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Fort Bend County Breaks Ground on Medical Examiner Facility

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Fort Bend County, TX – On December 17th, 2018, Officials broke ground on the new Fort Bend County Medical Examiner Facility.

The State of Texas mandates that counties with a population of 1 million or more must have a Medical Examiner.  With a current population of more than 770,000, Fort Bend County is rapidly approaching this requirement. The feasibility study commissioned by Commissioners Court in 2014, proved the cost benefit to bringing the Medical Examiner services to the County now instead of contracting out to the surrounding areas, and promoted the court to begin construction on the facility this month.

The facility, located on Klauke road next to the new Fort Bend Transportation Center, will consist of two buildings totaling 11,880 sf with space to expand as the County population increases.  Fort Bend County is currently looking for a Medical Examiner to operate the facility upon its completion in August.

County Judge Bob Hebert said; “This new facility will enable us to provide medical examiner services to the county with little change in cost, but with a significant improvement in the quality and timeliness of those services.”

 

 

Pictured Left to Right: Stantec Project Architect, Doug Joder; Justice of the Peace, Pct. 1, Place 1, Gary Janssen; Commissioner Precinct Four, James Patterson; Fort Bend County Judge Bob Hebert; Commissioner Precinct 1 Vincent Morales; Fort Bend County Facilities Director, James Knight; Crain Group President Brad Crain; Crain Group Vice President John Green.

Fort Bend County Closes for National Day of Mourning

Fort Bend County Offices will be closed on Wednesday, December 5th, to recognize the National Day of Mourning for the passing of President George Herbert Walker Bush, our Nation’s 41st president.  County libraries will also be closed.  Normal business hours will resume on Thursday, December 6th.

County Judge Hebert said, “President Bush was an amazing man, a man who followed a successful business career with decades of devoted service to our nation at many levels. He is now gone from the scene, but I am convinced that history will be very kind to George Herbert Walker Bush. May God bless his soul.”

Fort Bend County Commissioners Court Passes Resolution to Save Animals

FORT BEND COUNTY, TX – On November 27, 2018, Fort Bend County Commissioners Court unanimously passed a resolution in support of a no-kill policy for Animal Services.  The Resolution states that Fort Bend Animal Services has maintained a 90% save rate for dogs for the years of 2016, 2017 and 2018.  The implementation of the new Trap, Neuter and Return (TNR) program in June of 2018 has allowed for a save rate of 90% for cats as well for the last 4 consecutive months of this year.

Fort Bend County has been working toward this goal over the last 8 years by providing infrastructure and financial support, including the expansion of the Animal Services facility and the addition of a veterinarian and a vet tech as well as developing partnerships, programs and education to improve adoption rates.  Fort Bend County Commissioners Court resolved to continue with the support needed to attain the goal of No-Kill status.

County Judge Bob Hebert said, “I am very pleased that the court voted unanimously to sustain the No-Kill status that we’ve worked so hard to attain. We’ve been No-kill since August, and with the shelter expansion scheduled to complete in February, we should easily be able to continue to save over 90% of those companion animals we receive.”

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Fort Bend County is located in the Texas Southeast, immediately South and West of Harris County and the city of Houston. It is the home of over 750,000 people and is one of the fastest growing counties in the United States. For more information about Fort Bend County, visit the county homepage at http://www.fortbendcountytx.gov

Fort Bend County Reacts to Tragedy in Pennsylvania

FORT BEND COUNTY, TX – In response to the recent tragedy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, County flags will fly at half-staff through October 31. County Judge Robert Hebert said “Once again as in Santa Fe High School, Sutherland Springs, Texas, Las Vegas, Nevada and San Bernardino, California, we witness the murder of innocents merely worshiping God, seeking an education, attending a concert or doing their job.  All of us must be safe to worship God in our churches, mosques, synagogues, or temples as we see fit, our children must be safe in our schools and every American must be safe from terror as they exercise their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We as a county, state and nation must further strengthen our resolve to assure the safety of all.”

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Fort Bend County is located in the Texas Southeast, immediately South and West of Harris County and the city of Houston. It is the home of over 750,000 people and is one of the fastest growing counties in the United States. For more information about Fort Bend County, visit the county homepage at http://www.fortbendcountytx.gov.

