Harris County commissioners authorize letter urging updated flood maps from FEMA
Harris County commissioners are urging officials from The Federal Emergency Management Agency to release updated floodplain maps.
The gist: Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia brought the motion to the Aug. 26 court meeting, where commissioners unanimously voted in favor to authorize a letter signed by court members to prioritize and expedite the maps which guide infrastructure and insurance decisions for a county with a growing population of more than 4.7 million residents and nearly 1.8 million households, according to the latest data by the U.S. Census Bureau.
“We respectfully urge FEMA to prioritize and expedite the release of these new flood risk maps for Harris County," Garcia said.
Zooming out: The last time frame FEMA was set to release Harris County’s preliminary flood insurance rate maps was in 2023, according to Harris County Flood Control District officials, as previously reported in Community Impact. Previously, the HCFCD projected FEMA would release maps in the spring or summer of 2022, but has continually pushed back its estimate.
Harris County ESD 9 Commissioner Paiva replaced as board president in 3-1 vote
Commissioner Naressa MacKinnon has replaced Commissioner Rob Paiva as president of the Harris County Emergency Services District No. 9 board following a 3-1 vote to change leadership. The officer change took place as part of the board's regular Aug. 28 meeting.
The details: Commissioner Bevin Gordon moved to elect MacKinnon after expressing disapproval with Paiva's leadership in his time as chair, accusing him over overstepping the bounds of his role. Paiva called her claims mischaracterizations, saying he has made no unilateral moves or interferences that violate board policy.
Also of note: The Aug. 29 special called meeting regarding complaints against Fire Chief Amy Ramon was cancelled. It's unclear as of press time whether another meeting will be scheduled on the matter.
Harris County authorities to crack down on DUIs during Labor Day weekend
An interagency crackdown on drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs in the Houston area began Aug. 28 for the extended Labor Day weekend, Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen announced.
The gist: Constable Precinct 1 deputies and officers from other law enforcement agencies will be out across Harris County to find and arrest drivers under the influence, according to a news release.
Notable quote: “The number of people killed or injured by drunk or drugged drivers remains at a scandalously high level in Harris and surrounding counties,” Rosen said. “On this last of this year’s extended summer weekends, due to Labor Day observances, I urge everyone to refrain from this deadly kind of driving, for their own sake and the public’s.”
Gov. Abbott signs new congressional map; Texas Democrats vow to fight in court
Gov. Greg Abbott signed Texas’ new congressional map into law Aug. 29, declaring in a video posted to social media that “Texas is now more red in the United States Congress.”
The details: Under Texas’ current congressional boundaries, Republicans hold 25 of Texas’ 38 congressional seats. State lawmakers have said the new map will help them gain up to five more during the 2026 midterm elections.
Texas Democrats have called the mid-decade redistricting effort unconstitutional and "racially discriminatory," while Republicans asserted that the map "complies with the law" and was designed to help more Republicans get elected to the U.S. House.
Next steps: Texas’ new congressional map is set to take effect in early December, although it will be discussed in court two months earlier. After state senators approved the map Aug. 23, the League of United Latin American Citizens and a group of Texas residents filed a lawsuit asking that the map be found unconstitutional.
A panel of three federal judges will hear arguments in the case Oct. 1-10 in El Paso.
