HTX-PLF: Impact 11/10/2025

Friendswood ISD’s board of trustees will consider an emergency communication system with emergency system company FiveStones Safety at its Nov. 10 meeting.

District officials will also provide an update on FISD’s cellphone policy.

The overview: If approved, the emergency communication system will be a five-year contract with FiveStones Safety, according to district agenda documents. While the cost was not relayed, if approved, the new system will have new hardware and software technology for coverage on the interior and exterior FISD facilities, agenda documents note.

What else: The cellphone policy update will include staff feedback, its impact on classroom instruction and overall perception across campuses. FISD’s cellphone policy requires devices to either be left at home or secured using the designated school-issued locking system—or YONDR pouches—for the duration of the school day, according to district documents.  

Check out the real estate data for the Pearland-Friendswood-Manvel area for October and how it compares to the same month last year.

The overview: Overall, more homes were sold in the area in October compared to the same month in 2024. Just one ZIP code saw a slight decrease, while one other saw no change.

Harris County commissioners unanimously approved an increase in the county’s fiscal year 2025-26 no-new-revenue property tax rate during the Nov. 4 court meeting. 

The gist: While commissioners adopted the $2.76 billion FY 2025-26 general fund budget and tax rates for the Harris County Flood Control District, Harris County Hospital District and the Port of Houston Authority on Sept. 24, the no-new-revenue rate was expected to be adopted near the end of October, according to Laura Lucas with the county administration office.

By the numbers: The four rates together make a combined property tax rate in the county of $0.6241 per $100 of valuation, an increase from the FY 2024-25 tax rate of $0.6038 per $100 of valuation.

The takeaway: The county’s tax rate document states the no-new-revenue tax rate will raise more taxes for maintenance and operations than last year’s tax rate. The 0.55% increase will raise taxes on a $100,000 home by approximately $2.42, the document states.

Harris County commissioners opted not to draft regulations on roadside vendors and panhandlers in unincorporated areas of the county in a split vote Oct. 30.

The overview: In May, Texas lawmakers passed House Bill 2012, which allows counties to curb roadside and parking lot soliciting. The bill permits restrictions on people asking for money or selling food or merchandise, including animals, along roadways.

What happened: During Harris County commissioners’ Oct. 30 meeting, a motion to pursue drafting panhandling and roadside soliciting regulations failed, with Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis and Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones voting against the measure; Judge Lina Hidalgo was absent from the meeting. 

Remember this? If the motion would have passed, the county attorney would have worked with court offices to draft an ordinance including:

• Clear prohibitions on panhandling that affects traffic lanes, medians and other areas that pose safety risks
• A focus on improving traffic flow and quality of life by creating designated safety zones away from busy traffic
• Opportunities for individuals experiencing homelessness to be directed to resources

Missed any Community Impact articles from this week? Check out the top trending stories from Community Impact's coverage areas in Houston from Nov. 3-7.

1. Houston Airport System issues advisory about indefinite TSA delays

2. See unofficial voting results for LCISD’s $1.99B bond

3. Unofficial voting results show all three Magnolia ISD bond propositions fail

4. Conroe ISD's Grand Oaks zoning plan in the works as area continues to grow

5. Sugar Land to make code changes as 52-acre Lake Pointe redevelopment nears construction