Primary Department: County Administration
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Jesse Dickerman, Interim County Administrator
Secondary Department: N/A
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official: N/A
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Policy
Project ID (if applicable): N/A
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A - Not a grant item
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request for approval of proposed changes to the Rules of Procedure, Conduct and Decorum at Meetings of the Commissioners Court of Harris County, Texas.
end
Background and Discussion:
The Rules of Procedure, Conduct and Decorum establish a set of rules for the governance of Commissioners Court meetings. The following changes are being proposed in section IV.B.:
• Guidance for agenda items with an expected impact on revenue and when they require a fiscal review;
• Incorporating the various applications of the Decision Analysis Matrix as per the Strategic Plan in Action, which Commissioners Court approved on December 10, 2024;
• Requirement that Fiscal Request Review Forms with facilities costs be reviewed by the Space Planning Committee; and
• Clarification regarding OCA’s enforcement of agenda deadlines and processes set forth in the rules.
If this updated version of the rules is approved, evaluation of agenda items utilizing the Decision Analysis Matrix will start by the first Commissioners Court meeting in Fiscal Year 2026 and in alignment with all applicable deadlines for that meeting. OCA staff will provide comprehensive training and support to departments well in advance to minimize any potential delays or other challenges associated with implementation.
The proposed changes also include an addition from the County Attorney’s Office related to the recording of votes of members who are absent for a portion of a particular Commissioners Court meeting in section IV.F.
Expected Impact:
Incorporating the Decision Analysis Matrix into the Court rules enhances the Court’s ability to make informed and effective decisions and increases alignment of County departments’ work with the Harris County Strategic Plan.
Alternative Options:
Leaving the Decision Analysis Matrix out of the Court rules could limit the Court’s ability to utilize Decision Analysis Matrix scoring as part of decision-making processes to which the Decision Analysis Matrix should apply according to the Strategic Plan in Action.
County Strategic Plan Goal: N/A
County Strategic Plan Objective: N/A
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): N/A
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): N/A
Economy Initiative (Goal 3): N/A
Health Initiative (Goal 4): N/A
Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): N/A
Housing Initiative (Goal 6): N/A
Additional notes related to the Strategic Plan: The Decision Analysis Matrix is a key component of the Strategic Plan in Action.
Prior Court Action (if any):
|
Date |
Agenda Item # |
Action Taken |
|
5/22/2025 |
267 |
Approved changes to Rules of Procedure, Conduct and Decorum at Meetings of the Commissioners Court to improve efficiency of Commissioners Court regular court meeting operations. |
|
12/10/2024 |
28 |
Approved the Strategic Plan in Action |
|
10/29/2024 |
23 |
Approved changes to Rules of Procedure, Conduct and Decorum at Meetings of the Commissioners Court to improve efficiency of Commissioners Court regular and business court meeting operations. |
|
09/19/2024 |
25 |
2025 Commissioners Court Calendar discussion |
|
03/07/2024 |
1 |
Court Rules discussion |
|
06/06/2023 |
344 |
Court Rules discussion |
Location:
Address (if applicable): N/A
Precinct(s): Countywide
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Fiscal and Personnel Summary |
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Total Existing Budget |
$ |
$ |
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Additional Budget Request (Requires Fiscal Review Request Form) |
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Total Additional Budget Request |
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Total Funding Sources |
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Grants - Proposed Budget (For Grants Items only) |
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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 PCNs) |
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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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Anticipated Court Date: 6/12/2025
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): N/A
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or COVID-19 related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Jesse Dickerman, Interim County Administrator, Office of County Administration
Attachments (if applicable): Proposed updated Rules of Procedure, Conduct and Decorum at Meetings of the Commissioners Court of Harris County, Texas