County hears updates on regional habitat conservation plan and rural transit changes

Commissioner Taylor briefed the court on two regional initiatives: the Bell/Coryell regional habitat conservation plan (HCP) and local transit service updates.

Why it matters: The HCP aims to avoid permitting slowdowns by creating a regional land‑management mechanism that protects habitat of endangered or potentially endangered species; the county's share is part of a larger federally funded effort. Taylor said the originally selected vendor was acquired by ICF, which has requested more time and increased compensation for additional meetings. County representatives have not agreed to a price increase and are reviewing deliverables before approving any change orders.

Taylor said the project is finishing phase 3 (technical memoranda) and will move to phase 4 for cost analysis and draft chapters. "The cost analysis is key," he said, explaining the plan contemplates a land‑bank approach where participants contribute to conserve land and streamline development permitting.

On transit, Taylor said the Hill Country Transit District is evaluating a rebrand (from The HOP to The Ride) and moving from fixed commuter routing that showed low ridership toward micro‑transit models similar to ride‑hail services. He noted a fixed commuter route from Gatesville to Temple had zero ridership and will be replaced with service from Gatesville to Copperas Cove to improve regional connections and access to services such as the VA.

Ending: Taylor said he will arrange for transit district representatives to brief the court directly and that he expects more detailed cost figures for the HCP in the second quarter of FY26.