HTX-CYF: Impact 10/15/2025

A number of flood mitigation projects along Little Cypress Creek have been paused in order to complete other high-priority projects in the area.

The big picture: Harris County Commissioners unanimously approved an update Sept. 18 to the $2.5 billion Harris County Flood Control District bond approved by voters in 2018. The move follows several years of delays, rising costs due to inflation and concerns regarding the ability to complete flood mitigation projects countywide.

The cost: HCFCD external affairs officer Emily Woodell told Community Impact the funding gap has been significantly reduced from more than $1 billion to $400 million through local, state and federal partnerships, and she sees future partnerships helping the flood district meet its funding needs.

Stay tuned: Despite having to place a pause on projects, Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones said during the Sept. 22 town hall that commissioners were actively working with the Army Corps of Engineers, as well as state and federal legislators, to facilitate additional funding.

Jersey Village community members can now enjoy a game of pickleball at the city campus, located at the corner of Jersey Drive and Rio Grande Street.

In a nutshell: City staff revamped an old basketball court under the city campus pavilion to create three lined pickleball courts with moveable nets, according to an Oct. 2 announcement. Community members can use the space for a game of basketball when the pickleball courts are not in use, per the announcement.

The city also launched adult and youth pickleball leagues through the Parks & Recreation Department, which range in age group and skill level.

Harris County commissioners will meet Oct. 16 with more than 500 agenda items on the docket, including potential discussions on the countywide hiring freeze, the broadband task force and regulations on panhandling and roadside vending in unincorporated Harris County.

What you need to know: In the first meeting since Harris County commissioners adopted the $2.7 billion fiscal year 2025-26 budget Sept. 26, county administration officials will request to discuss hiring freeze exemptions.

Also on the agenda: Updates with the county’s broadband task force are also slated for discussion. Commissioners adopted the creation of the task force in late June that aims to target internet access inequity throughout the county.

Also of note: Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey has an agenda item to create regulations on panhandling and roadside vending in unincorporated Harris County. Ramsey’s discussion item comes as House Bill 2012, which was passed during the last state legislative session and allows counties to enforce regulations against roadside vendors, takes effect.

Texas Ramp Project, which builds free wheelchair ramps for those in need across the state, is celebrating its 40th anniversary, according to a Sept. 15 news release. Over its 40 years, the nonprofit has built ramps for over 30,000 recipients with the help of over 3,500 volunteers.

Some context: The organization began in 1985 as the Dallas Ramp Project before being incorporated as the Texas Ramp Project in 2006, according to the news release. Texas Ramp Project provides the ramps to recipients at no cost, according to the news release. Most ramps cost between $800-$900 to build.

What else: In 2024, Texas Ramp Project built 2,727 ramps in 145 counties, according to its Sept. 1 fact sheet. To get a ramp, recipients must be referred by a health care provider or qualified organization via the nonprofit’s website.