomery County following discussion at a May 10 meeting. Part of the committee’s purpose will be putting forward money received from lawsuits against drug manufacturers and distributors that Montgomery County joined. SOURCES: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTH STATISTICS/COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
Tomball July 4th Celebration and Street Fest The biggest Independence Day event in Northwest Harris County
Summer Breeze Makes you feel fine
Monday, July 4th
Street Festival 6 p.m. Fireworks 9:30 p.m.
Celebrate The Outdoors This July
Live Music Featuring Mango Punch! Patriotic Music • Food • Cold Drinks Kids Zone
Presented By
Free Parking & Admission Bring your lawn chairs! Behind Kroger • 14060 FM 2920, Tomball, TX, 77377 www.tomballtx.gov Tomball is Texan for Fun
32411 FM 2978, Magnolia, TX 77354
anthologylighting.com
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COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER • COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
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