CITY & COUNTY
News from League City & Harris County
League City City Council will meet at 6 p.m. May 9 and 23 at council chambers, 200 W. Walker St., League City. Meetings are streamed at www.facebook.com/leaguecitytexas and http://leaguecitytx.swagit.com/ live-chambers. MEETINGS WE COVER HIGHLIGHTS LEAGUE CITY During a March 28 workshop, League City City Council discussed possible changes to a food truck-related ordinance concerning special events and proximity to brick-and- mortar commercial properties at a workshop meeting March 28. Possible changes to the current ordinance discussed at the meeting included increasing the annual license fee for food trucks, limiting special events to 72 hours max duration, registration with League City and the possibility of food truck parks. Council Member Chad Tressler said he does not believe food trucks steal business from brick-and-mortar restaurants but that he does not want to give food trucks an advantage over traditional eateries. City staff will prepare suggestions for the council to take action on during a future session.
City Council blocks way for state-run facility
Harris County commissioners approve $7.4M for jail staff bonuses, body cameras
Council considers pay raises for EMS
DETENTION DILEMMA The Harris County Jail is experiencing issues retaining staff. According to a March 14 presentation from Sheriff Ed Gonzalez:
BY EMILY LINCKE
BY JAKE MAGEE
assurance; and • The hiring of a third-party expert to improve retention efforts for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Quote of note: “We hope this helps convince some [employees] to stay around longer to stabilize our workforce until the Commissioners Court is able to implement more significant pay raises that we all agree are needed,” Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said. What’s next: On March 14, commis- sioners also heard a presentation from Harris County Public Health on needs at the jail, such as: • Expanded virtual care for cardiology and neurology, which were expected to be implemented in March; • Adding a mobile computed tomography scan unit, which is to be implemented this fall;
BY JAKE MAGEE
One-third of the county’s detention staff leave their jobs annually. 150 detention officer positions were unfilled as of March 14. 100 sheriff’s office deputy positions assigned to the jail were vacant as of March 14. $19.75 per hour is the rate being paid to Harris County detention officers.
LEAGUE CITY On April 11, City Council postponed a vote that would have granted a $3 an hour raise starting July 3 to emergency medical service positions not included in a rate increase City Council passed last fall. The move would cost League City $42,437 and, going forward, $169,746 annually. On Sept. 27, City Council granted raises to 347 city employees at a cost of $1.26 million. About $134,000 of that amount was for further City Council-proposed raises of $3 an hour for EMS and telecommunica- tion employees. Council Member Chad Tressler said the new item was brought for- ward to address a mistake. Accord- ing to Tressler, an EMS employee hired just before City Council’s Sept. 27 vote would be locked into a lower rate than someone hired just after the vote.
HARRIS COUNTY Employee retention bonuses and new body cameras for detention officers are key components of the $7.4 million initiative approved by Harris County commissioners March 14. The details: The $7.4 million package—to be funded by the county’s general fund and American Rescue Plan Act money—was approved unanimously and will pay for: • $2,000 retention incentives for all detention officers at a total cost of about $3 million; • The purchase of new body cameras, which will include a panic button, to be worn by detention officers; • The creation of new leadership positions for the jail, such as jail population specialists and a director of health care quality
Property in question
LEAGUE CITY With League City City Council’s vote, The Meadows subdivision has been spared from increased traffic and drainage concerns—at least for now. On April 11, City Council unanimously voted against rezoning an 8.88-acre plot of land at the southwest corner of FM 270 and Abilene Street from residential to commercial. The applicant wanted the rezoning to create a Department of Public Safety building on the property. Several residents spoke against this idea, citing increased traffic to the already-congested FM 270 and flooding problems as concerns. An attorney hired by the applicant made arguments in favor of the rezoning, saying the parcel in question was originally zoned commercial and fits into the city’s comprehensive plan as commercial land. The attorney said the facility would add an extra 300 vehicles to FM 270 every day, but only during normal business hours Mondays through Fridays. A residential development on the property, however, would add 240 to 400 vehicles per day, he said. After residents spoke against the project, Mayor Nick Long agreed the development would only add to the neighbors’ traffic problems.
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“[FM] 270 in the morning is horrendous, and it’s possi- bly even worse in the afternoon,” Long said. Adding a Department of Public Safety building in what is predominantly a neighborhood does not make sense, he said. The city desires its own Department of Public Safety facility, but it would make more sense close to the freeway, Long said. Council Member Chad Tressler said he does not want to see any development on that parcel until FM 270 is widened from two to four lanes. “Until that’s done, we don’t have the capacity to support this here,” he said. Still, denying the rezoning would not prevent another developer from attempting to build residences on the property, which could make traffic and flooding even worse for neighbors than the proposed facility, Tressler said.
SOURCES: SHERIFF ED GONZALEZ, HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE/COMMUNITY IMPACT
• New facilities, such as a medical unit, a central clinic and a dental clinic, which will be considered in the fiscal year 2023-24 budget; and • Funding for more medical officers and additional substance use help, which will be considered in the FY 2023-24 budget.
BAY AREA 1033 Bay Area Blvd (281) 486-9558
KEMAH 243 FM 2094 (281) 538-9095 SEABROOK 3126 Nasa Pkwy (281) 326-5127
LEAGUE CITY 196 Gulf Fwy S (281) 316-2140
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