[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6531781,"mediaKeyId","3457727-bda991941cd6bc15c1c67b9e7aca370e","parentId",3457727,"title","Court honors community leaders, marks World Hunger Day, Older Americans Month and other observances","audioSeconds",3657,"startMs",12991000,"endMs",16648000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3457727-bda991941cd6bc15c1c67b9e7aca370e&start=12991&end=16648","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3457727-bda991941cd6bc15c1c67b9e7aca370e/thumbnail_12991000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6531781/Harris-County/Texas/Court-honors-community-leaders-marks-World-Hunger-Day-Older-Americans-Month-and-other-observances","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6531781-279c9cab066b15ac4d6eec4a56ab8fd0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770896851&Signature=gGJHI5YacnOrihBBQbbN39KvltcQEFv~ehRfTm75DTTNy9TqIojHNZf7JJjH4jRffqqPMvOCAZyczTGMYHPYptCZlIbCcI9XEPUB1dMnZmn46-TWvRoMQt7wRAVIMFQpEhy1B2J0aYMK4CGZhb4pAs4ePEVhTHVtqa-SBWtAUiiASWoUxqYGYF1Yr6fMD57quNEiDEgencEbRb-HlJiqKj7M7SesguAXtjoUMGt8gbQOeXbUUVAr9mGSAzu96rPJFSEnP1A9H5yDfq4rwPH5S4o0BOfo5sKHSjPfd91RifQ3sHXbrBoXRuWet3OIpZNuBXguOaWa-CzohVVAt~OXcQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Harris","date","2025-05-22T00:00:00Z","article","Commissioners used the May 22 court to adopt several ceremonial resolutions recognizing community service, marking national observances and honoring local figures.

Major proclamations and honors included:
- A resolution recognizing Diana Ramirez for her service as Harris County’s County Administrator and designating April 30, 2025 as \"Diana Ramirez Day.\" Commissioners and staff praised Ramirez’s work on the county’s first strategic plan, ARPA implementation and cross‑departmental coordination.
- A resolution designating May 2025 as National Water Safety Month and the start of summer heat‑safety outreach, prompted by a county public health briefing on drowning and heat‑illness prevention; public health urged early education and hydration measures as temperatures rose.
- A resolution observing World Hunger Day (May 28) and highlighting county partnerships with hunger‑relief organizations; commissioners heard from Kids Meals Houston about delivery operations, ARPA support and a new facility planned this fall to expand service to preschool‑age children.
- A resolution recognizing Older Americans Month and thanking AARP volunteers and county senior programs; AARP Chapter leaders attended and asked for expanded intergenerational volunteer and skills‑transfer programming.
- Memorial and civic honors: a bench dedication in Go Forth Park to remember Caleb Rickenbacker; the court also adopted a resolution commemorating the life and contributions of Houston musician Scott Gartner and recognized other departmental retirements and honorees.

Court action: The ceremonial resolutions passed as presented; several community members and organization leaders spoke in support or to describe next steps for outreach and volunteer partnerships.

Ending: Commissioners used the resolutions to highlight county partnerships with nonprofits and to emphasize actionable follow‑ups: public health will continue a summer safety campaign, Kids Meals will use county support to expand operations, and the county will coordinate volunteer channels for older adult and anti‑hunger programs.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Harris - Commissioners Court - May 22, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Commissioners enacted multiple resolutions honoring outgoing county administrator Diana Ramirez, marking National Water Safety Month and summer heat safety, recognizing World Hunger Day and Older Americans Month, and approving commemorations for local honorees including musician Scott Gartener and a memorial bench for a local resident.","taxTitle","Harris County, Texas","taxId",2707,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6531785,"Commissioners approve multiple plats, contracts and trust‑fund corrections; select items deferred or taken with no action",860,2472000,3332000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3457727-bda991941cd6bc15c1c67b9e7aca370e&start=2472&end=3332","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3457727-bda991941cd6bc15c1c67b9e7aca370e/thumbnail_2472000.jpg","/articles/6531785/Harris-County/Texas/Commissioners-approve-multiple-plats-contracts-and-trustfund-corrections-select-items-deferred-or-taken-with-no-action","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6531785-4a6347e5418651873f91fa2cf36c1007/orig.mp4?Expires=1770896851&Signature=ZmxsXFXTVE43v9op1LuUc54XbzauQulkhb0eC1QYp4HiTrPtyFxDSCVkLHIwN~hoGD3WhPHxg2pCGYWpqsaRdNdhBmQ6TGxIanVJ1mw0tHqJUOmmmbyipkMOvEjbdaSxRWoZxC-cjpRwteud3EyO5l82GwjDs4sfKlwaKq0~QibHypKBCzi8ONj4WV6ENm~pTlxJYpty7RQedeLLILSXNf4XiRjGo93KUy5X3HEGrY9LyPMOdof2uJZlhvZFAKjHEPSZ4R9RESb9OY-~VBhWis-A0FMTdcAZur5V98F-86lSr6LTHvzDPi5C15NJ9TeCIniD5rBRQkehMyf~JvU~tA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Harris County Commissioners Court approved a batch of routine and consent agenda items on May 22 after public hearings and staff corrections, while several flagged items were deferred or taken with no action.

