Harris County commissioners are seeking to appoint Harris County Toll Road Authority Executive Director Robert Trevino to lead a new countywide infrastructure committee aimed at moving county projects forward July 9, as the county also prepares to bring five new civil district courts online.
The breakdown
According to meeting documents, Harris County commissioners will finally review the creation of a countywide infrastructure committee to keep track and create standardized reports for multiple infrastructure initiatives that have been operating under their own committees, including:
- Downtown Master Plan
- Vision Zero workgroup
- Transportation Master Plan
- Hardy Connector committee
- 2018 Flood Bond workgroup
- Subdivision Drainage workgroup
- Infrastructure Goal Area Committee
- Harris County Community Flood Resilience Task Force
The committee would be led by a chief infrastructure officer who would provide day-to-day oversight of county projects and be able to authorize certain work to move forward, as previously reported by Community Impact.
Commissioners previously requested that County Administrator Erica Lee Carter bring additional information on how the committee would take actual actions on moving countywide projects forward June 11. Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis and Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia both requested that Carter meet with departments such as county engineering and purchasing to also get buy-in from county employees who work closely with such projects. Following those discussions, Carter will bring the recommendation to court for a third time July 9, with Trevino poised to lead the new committee.
Also on the agenda
Commissioners will also hear an update regarding bringing five new civil district courts online as Management and Budget Executive Director Daniel Ramos presents the cost for hiring necessary personnel, such as deputies and court staff, through the end of 2026. Texas legislators approved the creation of five new civil district courts in Harris County by 2027 during the 89th legislative session.
The court is also set to hear an update on American Rescue Plan Act funding as the county is required to spend all allocated ARPA funds by Dec. 31 or return the funding to the state.
Stay tuned
Harris County Commissioners Court meetings are held at 9 a.m. in Downtown Houston. The administration building is located at 1001 Preston St., Houston. Meetings are also available to livestream here.
