The Waller County Commissioners Court approved a contract extension and ratified a Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) application during its April 16 meeting.

The court approved an amendment extending the agreement with H2O Partners, Inc., to allow additional time through December 31, 2025, to complete deliverables for the county’s multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan. County staff explained several participating jurisdictions, including multiple independent school districts, had not yet formally adopted the plan, so the vendor needed additional time to finalize partner adoptions and deliverables. Staff said the county’s portion of the plan has already been adopted and approved by FEMA.

The court also ratified an HMGP application to purchase and install a generator for a county radio tower. The total estimated cost is $46,146; under HMGP rules the project requires a 25% local match, calculated as $11,536.50. The grants committee had recommended proceeding with the application, and staff sought county ratification of the application already submitted to the state/federal grant program. The court approved ratification without recorded opposition. County staff said they can withdraw the application if the court later requests that action.

Staff noted the extension and the generator application do not put the county at risk administratively because the county’s plan deliverables and FEMA approval are in place for the county component, and the contract extension is intended only to allow partner jurisdictions additional time to adopt the multi-jurisdictional plan.