Primary Department: Pollution Control Services
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Jesse Dickerman, Interim Executive Director
Secondary Department: Choose an item.
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official:
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Discussion Item
Project ID (if applicable): NA
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): NA
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): NA
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable): NA
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable):
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): Choose an item.
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
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Request for discussion and possible action regarding the integration of the Office of Sustainability into Pollution Control Services in the 2027 Proposed Budget.
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Background and Discussion:
On the April 16 Commissioners Court, a motion was adopted that requested Pollution Control Services (PCS) present a comprehensive budget proposal that incorporated the Office of Sustainability (OS) into the FY27 PCS budget. Since the April meeting, PCS has worked with OS, OMB, and CAO to outline how combining OS into PCS could uplift the work of both organizations.
Enforcement & Compliance - PCS enforcement, inspection, and compliance functions are vital county services. Improving the effectiveness of these teams is PCS top priority. These services will remain within PCS Technical Division and the management will not be impacted by the combination with the OS. PCS and OS have engaged with other comparable jurisdictions including Cook County, IL, Clark County, NV, and Travis County, TX where environmental enforcement is in the same department as sustainability & resilience. In all of these jurisdictions, enforcement activities are included in a separate vertical beside sustainability & resilience, and if approved, Harris County would match this emerging best practice. While...
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