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PASSEDHouston City Council · 2025-12-16

The city approved a contract amendment with Rice University, adding $1,126,997 in grant funding for continued wastewater surveillance testing services.

What it means for you

Rice University will continue testing Houston's wastewater on the city's behalf, likely to detect disease or public health threats; the added funding comes from a grant, not city tax revenue.

Outcome

Adopted — all voting aye, nays none. Council Member Kamin absent. Ordinance 2025-1052, official minutes of December 16, 2025.

Health — see all →Houston citywide

Official sources

Meeting minutes — full record with the vote (PDF) ↗

These are the official minutes — the narrative record of what happened at the meeting, including the vote on each item.

District A — Amy PeckADistrict B — Tarsha JacksonBDistrict C — Joe PanzarellaCDistrict D — Carolyn Evans-ShabazzDDistrict E — Fred FlickingerEDistrict F — Tiffany ThomasFDistrict G — Mary Nan HuffmanGDistrict H — Mario CastilloHDistrict I — Joaquin MartinezIDistrict J — Edward PollardJDistrict K — Martha Castex-TatumK

Official council district boundaries · City of Houston GIS. Tap a district to see who represents it.

How to weigh in

Where
City Hall, 901 Bagby, 2nd Floor, Houston, TX 77002
When
Council meets Tuesdays 1:30 p.m. & Wednesdays 9:00 a.m. Public Session — when you can speak — is Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m. (5:00 p.m. on the last Tuesday of the month).
Speak
Register by 3:00 p.m. the Monday before: call 832.393.1100, email speakers@houstontx.gov, or go in person to the City Secretary (City Hall Annex, 900 Bagby, Room P101). Each speaker gets 1–3 minutes.
Watch
Live on HTV ↗

From the City Council meetings information page. Confirm the exact date on the official agenda before you go.

Quick answersfrom the official record
How much?$1,126,997minutes ↗
Who's paid?WILLIAM MARSH RICE UNIVERSITYminutes ↗
Which fund?Grant Fundminutes ↗
Who decides?Houston City Council — its 16 members (11 district + 5 at-large) vote; the Mayor presides and also votes. Taken up at the December 16, 2025 meeting — Adopted, all voting aye.minutes ↗

Cite this: https://plaindocket.com/item/real-cs20251216-36 — data from official records via PlainDocket.