Department: County Judge's Office
Department Head/Elected Official: Lina Hidalgo, Harris County Judge
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Supplemental RCA
Type of Request: Policy
Project ID (if applicable): N/A
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): N/A
MWDBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWDBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWDBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request by the County Judge for approval to return all procurement in the Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA), the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD), and the Harris County Engineering Department (HCED) to the authority of the Purchasing Agent, including the applicable FTE positions from these departments, and to provide funding in the amount of $500,000 for staff augmentation in the short-term to begin the transition immediately.
The Purchasing Agent shall work with the Office of County Administration, Office of Management and Budget, County Attorney's Office, HCTRA, HCFCD and HCED, and any other relevant departments to develop and present a comprehensive transition plan no later than May 7, 2024 with the full transition completed by August 6, 2024. The plan must include the following, with monthly updates to Commissioners Court: 1) an overview of the transition and the objectives to achieve; 2) a timeline and milestones, including updates to Commissioners Court; 3) a fiscal analysis; and 4) a hiring plan for additional qualified staff.
end
Background and Discussion:
Harris County's procurement is not centralized under one independent authority (Purchasing Agent). Instead, the HCED, HCFCD, and HCTRA are each allowed to conduct certain procurements, per the 1977 and 2007 Harris County Commissioners Court Orders.
Recent audits of HCED, HCFCD, and the HCTRA found issues with each department's procurement processes, all of which pose undue risk to Harris County. Specifically, a la...
Click here for full text