Bellaire City Council approved an ordinance June 15 that authorizes city officials to publish a notice of intent to issue certificates of obligation, the first step toward the city being able to start construction on its $8.7 million renovation job to create a permanent home for the Public Works Department.

What we know: City officials are converting a 46,110-square-foot industrial building off Glenmont Drive into a permanent municipal operations hub, primarily for Public Works, according to the agenda item. The project addresses the loss of the former Edith Street facility, which was damaged back in 2015 and resulted in scattering departments across the city.

The new hub is expected to consolidate operations and permanently relocate critical infrastructure out of flood-prone areas. In addition to Public Works, the space will also be used for police impound operations, parks and recreation field crews and facilities department storage, City Engineer Beth Jones said.

Project timeline: Design and permitting are currently underway, city officials said. Construction is expected to begin in late 2026.

By Popular Demand officially opened its second Houston location on Bissonnet Street in early June.

In a nutshell: The neighborhood bar and grill t offers light bar bites such as guacamole, tuna tartare tacos, grilled chicken sandwiches, pizza and burgers. The establishment's drink menu ranges from specialty cocktails and agave spirits to beer, wine and seltzers. 

The space also offers an outdoor patio, inside seating and TVs for viewing sports games.

Something to note: By Popular Demand is open Monday through Wednesday from 4 p.m. to midnight and Thursday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. It will be closed on Sundays.

• 2710 Bissonnet St., Houston

Harris County officials are urging caution as the National Weather Service has forecasted multiple days of heavy rainfall across the Greater Houston area.

What you need to know: Officials with the National Weather Service are maintaining a flood watch over a large swath of southeast Texas through June 18. The watch stems from a semi-stationary front moving across the region alongside a disturbance in the Gulf with a 60% chance of developing into a tropical storm before bringing additional rainfall to the region, NWS officials said. 

What’s being done: Gov. Greg Abbott signed a disaster declaration for 101 counties in southeast Texas, including Brazoria, Harris, Montgomery, Fort Bend and Galveston counties June 15. Harris County and the city of Houston have also activated emergency response initiatives, such as lowering Lake Houston levels ahead of additional rainfall.

Before you go: State and county officials are asking residents to remain aware of weather changes through the end of the week due to forecasted heavy rain and flash flooding.

From Juneteenth concerts to a fish fry, there are several events to celebrate Juneteenth across the Greater Houston area. 

Juneteenth Celebration: This fourth annual event celebrates Juneteenth and features live music, entertainment, a variety of food trucks, local vendors, face painting and interactive attractions.

• June 19, 4-9 p.m.
• Free (admission)
• Redemption Square, 250 Assay St., Houston

• June 19, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
• $25 (fish fry)
• Sleepy Hollow Multipurpose Building, 9847 Sleepy Hollow Road, Conroe

• June 19, 5 p.m. (celebration starts), 8:15 p.m. (musical performances start)
• Free (admission)
• 6000 Hermann Park Drive, Houston

Harris County commissioners requested additional information to create a new county committee that aims to streamline the process for moving infrastructure projects forward at the county level. The action follows concerns regarding the county's transparency and efficiency in addressing large infrastructure needs.

The big picture: County Administrator Erica Lee Carter presented the committee's structure and scope during the June 11 meeting, stating it will focus on creating standardized processes and procedures for infrastructure-related projects across all county departments. The committee would also 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