What passed (highlights): The court approved multiple subdivision plat revisions (Wheel Drive sections 1–3 and related corrections) after public hearings and unanimous votes. The consent agenda passed with previously announced edits to line items (examples included master plan notations, grant pass‑through adjustments to the “Solar for All” grant, and contract renewals adjusted to reflect ‘‘no cost’’ first renewal terms where appropriate). Several purchasing and contract renewals were approved, including subscription/service purchases and a temporary extension to employment training center contracts to ensure continuity while new procurements proceed.

What was deferred or taken as no action: Precinct‑led requests on the Community Prosperity program (item 10) were left with no action pending a court decision; staff said steer‑co had recommended redirecting remaining funds to homelessness, rental assistance and food programs if the program could not be executed, but commissioners asked to wait for a pending appellate decision and state legislative actions. Executive session items on the chief public defender appointment and cybersecurity devices (items 263 and 264) were discussed in closed session and resulted in no public action taken at this court.

Other votes: The court approved an extension of certain contract authorities (with clarifying “up to” language), accepted a transmittal of a drainage completion certificate, and approved renewals and award recommendations for several grant‑funded and county operations items. On some higher‑risk procurements, purchasing staff said they are documenting vendor performance and preparing rebids where appropriate.

Ending: Commissioners emphasized corrections and transparency on consent items and asked departments to continue outreach for flagged items. The court asked OMB to deliver an updated current‑level‑of‑service forecast reflecting decisions made at this session.","On May 22 the court approved several public‑hearing plats, consent agenda items and contract renewals; it deferred or took no action on a handful of flagged items including the Community Prosperity spending item.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6531790,"County halts FEMA mitigation project after talks with HCC fail; $3.7 million in grant funds to be returned",4590,5950000,10540000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3457727-bda991941cd6bc15c1c67b9e7aca370e&start=5950&end=10540","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3457727-bda991941cd6bc15c1c67b9e7aca370e/thumbnail_5950000.jpg","/articles/6531790/Harris-County/Texas/County-halts-FEMA-mitigation-project-after-talks-with-HCC-fail-37-million-in-grant-funds-to-be-returned","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6531790-9bda7bec37de9ee195b961cf3b72e515/orig.mp4?Expires=1770896851&Signature=bDJF~SaYJaaiwPs~JSZsgEBx~N1UMpz1cwdjMgNFOgiuiER0ebcioTsyjhOYskHwQSx9iKinY-Za0sRiemHGe6NG2VbGfvSoGWtdIVnSL4r8f-Bn37WpVXCA1fql514Hhjx6lCo5pRLORgEkh3axKbSllHg9NaBHGF45SUztIROAgA7IWeZOk4-1uirvff5AfKhibu7siVslqZk13wHT3WSiFpnBdCTmpPTZhxl5-JagYtAKhalItG96~BIdvO3Ikn~TVjNBIAJCSUhJ0XOhUyOcbD1yaVMOIrBgKbYnpS6hvueRgu4yeNgZGkn5vZzuYrzgpLw7zNBw88nXNOqrww__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Harris County Flood Control requested — and the court approved — termination of a FEMA hazard‑mitigation grant after staff said they could not secure a feasible site for a planned stormwater detention basin in the North Forest area.

Flood Control engineers told the court the project would have provided about 35 acre‑feet of storage and upgraded a local channel from a 10‑year to a 50‑year capacity. The project team evaluated potential locations and concluded the HCC (Houston Community College) campus property was the only hydraulically feasible site that would not displace more structures than it would protect. Flood Control reported the county and HCC were unable to reach agreement to use the property.

Why it matters: The county was asked to return about $3.7 million of the $10 million congressional award tied to the project. Officials described the decision as a “last resort” after exhaustive outreach and said the constraining factor was the lack of an alternate site in an urbanized corridor with heavy property and right‑of‑way constraints.

County staff said the larger lesson is process‑level: federal congressional project requests and earmarks should be advanced only when project scope, site control and realistic delivery timelines are better established. Staff said projects submitted to congressional offices earlier in the planning process exposed the county to risk when property acquisitions or agreements proved infeasible later.

Court action: Commissioners approved the termination and the return of funds as recommended by Flood Control. Flood Control told the court it will still pursue maintenance work that can be delivered in the area (concrete channel repairs) and said it will keep outreach channels open to HCC to position the watershed for future opportunities if site control can be secured.

