Fort Bend ISD officials announced the district has made changes to its sign-up deadline for anyone wanting to speak during the public comment period of workshop and regular board meetings, according to a July 2 news release.

What you need to know: Interested participants will now have until noon on the day of the meeting to sign up to speak rather than the district’s previous deadline at 4:30 p.m. on the day of the meeting, per the release.

The changes, which were approved at a June 15 board of trustees meeting, were made to give staff more time to go through speaker requests, develop meeting materials and to ensure the comment process runs as smoothly as possible.

Next steps: The new public comment deadline will go into effect starting at July meetings, per the release.

The Blue Willow Resale & Consignment has opened its doors in Missouri City, owner Brandi Redmond confirmed.

Read all about it: Located in the Quail Valley neighborhood, the shop was started by Redmond and her mother to offer curated clothes, shoes, home decor and antiques at low prices.

• 3748 Cartwright Road, Missouri City

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. Following two rounds of 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.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas operates the state power grid, overseeing the flow of electricity to over 27 million customers. Yet ERCOT does not directly participate in Texas’ electric market or own any of the facilities that deliver power across the state.

The big picture: Power generation plants, transmission facilities and distribution lines are owned by outside companies, meaning that local power outages are typically isolated and handled by individual companies, rather than ERCOT.

How it works: In 1999, Texas legislators passed a law deregulating the state’s retail electric market. The law was designed to “introduce competition in Texas’ electric market by allowing consumers to choose their retail electric provider,” according to ERCOT.

Previously, most Texas utility companies owned all aspects of the electric supply chain, including generation, transmission and the delivery of power to customers.

Today, approximately 85% of electric customers in Texas can choose their retail electric provider, including those across the Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth regions. Customers in Austin and San Antonio get their electricity from municipally owned utilities.