Primary Department: Purchasing
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Kimberly J. Williams, JD
Secondary Department: Public Health Services
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official: Leah Barton
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Financial Authorization
Project ID (if applicable): N/A
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): West Publishing Corporation, d/b/a West, a Thomson Reuters Business
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: Exempt - Sole Source
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable):
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A - Not a grant item
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request for approval of a sole source exemption from the competitive bid requirements and that the County Judge execute an agreement with West Publishing Corporation, d/b/a West, a Thomson Reuters Business in the amount of $70,291 to provide settlement and full compensation for services provided from January 1, 2023, through August 31, 2026 for CLEAR ProFlex Enhanced Public Health (EPH) and Verified Public Health (VPH) subscription services for Public Health Services for the period of September 1, 2026 - August 31, 2027 with four (4) one-year renewal options, Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: Exempt - Sole Source.
end
Background and Discussion:
Harris County Public Health (HCPH) requests approval to renew its Thomson Reuters subscription, which provides access to public records and investigative databases that support critical public health operations across multiple divisions.
The Environmental Public Health (EPH) Division uses the subscription to identify and verify legal property ownership, locate responsible parties, and obtain supporting information necessary to investigate and enforce public health nuisance violations. Access to accurate ownership and contact information is essential for initiating enforcement actions, facilitating voluntary compliance, preparing referrals to the Harris County Attorney's Office, issuing citation and charges and supporting requests for court action when necessary.
The Office of Epidemiology, Surveillance, and Emerging Diseases (OESED) Program also relies on the subscription to locate current contact information for individuals associated with reportable diseases when available information is incomplete, outdated, or inaccurate. Timely identification and contact of reported cases are critical to conducting epidemiological investigations, implementing appropriate disease control measures, identifying potential exposures, and protecting the health of Harris County residents.
The Veterinary Public Health (VPH) Division uses the subscription to identify and locate animal owners, victims, and other involved parties to support investigations of animal bite incidents and animal cruelty cases. Access to accurate contact information facilitates timely follow-up, supports enforcement activities, and helps ensure compliance with applicable public health and animal control laws.
Renewal of the Thomson Reuters subscription will ensure continued access to reliable investigative resources that improve the efficiency and effectiveness of public health investigations, support enforcement activities, facilitate communicable disease response, and enable Harris County Public Health to fulfill its statutory public health responsibilities.
Expected Impact:
Approval of this request will allow Harris County Public Health to continue using a critical investigative resource that supports timely public health nuisance enforcement and communicable disease investigations. Continued access to Thomson Reuters will improve the ability to identify responsible property owners and locate individuals associated with reportable diseases, reducing delays in enforcement actions and epidemiological investigations. The subscription enhances operational efficiency, supports legally and procedurally sound investigations, and strengthens Harris County Public Health's ability to protect the health and safety of Harris County residents through timely intervention and compliance with applicable public health laws and regulations.
Alternative Options:
N/A
County Strategic Plan Goal: 4. Improve physical and mental health outcomes across all communities.
County Strategic Plan Objective: N: Improve the health behaviors of community members.
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): Choose an item.
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): Choose an item.
Economy Initiative (Goal 3): Choose an item.
Health Initiative (Goal 4): Choose an item.
Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): Choose an item.
Housing Initiative (Goal 6): Choose an item.
Additional notes related to the Strategic Plan:
Prior Court Action (if any): N/A
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Location: N/A
Address (if applicable): N/A
Precinct(s): Countywide
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Fiscal and Personnel Summary |
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Service Name |
Multiple |
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Current Fiscal Year Cost |
Annual Fiscal Cost |
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Labor |
Non-Labor |
Total |
Recurring Expenses |
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Funding Sources |
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Existing Budget |
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1000 - General Fund |
$ |
$70,291.32 |
$70,291.32 |
$28,680 |
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Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Total Existing Budget |
$ |
$70,291.32 |
$70,291.32 |
$28,680 |
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Additional Budget Request (Requires Fiscal Review Request Form) |
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Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Total Additional Budget Request |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Total Funding Sources |
$ |
$28,680 |
$28,680 |
$ |
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Grants - Proposed Budget (For Grants Items only) |
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Labor |
Non-Labor |
Total |
No. of Grant Years |
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Local Match Source - Existing Budget: Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Local Match Source - Additional Budget Request: Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Grant Funds Applied for/Awarded (Total) |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Personnel (Fill out section only if requesting new Position Control Numbers (PCN)s) |
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Current Position Count for Service |
- |
- |
- |
- |
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Additional Positions Request |
- |
- |
- |
- |
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Total Personnel |
- |
- |
- |
- |
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County Attorney’s Office Legal Review (for Harris County Code Items only) |
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CAO Reviewer Name and Title |
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CAO Review Completion Date |
Click or tap to enter a date. |
Anticipated Court Date: 8/25/2026
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): 9/1/2026
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or ARPA related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Molly Brown, Assistant Director, Public Health Services; Robert Williams, Buyer, Purchasing
Attachments (if applicable): Letter, Agreement