Houston City Council approved changes to the city’s master pay structure May 27, adjusting minimum rate offers for certain jobs. The ordinance passed unanimously without discussion.

What it means: The city added a new pay grade for police and fire cadets. Previously, they were under pay grade 10, which, at minimum, offered around $18 an hour, according to the city’s job classification.

According to the department, the new pay grade would result in a $52,000 annual salary and would be under a new pay grade listed as CDT.

Some background: This comes after the city approved a $832 million contract in 2025, which raised officers’ salaries by 36.5% over the next five years.

The first increase was in July 2025, with a 10% salary increase. The next increase will be in July 2026, with an 8% increase.

True Anomaly Brewing closed its East Downtown taproom April 30, according to an announcement from the business.

The details: The brewery, once located at 2012 Dallas St., Houston, has served as a neighborhood gathering spot for beer drinkers, artists, astronauts, dog lovers and community events, according to the March 19 Facebook post.

“When we opened True Anomaly, the dream was never just to start a brewery,” the business said in the announcement. “We wanted to create a place where people could gather, share ideas, celebrate milestones, and build something together around great beer.”

What they’re saying: According to the announcement, the brewery said changes in the surrounding neighborhood, the I-45 expansion and delays tied to opening a second nearby location all played a role in the decision.
“We kept brewing and kept believing it would come together, but eventually the stars just stopped aligning,” the business said.

• 2012 Dallas St., Houston

The Houston Food Bank will kick off its Summer Food Service Program starting June 8 to help connect children and students with free, healthy meals over the summer.

Why it matters: The Texas Department of Agriculture administers the program to ensure that children who rely on school meals during the academic year continue to receive a "source of good nutrition" during the long summer break, according to a May 26 news release.

“One in five children in Houston Food Bank’s 18-county service area experiences food insecurity, which means they don’t have consistent access to nutritious food,” said Brian Greene, president and CEO of Houston Food Bank. “In order to address this issue, the Houston Food Bank distributes meals to children through community partners during the school year as well as the summer."

How it works: The Summer Food Service Program will run from June 8 through Aug. 7. Any child from the community can receive a meal at any of the food bank's participating sites, per the release.

Meals are on a first-come, first-served basis.

Harris County commissioners on May 28 renewed a contract for the Harris County Sheriff's Office's use of license plate readers to assist with criminal investigations. However, more than a dozen residents spoke against the renewal before the court's vote, sharing concerns about surveillance, data privacy and improper use.

What you need to know: Commissioners renewed a $868,975 contract with public safety technology company Flock Safety to continue the use of license plate readers, or LPRs, as well as a sound detection system that identifies sounds such as gunshots, screeching tires and breaking glass, according to agenda documents.

More details: With a June 6 contract expiration approaching, Harris County's four precinct commissioners voted in favor of the renewal with the possibility to revisit the agreement during a future Commissioners Court meeting. County Judge Lina Hidalgo abstained after pushing to move the item to a different meeting to allow for more public discussion. 

Some context: According to the sheriff's office, Harris County has approximately 480 LPR cameras, which only capture vehicle information, not biometric data.