News from Harris County & Houston CITY & COUNTY Harris County drainage projects on hold due to funding gap
HIGHLIGHTS HOUSTON A new interlocal agreement with Harris County will create a partnership between the Houston Health Department and Harris County Public Health. Houston City Council approved the partnership in an agreement Feb. 22. Both entities agreed to meet monthly to discuss current and future collaborations, including potentially establishing a communitywide coordinating council; planning with violence prevention and maternal and child health programs; and creating a data-sharing platform for patient- level and program-level data across both the HHD and HCPH. HARRIS COUNTY The Harris County Public Library plans to end late fee fines on books and DVDs. The HCPL has waived late fees since the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of all its branch locations in March 2020, according to a HCPL news release. The decision, which Harris County Commissioners Court unanimously approved on Feb. 21, comes down to late fees hitting low- income households harder as well as collecting and processing late fees resulting in less revenue than generated. It is also ineffective at deterring late returns, officials said. Katy City Council meets on the second and fourth Mondays of the month at 6:30 p.m. The next meeting is March 27 at 910 Ave. C, Katy. 281-391-4800. www.cityofkaty.com Harris County Commissioners Court usually meets on Tuesday mornings twice a month. The next meeting is April 4 at 1001 Preston Ave., Ste. 934, Houston. 713-755-5000. www.harriscountytx.gov Fort Bend County Commissioners Court meets at 1 p.m. on the first, second and fourth Tuesdays each month. The next meeting is March 28 at 401 Jackson St., Richmond. 281- 342-3411. www.fortbendcountytx.gov MEETINGS WE COVER
BY EMILY LINCKE
PROJECTS IN PROGRESS Harris County commissioners paused 33 projects totaling $303 million under the Harris County Flood Control District’s Bridge Subdivision Drainage program due to a funding shortfall.
HARRIS COUNTY Commissioners voted Feb. 21 to pause dozens of road and bridge drainage projects due to a $277 million funding gap for the Bridge Subdivision Drainage program. The program targets reducing flood risk for more than 45,000 homes across Harris County. The 33 projects com- missioners opted to pause on Feb. 21 can be resumed once funding is obtained, county officials said. These projects are estimated to cost about $303 million to complete. “Pausing the projects is not doing away with the proj- ects,” Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia said. When the Harris County Flood Control District’s $2.5 billion bond was approved in 2018, the 96 projects in the Bridge Subdivision Drainage program were expected to cost about $460 million. Now, with inflation and supply chain issues, the same projects are expected to cost about $832 million; the county has about $556 million. Under the Bridge Subdivision Drainage program, 13 proj- ects are almost completed, 13 are under construction and 14 are set to begin construction within 90 days. Commissioners unanimously voted Feb. 21 to fund the 26 projects that are under construction or nearly completed. Precinct 4, which includes the Katy area, is home to two paused projects.
Funding obtained: $556M Funding needed: $277M Harris County Bridge Subdivision Drainage program
Total cost: $832M
Project status Total number of projects: 96
33: Paused 23: In design process or status yet to be determined 14: Construction to begin in 90 days 13: Near completion 13: Under construction
SOURCE: HARRIS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Houston approves annexation to Katy area
NEWLY ANNEXED LAND EXISTING HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL DISTRICT LAND
BY LEAH FOREMAN
395.96 acres within the MUD. According to the meeting agenda packet, the district has a wastewater collection system, and the additional land will be provided with wastewa- ter treatment and potable water from Harris County MUD No. 495. The district provides water and wastewa- ter services to residents, according to the packet. The nearest major drainage facility for MUD No. 538 is South Mayde Creek, which flows into Langham Creek and Buffalo Bayou before reaching the Houston Ship Channel.
HOUSTON More than 154 acres were annexed from Houston to Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 538, a district that covers areas near Beckendorff and Katy Hockley Cut Off roads. Houston City Council approved this Feb. 22. currently vacant land be developed as single-family and multifamily residential property, commercial property, and detention property. This tract adds to the existing The MUD is being formed as developers are proposing the
FREEMAN RD.
BECKENDORFF RD.
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KATY EDITION • MARCH 2023
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