Rail district funding was on the table at the Fort Bend Commissioner's Court meeting Tuesday. Fort Bend and Brazoria counties are looking together at
creating a short-line railroad from Port Freeport to Rosenberg that would support increased shipping from the ongoing Panama Canal expansion.
$50,000 contributed to rail freight line research
Fort Bend County Commissioners voted 4-1 to provide $50,000 in funding for the Brazoria-Fort Bend Rail District's fiscal year 2016-17 budget, as the district continues efforts to build a rail line from Port Freeport through Fort Bend County.
Under terms of the agreement, Brazoria County and Port Freeport will also contribute $50,000 each to the district’s FY 2016-17 budget. Precinct 4 Commissioner James Patterson voted against providing the funds.
Jeff Taylor, vice president of planning and design company Freese and Nichols, contracted by the district, told the commissioners the project has potential to increase imports coming through Houston-area ports.
County Judge Robert Hebert told Taylor he wants to see the rail district put together a “comprehensive” plan for the project.
“I don’t have an issue with what we’ve done to date and are doing today, but I’ve seen long term projects create turmoil with no thought-out comprehensive plan,” Hebert said.
2016 racial profiling report recorded
The Precinct 1 racial profiling report was also presented Tuesday, showing no complaints of racial profiling made in the precinct last year. The report indicated that out of 514 traffic stops in 2016, 32.7 percent of drivers stopped were of African descent, while 43.6 percent were Caucasian.
The report shows the driver’s race or ethnicity was known prior to the stop in 32 occasions of the 514 occasions. Searches were conducted in five of the 514 stops, and one of those searches turned up “illegal drugs/drug paraphernalia.”
One arrest was made. The report does not specify whether the race of the driver was known prior to the stops in which the searches and arrest were made.
Of the 514 stops, all resulted in a citation being issued, according to the report. Lt. Frank Cempa Jr. said is is left up to the officer’s discretion whether a warning or a citation should be issued.
