Government
BY MELISSA ENAJE & CASSANDRA JENKINS
Harris County approves $10M for criminal courts An estimated $10 million comprehensive reform initiative aimed at advancing quality and efficiency within Harris County’s district criminal courts was unanimously approved by county commissioners at an Aug. 6 meeting. The plan, spearheaded by Precinct 4 Commis- sioner Lesley Briones, will invest in five areas,
Houston sports venues to undergo assessment Two Houston sports venues will undergo facility condition assessments to determine what upgrades can be made to the aging structures. What’s happening? The Harris County Houston Sports Authority board of directors voted Aug. 20 to fund assess- ments for Toyota Center and Minute Maid Park. HCHSA officials said the study will focus on ele- vators, escalators and structural and maintenance equipment. It will also evaluate the state of each venue and see what upkeep is needed. The assessment is expected to begin within the next few months and be complete by the end of the year. As of Aug. 21, a total cost for the study was not yet known, HCHSA officials said. Also of note Board directors approved capital repair
Committee suggests HPD increase staff A committee appointed by Houston Mayor John Whitmire in March released its final recommendations Aug. 21 for the Houston Police Department, including increasing civilian staff, providing leadership training, improving crime analysis and fostering multiagency collaboration. The full story The committee was formed to investigate the Houston Police Department’s suspension of approximately 260,000 incident reports using a “suspended lack-of personnel” code. The leading cause was widespread under- staffing, according to the report. Outdated technology and insufficient communication were also listed as key findings.
Voter registration initiatives approved By a vote of 4-1, Harris County commis- sioners approved a voter registration pilot program aimed at increasing total voter turnout numbers at elections, including among marginalized and working-class communities. Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey cast the dissenting vote at the Aug. 6 court meeting. The breakdown Carried out across multiple county depart- ments, the program includes: • Developing an unregistered voters map • Hiring a vendor to assist with voter outreach efforts • Implementing a text-to-register program and other registration pilot programs
including updating court technology and further reducing the criminal court backlog, while also providing bilingual assistance and mental health support services to defendants. Funding for the project will come from a combination of capital improvement, general and American Rescue Plan Act funds, according to Briones’ office. Expanding mental health support along with the jail-based competency restoration program will result in jail population reduction, District Court Judge Lori Gray said in a news release.
Venue repairs In addition to a condition assessment, some repairs have already been approved at Houston venues.
Totoya Center Project scope: roof replacement Timeline: September-early 2025
Cost: $7.5M-$8M Funding source: Houston Rockets Minute Maid Park
Project scope: window replacement, speaker replacement and cooler repairs
Harris County criminal district court active cases
Timeline: October-TBD Cost: $14.8M Funding source: Texas Department of Transportation funding from parking lot sales
While the number of criminal district court cases have decreased since 2022, the new investments are meant to further the momentum and address justice barriers that could delay the life cycle of cases.
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49,513
SOURCE: HARRIS COUNTY HOUSTON SPORTS AUTHORITY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
improvements to the venues, including replacing the roof on the Toyota Center, and replacing the Union Station windows, warehouse cooler and stadium speakers at Minute Maid Park.
29,579
Jan.
Dec.
Jan.
Dec.
Jan.
July
2022
2023
2024
SOURCE: HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT COURTS/COMMUNITY IMPACT
HOUSTON SUPERSTORE 2410 Smith Street (713) 526-8787
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