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County public hearing on colonias grant focuses on debris removal, waste pickup and deadline to spend funds
Summary
At a public hearing, county staff and community partners discussed proposed changes to a colonias self-help grant to add solid-waste removal and shift reconstruction to rehabilitation; the grant totals $500,000 and expires Dec. 31, 2026, staff said.
Nueces County held a public hearing during commissioners court on proposed changes to a colonias self-help grant the county will submit to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA).
Anna (county staff) told the court the grant covers a $500,000 allocation and that staff is seeking authority to move certain line items. "This grant will be ending 12/31/2026. That is why we're trying to just move some of these monies to debris removal, which is $20,000," Anna said.
Community needs and proposed changes
Speakers at the hearing described routine illegal dumping and limited waste disposal access in colonias. A resident who said they had worked in colonias urged solid-waste removal and rehabilitation services rather than full reconstruction in some cases, citing localized needs such as storm damage, roof failures and dispersed settlement patterns.
County staff and a marine reserve unit described survey work in the colonias that will be used to support future grant applications. Major Adam Lorenz, officer in charge of a 10-person Marine Corps civil affairs detachment, said Marine Corps IRT (Innovative Readiness Training) troops had visited more than 24 colonias and attempted more than 2,000 resident surveys to support the county's grant work.
Timing and constraints
County staff said the grant must be spent by Dec. 31, 2026, and that the county will bring a resolution for court signatures to amend the contract with TDHCA. Anna told the court staff will return with recommendations on which colonias will receive services if commissioners approve the changes; she listed current service areas including Bluebonnet, Cindy Park, Ranch and Jaylen.
County operations and follow-up
County staff said they plan to seek bids for contractors to perform debris removal and to run a street-by-street solid-waste pickup in selected colonias, drawing on a model used in Cameron and Willacy counties where organizers said similar programs were successful. Commissioners asked staff to clarify funding carryover risks and whether grant cycles would leave the county with a funding gap between state allocations; staff said they would investigate whether the Texas agency can bridge timing gaps when the legislature is not in session.
Ending
No formal vote to change the grant was recorded at the hearing; staff said they would return to court with an interlocal amendment and recommended locations and a plan for debris removal and rehabilitation work prior to submitting an amendment to TDHCA.