 

FORT BEND COUNTY AWARDED THE 2018 WORKPLACE HEALTH ASSESSMENT WELLNESS CHAMPION AWARD

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On October 23, 2018, Fort Bend County was awarded the American Cancer Society’s Workplace Health Assessment Wellness Champion Award for providing excellent wellness opportunities for its employees.

Fort Bend County received second place in the greater Houston area for providing wellness services such as nicotine cessation programs, exercise programs, wellness classes, and multiple health screenings.  Also included in these benefits is an employee health clinic providing basic medical care to all that work at the County. Fort Bend County Risk Management has been a partner of the American Cancer Society for many years by serving on the ACS Wellness Committee and being an integral part of planning and executing the Annual Houston Corporate Wellness Forum each fall. Each year at this forum, the American Cancer Society awards top preforming companies in the Workplace Health Assessment. This award represents Fort Bend County’s commitment to building a culture of health and wellness within their employee base and their community.

The Workplace Health Assessment Tool is a free service through the American Cancer Society that provides companies with customized recommendations based on a 60-question survey. The survey, conducted by Society staff, evaluates benefit design, policy, programs, tracking and communication.  Companies then receive a customized, action-based report measuring their offerings against national best practices and benchmarks surrounding tobacco control, cancer screening, healthy eating, physical activity and cancer care. Companies then work with Society staff to design and implement their action plan throughout the year.

For more information, please visit the Fort Bend County Risk Management website at: www.fortbendcountytx.gov, and select Risk Management under the Government tab.

Pictured Left to Right: JT Pena, Risk Management Loss Control Manager; County Judge Robert Hebert; Shayla Clift, American Cancer Society Program Manager; Elexis Delgado, Wellness Coordinator; Wyatt Scott, Risk Management Director

**Please visit http://www.fortbendcountynews.info for more information pertaining to local events and updates**

Fort Bend County Achieves “Save Rate” Benchmark at Animal Shelter

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Fort Bend County Animal Services has exceeded a 90% save rate for both dogs and cats in August and September, a large step toward its goal of becoming a recognized rescue center for companion animals.

The save rate for dogs reached 90% in late 2016. This year, with the inclusion of a pilot TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) program in Richmond and Needville, Animal Services has been able to save more cats enabling the shelter to achieve the save rate benchmark. Fort Bend County Animal Services has established programs, policies and procedures that give healthy and treatable pets a chance to find a loving home through adoption, rescue or foster.  In the last few years, Commissioners Court has provided budget support for expansion of staff and the current expansion of the animal services facility, scheduled for completion in early 2019.

This success rate was achieved by expanding staff and employing a licensed veterinarian and veterinary technician. Also contributing to the achievement were outreach efforts to nationally recognized rescue organizations for advice and training, collaborations with the community to hold over 50 adoption events a year, and the continued support of many local volunteers and more than 160 community organizations such as S.O.C.A. (Saving Our Companion Animals), San Antonio Pets Alive, and  Austin Pets Alive.

Judge Bob Hebert commented, “I am very pleased that we have passed the 90% save rate benchmark. This turnaround at our animal shelter has been a long-term goal for me, but it was only achieved through the cooperative efforts of our commissioners, our dedicated employees, numerous caring volunteers, great advice and training from Alley Cat Allies and Best Friends Animal Society, and the wonderful rescue organizations that work with us daily. With our in-house veterinary services and the soon to be completed shelter expansion, I’m confident we can continue this high-level rescue performance throughout the coming years.”

Residents can find annual and monthly save rate information on the Fort Bend County Animal Services Web page at www.fortbendcountytx.gov/AnimalServices by clicking on “Monthly Shelter Statistics Reports”. Residents looking to adopt a pet are encouraged to visit the shelter at 1210 Blume Road in Rosenberg, Monday through Saturday, or attend one of the following upcoming adoption events around the county:

  • October 20th from 11-3, Great Wood at Ramble Creek Grill
  • October 20th, Needville Harvest Festival
  • October 26th, Trunk-or-Treat/Adoption event at Republic Gymnastics & Dance
  • October 27th, BOO with the BLUE Trunk-or-Treat Adoption event at the Rosenberg County Annex (Sponsored by our Sheriff’s Office Juvenile Probation)

Pictured: Companion Animals

Fort Bend County is located in the Texas Southeast, immediately South and West of Harris County and the city of Houston. It is the home of over 750,000 people and is one of the fastest growing counties in the United States. For more information about Fort Bend County, visit the county homepage at http://www.fortbendcountytx.gov.