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COMANCHE -- Officials gathered in the
County Courthouse on Friday, June 29, as the County Commissioners met
in an emergency meeting to discuss road and bridge conditions and seek
financial aid as the result of recent flooding.
On the previous day, June 28, Judge James
Arthur had signed an order declaring that a state of disaster existed
in Comanche County. The order noted that the County’s Emergency
Management Plan had been implemented and that it would remain in
effect for seven days unless extended by action of the Commissioners
Court.
Judge Arthur was not present at the
Friday meeting. Commissioner Garry Steele presided in the meeting
where the only official action taken was the unanimous approval by the
Court of a motion by Jimmy Dale Johnson, seconded by Bobby Schuman, to
extend the state of disaster declaration beyond the seven days covered
in Judge Arthur’s order.
The meeting opened with a presentation by
Ted Simpson of the Consolidated Farm Service Agency and Lee Standley
of the Resources Conservation and Development Agency. They advised the
Commissioners that federal emergency funding could be requested
through the Emergency Watershed Protection Program and how their
agencies could assist in the matter.
Standley advised that the funds could not
be used for road repairs, but could be used for bridge abutment
repairs, tree removal, and replacement of washed out culverts.
Before any repairs could be funded,
however, a damage survey report would need to be completed by an
engineer. Any repair work performed prior to approval for funding
would not be qualified for reimbursement.
A 25% local matching requirement must be
met for the federal funding, with in-kind work counting toward the
matching.
Bobby Schuman noted that he had two
bridges that were washed out on CR 396 in the far southeastern corner
of the county and noted that some individuals lived in the area
between the two bridges and were virtually cut off from outside
access. He asked what should be done.
Schuman was told that emergency grant
funds might be available through the state agency, the Office of Rural
Community Affairs. Standley noted that any grant funds received from
that agency would count toward the 25% local matching requirement for
the National Resources Conservation Service funding.
After discussion it was agreed that the first thing that was needed
was for a detailed map of flood damage to be prepared by the
Commissioners.
Sheriff Jeff Lambert reported that there
had been no loss of life in the latest round of flooding. He noted
that some homes in the Buffalo Springs addition near Promontory Park
on Proctor Lake were being evacuated due to rising water levels.
Sheriff Lambert reported that the bridge
on Highway 1476 over Sowell Creek had been closed, also due to high
lake water levels.
Garry Steele added that there were 19
roads in the county that had been closed at various times due to high
water and that some of them would remain closed for an indefinite
period of time due to roadway damage.
Harold Shockley of Lamkin asked to
address the Commissioners about a road with a large hole washed in it
next to a bridge. Shockley noted that he had left a note in a parked
county dump truck concerning the situation, but thus far nothing had
been done to protect the public from the hazard.
Bobby Schuman said he would see to it
that the matter was handled immediately following the meeting.
Jerry Cupps also later addressed the
Commissioners about impassable road conditions on CR 255 in the far
southern part of the county. Commissioner Kenneth Feist visited with
Cupps about the problem following the meeting.
Ray Helberg, the Emergency Management
Coordinator for Comanche County, noted that Governor Perry had
included Comanche County in the list of counties in his State Disaster
Declaration that was being sent to President Bush.
As of Monday, July 2, Helberg was
gathering information for the state emergency management office to
forward to federal officials in support of a federal disaster
declaration.
There was discussion at the Friday
meeting regarding how the county could fund the cost of the necessary
road repairs. Everyone agreed that the cost would rise well beyond the
capacity of the normal annual budget.
County Auditor Joey Boswell noted that
county governments in Texas have the authority to issue Certificates
of Obligation as a means of obtaining necessary materials, supplies,
equipment and machinery for emergency road repairs.
It was noted that the legalities involved
in the Certificates of Obligation process would have to be reviewed
and completed, if needed, in a future meeting.
Garry Steele encouraged the Commissioners
to keep detailed records of expenses incurred in flood damage repairs.
He distributed copies of forms he had used in an earlier flood and
discussed the documentary requirements that would be necessary for
federal disaster reimbursement. |