Ending: County leaders framed the decision as a necessary step to avoid missing FEMA expenditure deadlines and to preserve the county’s ability to use future federal grants effectively. Commissioners urged Flood Control to document lessons learned and improve project readiness before submitting future congressional funding requests.","Harris County Flood Control told commissioners it must terminate a FEMA mitigation grant tied to a detention basin at Houston Community College property after negotiations failed; staff said no alternate site met hydraulic and displacement constraints, and recommended returning $3.7 million of a $10 million congressional allocation.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6531794,"Harris County court votes to pursue pay parity with HPD, forms negotiation committee and directs budget reviews",4435,3327000,7762000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3457727-bda991941cd6bc15c1c67b9e7aca370e&start=3327&end=7762","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3457727-bda991941cd6bc15c1c67b9e7aca370e/thumbnail_3327000.jpg","/articles/6531794/Harris-County/Texas/Harris-County-court-votes-to-pursue-pay-parity-with-HPD-forms-negotiation-committee-and-directs-budget-reviews","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6531794-54a8ad7193f56b7789039883efc8e694/orig.mp4?Expires=1770896851&Signature=ATUEdSIEzEHGQDnuZX8Vx5r6IiQNb05x9hZvEYCfYs2-FLUf3qYk2EXzT5XmXm2Kbo40lHO7daZLiEPF4P~FrEu69p8Euyi7dZ9MCNIYxq43qd9JPWDlq3lTMJZfqfjxF477MyqG-FsmyLtjIGu9sf4CUVld10yjFkUgGVM~QR4ojwFYUyFP7ZmuIjWT8-1h-B6MBZx87n2og20S6sabn4ZSlLKMD26CJT7jR9P4hD8olrsnRgr7hHV5Q5CcE6xw5ehtkuS4YK8dkxi0S13HOhJF1o8UIoa969iGHrR~qlIVzuGvoWxtL8qzOHU9biT4q6MLOF7ZP5Syxw1RUqKCew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Commissioners in Harris County voted on May 22 to pursue pay parity for county law enforcement with the Houston Police Department beginning in fiscal year 2026 and to form a negotiation committee to develop a concrete implementation plan.

The court split over the immediate funding path. Commissioner Ramsey’s motion to secure pay parity for sheriff’s deputies and constables beginning in fiscal 2026 carried on a 3–2 vote; a separate, unanimously approved motion from Commissioner Briones created an action‑oriented negotiation committee charged with presenting options to achieve parity over five years, with the committee to report at each Commissioners Court meeting and to prioritize securing at least $142 million for year one.

Why it matters: County staff and commissioners said the court faces a structural budget gap that makes the decision difficult. Office of Management and Budget Director Daniel Ramos presented a multi‑year cost estimate for matching HPD’s five‑year contract. Ramos said the first‑year cost to move current county salaries to HPD’s initial raise schedule would be roughly $142 million (a $96.5 million base gap plus a $45 million initial step), with subsequent annual incremental costs and a five‑year cumulative cash outlay of about $1.07 billion. Ramos also described a recurring annual incremental cost of roughly $289 million once the five‑year pay schedule is fully implemented.

The court debated two pathways: (a) ordering the budget office and departments to assemble cuts and other revenue options to pay for raises without a tax election, and (b) placing a revenue measure before voters. Judge Lina Hidalgo and at least one commissioner said they would not approve a plan without clearer funding offsets and urged transparency with the public about where cuts would fall; other commissioners pressed that failing to act would accelerate an exodus of deputies to HPD and other agencies.

Public comment: Multiple current deputies and law enforcement associations told the court that HPD’s pay changes are already drawing county deputies away. Jose Lopez, president of the Harris County Deputies organization, told the court his members were “behind” and warned of degrading public safety if county pay did not keep pace. Byron Garrett Jr. and other deputies said they had fielded numerous calls from colleagues planning to leave; Sydney DeBond, a frontline supervisor, said she had been approached by roughly 60 employees who intend to depart for higher pay elsewhere.

What the court directed: The unanimously approved negotiation committee — composed of representatives from human resources and talent, OMB, county administration, the sheriff’s office, constable offices, deputies’ associations and chiefs of staff or designees from each court office — will meet immediately, identify options, and brief commissioners at every court meeting. Commissioners also directed OMB to request departmental budget submissions showing a 90% current‑level‑of‑service baseline (a change from the previously requested 93%) to surface savings and offsets for consideration in the FY2026 budget process.

What remains unsettled: Commissioners approved the goal of achieving parity and the negotiating committee, but the court did not approve a specific funding package beyond the direction to assemble options. Commissioners signaled significant disagreement about whether to protect existing programs from cuts or to ask voters for new revenue.

Ending: The court’s votes set a political and budgetary timeline: the committee must produce options and regular updates over the summer, feeding the tax‑roll and budget deadlines in July so the court can decide whether to fund pay parity through reallocated spending, internal offsets, or a voter‑approved revenue measure.","After sustained public comment from deputies and a prolonged court debate, commissioners voted to pursue pay parity with the Houston Police Department beginning in fiscal 2026 and created a negotiation committee to identify options and a first‑year funding target of at least $142 million.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Court honors community leaders, marks World Hunger Day, Older Americans Month and other observances

Commissioners approve multiple plats, contracts and trust‑fund corrections; select items deferred or taken with no action

County halts FEMA mitigation project after talks with HCC fail; $3.7 million in grant funds to be returned

Harris County court votes to pursue pay parity with HPD, forms negotiation committee and directs budget reviews