NEWS BRIEFS
Harris County officials target 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030
TAKING ACTION The climate action plan has three focus areas, each of which has two subgoals and corresponding quantifiable targets for 2030, including the following:
BY RACHEL CARLTON
in this regard, and I’m very excited about the progress we’ve made.” Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey voted against the plan, saying it did not adequately address the financial costs and the timeline associ- ated with objectives. “We need to be sure we get the most bang for our buck when we’re trying to solve a problem and not just have a plan that looks good on paper, sits up on the shelf, and it’s impossible to implement,” Ramsey said at the Jan. 10 meeting. The plan is divided into three focus areas: build- ings and energy, clean fleet and commuting, and sustainable procurement and waste management. Those three areas have two subgoals each along with corresponding quantifiable targets for 2030. Lisa Lin, director of the office of sustainability, told Community Impact her office went for shorter- term 2030 targets to make goals more actionable and easier to implement. The county will establish a sustainability coordi- nating council to track and guide the plan’s imple- mentation as well as providing feedback to adjust the plan’s goals, targets and timelines as needed.
In a split 3-1 vote, Harris County commissioners approved a new climate action plan for the county’s internal operations during their Jan. 10 meeting, in turn setting a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030. Framing the impetus for the plan around recent climate events such as Hurricane Harvey, Winter Storm Uri, and extreme heat and drought during the summer of 2022, the 24-page report outlines a cost-benefit analysis of a lower-emissions future. Per the report, the total emissions from the county’s operations in 2021 were 179,445 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent with 67% of emissions associated with its facilities and infrastructure. Through the climate action plan, the county will aim to reduce that chunk of the county’s emissions by 50% without the use of offsets by 2030 as well as reducing electricity usage by at least 5% per year. “This plan does set some ambitious, albeit flexible goals, but we’ve got to set those goals to shoot at and shoot for, otherwise we won’t move,” Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia said. “But without a doubt, this is positioning Harris County as a leader
BUILDINGS AND ENERGY 2030 TARGET: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% across building and facilities without the use of offsets
CLEAN FLEET AND COMMUTING
2030 TARGET: Electrify 50%-75% of light duty fleet and increase the percentage of hybrid and fuel-efficient vehicles SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT AND WASTE MANAGEMENT 2030 TARGET: Reduce 50% of landfilled waste from county operations and increase the proportion spent on green procurement
SOURCE: HARRIS COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN/COMMUNITY IMPACT
MORTON RD. New master-planned community coming to Katy area A new unnamed master-planned community with a Katy address is coming to Waller County, accord- ing to a Jan. 4 news release from Johnson Development. This comes after a recent venture BARTLETT RD. BY ASIA ARMOUR
Filing period open for Katy City Council, Katy ISD positions
homesites by the fall or winter of 2024, per the release. “This is a growing region of Houston and for good reason,” said Michael Smith, president and CEO of Johnson Development, in a state- ment. “This is just north of I-10 and is served north to south by the Grand Parkway. Being zoned to Katy [ISD] is another bonus.” The community will have 2,800 homes once built out. The company has Fort Bend, Galveston, Montgom- ery and Harris County developments.
BY ASIA ARMOUR
Residents of Katy interested in City Council and Katy ISD board of trustees positions have been able to file since Jan. 18 for candidacy. The candidate filing period will end Feb. 17. Early voting will begin April 24 with election day marked for May 6. Katy City Council seats for at-large, Ward A and Ward B positions—all three-year terms—will be on the ballot. The at-large position is held by Chris Harris; Janet Corte holds the Ward A position; and Rory Robertson has the Ward B position. For Katy ISD, trustee positions 3, 4 and 5 will be on the ballot. All posi- tions are three-year terms. Position 3 is held by Ashley Vann; Position 4 is held by Leah Wilson; and Position 5 is held by Greg Schulte. Eligibility requirements for both entities can be found on the respective websites.
with Plow Realty to develop an 1,146-acre land tract for Johnson Development’s 16th Houston-area community. Construction is set to begin on the land near Morton Road and FM 2855 in the spring or summer with builders receiving
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Alexandra del Moral Mealer, other Republicans file election contests
BY RACHEL CARLTON
within 45 days of the canvass of an election. “It is inexcusable that after two months, the public is no further along in knowing if, and to what extent, votes were suppressed,” del Moral Mealer said. In a Jan. 6 statement, Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee called the election contests “frivolous attempts” by the Republican candidates to overturn the votes of over a million residents.
Alexandra del Moral Mealer, the Republican candidate for Harris County judge, filed a lawsuit Jan. 6 to contest the results of the November 2022 election that saw incum- bent Judge Lina Hidalgo win a second term in office. Del Moral Mealer was among a slew of Republican candidates to file on the last day allowed by the Texas Election Code: Losing candidates must file petitions
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KATY EDITION • JANUARY 2023
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