Harris County Commissioners Court today voted unanimously to approve revised regulations for sexually oriented businesses in unincorporated areas of the county. Listen

“I would like to compliment all of our partners in working together so that the unincorporated portions of Harris County match the ordinances that are within the city,” said Commissioner Jack Cagle.  “Therefore, we have uniform laws throughout our region.”

The commissioners court voted to accept the donation of 300 “large oak trees” from Randolph L. Wile, to be planted in Precinct 3 parks and esplanades.   The approval came at the request of Commissioner Steve Radack, who noted that the trucks were already en route and needed commissioners court approval to begin work. Listen

The commissioners court voted to reappoint Elvin Franklin to the Harris County Hospital District Board of Directors.

The commissioners court approved a memorandum of understanding with Santa Maria Hostel, Inc. to provide services for female inmates incarcerated in county jails at no cost to the county.

The commissioners court authorized the district attorney’s use of $110,218 to purchase three-year subscriptions to Leads Online Metals and to Leads Online Pawns databases in connection with the arrest and prosecution of individuals involved in the theft of metals for resale as scrap.

The commissioners court awarded the low bid of $1,294,272 by D&W Contractors for road construction at Imperial Valley B from northwest of Remington Heights Drive to Airtex Drive.

The commissioners court awarded the low bid of $3,837,791 by Mar-Con Services, LLC for road construction at Becker Road from south of US 290 to north of Palo Dura.

The commissioners court approved the sole source purchase of an online confidential investigations system for the Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney.

The commissioners court voted to refer a request for amendments to the list of authorized positions, position reclassification requests and incentive changes that were approved in connection with the adoption of the FY 2012-2013 Budget back to the Budget Management Office and the Public Infrastructure Department for additional review.

The commissioners court approved three items requested by the Information Technology Department on the condition that funding is available:

• A request for $707,355 to develop and implement a strategy to provide an enterprise document management system;
• A request for $2,868,331 over a five-year period to deliver Internet and Intranet services in connection with the Enterprise Web Services Project and for approval of an administrator position; and
• A request for $6,946,464 over a five-year period to provide advanced data center services in the event of a natural disaster, in connection with the Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity Project.

A request for approval of a part-time analyst position in the Sheriff’s Office Finance Office and a manager position for the Inmate Trust Fund Bank and for authorization to reclassify an inmate trust fund clerk position to administrative assistant was referred to Budget Management for review.

The commissioners court referred establishment of a fraud hotline in connection with a recommendation by Deloitte & Touche, LLP to Budget Management for review.

The commissioners court proclaimed October 7-13 as 4-H Week.  Listen

The commissioners court proclaimed November 9 as Geographic Information Systems Day. Listen

The commissioners court proclaimed November 13-14 as Harris County Employees Fall Blood Drive Days.

The commissioners court held public hearings on 2012 tax rates for Harris County, the Harris County Flood Control District, the Port of Houston and the Harris County Hospital District; but no members of the public spoke on the rates.  Additional public hearings will be held on October 16 and 23; and the rates will be considered for action at the October 23 meeting of the commissioners court.

The commissioners court held a public hearing on the proposed change of the name of Brunswick Meadows Lane to Brunswick Meadows Drive, but there were no speakers at the public hearing.

All other agenda items were approved.  All votes were 5-0. Agenda

Houston Parks and Recreation Department Director Joe Turner presented an award from the American Planning Association for Buffalo Bayou as one of its Great Spaces in America Program to Harris County Flood Control Director Mike Talbott. Listen