If you missed the latest Commissioners Court meeting and are feeling a little left out, you can now check out the highlights of what you missed on Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s YouTube Channel. “This Week at Court,” Commissioner’s Court recap videos, will be posted following every Commissioner’s Court meeting with the latest breaking news from Harris County government. The videos are Judge Hidalgo’s latest effort to make local government more transparent and accessible for County residents. Check out the one- to two-minute videos on YouTube here.

If your family is looking to adopt a fur baby for the holidays, visit the newly unveiled Harris County Pets Resource Center. The new shelter will provide three and a half times the amount of space as the original shelter that it replaces, increasing capacity to 525 animals, or 315 dogs and 210 cats. Dog pens in the new shelter have both indoor and outdoor space for them to play, cats have their own “cat condos,” and quarantine areas are available to stop the spread of disease. The building also makes it easier for residents hoping to adopt — “Get Acquainted” areas allow you to get to know an animal before taking her home and a more ample and welcoming space is available for adoption events and counseling rooms. To find out how you can adopt a pet in need of a home, visit Harris CountyPets.com.

Harris County is still working hard to assist students struggling to complete school work from home without internet or laptops. Last month, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Commissioner’s Court approved an additional $10 million for the purchase of devices and hotspots for Harris County children attending school virtually during the COVID-19 epidemic. The County had previously allocated $32 million for the purchase of devices in early August. 64,000 internet devices and 190,000 electronic devices have already been ordered via the programs. In Texas, one in four students do not have devices at home for virtual learning, and 34% of these students lack adequate access to the internet. 66% of these students are African-American, Hispanic, or Native American. The county is also funding an evaluation of long-term infrastructure solutions for areas of our county that do not have connectivity.

Honoring all of our residents and decrying the injustices they have faced in our history is an important part of celebrating the diversity of Harris County. Last month, Harris County Commissioner’s Court voted to designate the second Monday in October as Indigenous People’s Day, honoring the contributions of indigenous nations to our society as well as acknowledging the immense prejudice, adversity, and erasure they have endured for centuries. Indigenous Peoples Day will bring recognition to the history of the many native peoples of our region, such as the Karankawa, Apache, Cherokee, Comanche, and Kickapoo among others, as an alternative to Columbus Day.

Fall weather in Texas is perfect for getting outside for a walk, and in the future Harris County residents could have hundreds of miles of additional hike and bike trails to choose from. On October 27, Harris County Commissioners Court approved a master agreement that allows for the future development of up to 10 foot wide hike and bike trails within Centerpoint Energy’s corridors and easements. For more information about plans in your area, please check with your precinct’s office.

Some of the things that really make our County special are our rich diversity, history, and our willingness to reckon with our mistakes. In September, Harris County Commissioner’s Court approved the building of the County’s first lynching memorial to be built in downtown to commemorate the lives of four black men that were violently and unjustly murdered. The memorial will be built near the County Courthouse complex as a reminder of all of those who were denied justice in the past and our duty to right those wrongs as best we can in the present.

What does home mean to you? Share your thoughts by participating in the Harris County Housing Survey through the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University. This survey asks questions about what you value in a safe, affordable home, and takes less than 10 minutes to complete. Visit MyHomeIsHere.org to take the survey now.

Texas small businesses have until November 13, 2020 to apply for a United States Small Business Administration (SBA) federal disaster loan for economic injury caused by the Watson Grinding and Manufacturing Facility explosion. Small non-farm businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private nonprofit organizations of any size may apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. Interest rates are 3.75 percent for businesses and 2.75 percent for private nonprofit organizations with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition. Applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications here. You can also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information.

Overall general mobility and alternative transit modes are critical to keep Harris County strong with access to all regional and international assets. Learn about implementation strategies to accelerate construction and leverage partnerships across local, state, and federal agencies during the virtual meeting scheduled for Nov. 17, 2020, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Register and learn more about the Harris County Transportation Planning Series by visiting HarrisVisionZero.org.

As part of the County Judge’s Office initiative to make local government more transparent and accessible, we invite you to get involved by viewing Commissioners Court meetings. You can check here to see the meeting schedule, and watch the official close captioned livestream here or on the Judge’s homepage here.

Harris County never stops preparing for the next big storm. And while the 2018 Harris County Flood Control District Bond Program is in full swing, we continue to seek input from community members as we implement projects in watersheds across the County. If you have a comment about a particular project, we invite you to attend the corresponding virtual meeting and be part of the planning process. Learn more about upcoming 2018 Bond Program Community Engagement Meetings here.