ORDER N0.29191 RESOLUTION FOR FLOOD AWARENESS MONTH IN JULY On this the 13`h day of June 2005, upon motion made by Commissioner Williams, seconded by Commissioner Letz, the Court unanimously approved by a vote of 4-0-0, the resolution establishing month of July as FLOOD AWARENESS MONTH in Kerr County, Texas. ~ ~ ~~~~ COMMISSIONERS' COURT AGENDA REQUEST PLEASE FURNISH ONE ORIGINAL AND NINE COPIES OF THIS REQUEST AND DOCUMENTS TO BE REVIEWED BY THE COURT. MADE BY: William H. Williams MEETING DATE: June 13, 2005 OFFICE: Commissioner, Pct. 2 TIME PREFERRED: SUBJECT: (Please be specific). Consider, discuss and take appropriate action on Resolution establishing month of July as "Flood Awareness Month" in Kerr County. EXECUTIVE SESSION REQUESTED: NAME OF PERSON(S) ADDRESSING THE COURT: Commissioner Williams & Jce Cantu & Bertha Venegas, Alamo Resource Conservation and Development, Area, Inc. ESTIMATED LENGTH OF PRESENTATION: 5 Minutes iF PERSONNEL MATTER-NAME OF EMPLOYEE: Time for submitting this request for Court to assure that the matter is posted in accordance with Title 5, Chapter 551 and 552, Government Code, is as follows: Meeting scheduled for Mondays: 5:00 P.M. previous Tuesday THIS REQUEST RECEIVED BY:, THIS REQUEST RECEIVED ON:. All Agenda Requests will be screened by the County Judge's Office to determine if adequate information has been prepared for the Court's formal consideration and action at time of Court meetings. Your cooperation is appreciated and contributes toward your request being addressed at the earliest opportunity. See Agenda Request Rule adopted by Commissioners Court. RESOLUTION WHEREAS The Alamo Resource Conservation and Development Area, Inc., is a sponsor of an educational program entitled "Floods and the Environment" in the counties of Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Frio, Guadalupe, Kendall, Kerr, Medina and Wilson; and WHEREAS A flood is a natural and expected condition and is likely to occur when very heavey rains fall for an extended length of time or when slow rains continue for many hours; and WHEREAS At times of heavy rainfall, rivers and adjacent creeks flow full and fast, and a wall of water called a crest is sometimes created causing arise of several feet in a matter of minutes; and WHEREAS Low water crossings are very dangerous because six inches of moving water can sweep a person off their feet, and twenty-four inches of water can float a large vehicle; and WHEREAS This area of Texas is known as "Flash Flood Alley;" now THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Kerr County Commissioners' Court does hereby proclaim the month of July as "Flood Awareness Month," and calls upon its citizens to be aware that knowledge of flood dangers and safety rules saves lives. ADOPTED THIS 13th DAY OF JUNE 2005. County ]~Y~ ~ ~ c~G~QE~Cc~ H. A. "Buster" Baldwin, Commissioner Precinct I n Commissioner 3 _ M // ~~ William H. Williams, Commissioner Precinct 2 ~~~~d~'~ Dave Nicholson, Commissioner Precinct 4 What is a floodplain? Floodplains are the level areas bordering river chamlels. These portions of the river valleys are frequently defined in terms of flooding rn a given year. Hence, the "100-year" flood is the flood having a 1°'~ chance of occurring in any eiven year. In recent years many communities have cuFrr~ to recognize that the floodplain environment is an iprportant community asset and have taken the initiative to create greenways, riverside parks and other popular amenities. Significant- ly, protecting the natural reroved to be z ective tions of floodplains have p in reducing flood losses as well. What happens in your community's floodplain can have impacts to human uses and natural resources within your community as well as in areas ~ a,...,,,ctream. Additiona- nCau..'--~ http : I I ww~' • f em a •gov httpa/www.flood.org http:l(www.flash.org http : /Iwww.nws.noaa.gnv ~ .,.,-r,irPC~(~15~ x~ : ~ erfonn a variety of functions and Floodplains p in the proces prove valuable to both humans and fish and wildlife species. ImpoTmnt func- tions of a community floodplain might include all of the following flood water storage, water quality maintenance, fish and wildlife habitat and recreation. Presented by the ment Cour Alamo ReS with the Natural Resources CD seroaoon Service (NR( rn partnershiR Suite 253 4100 Piedras Drive ~ 78228 San Antonio, Phone: 210-735-3391 Fax: 210-735-3392 lntonnetion dervetl from Fenerel Interagency FbOdPia n Mana4ementTask Fo USDA is an equal opPoKunity provider and emPlOYI Who is a~ected by a floodplain? Every community makes choices about land use. These choices will vary according to the character- istics of a particular community, and in many cases choices are limited by land-use decisions of the past. Current land-use patterns may reflect inadequate consideration or understanding of the consequences of altering natural features of the environment. Even so, it is important that an awareness of the value of natural functions is incorporated into the land-use decisions that will affect the future of any community. ^ Urban Areas - It is likely that the floodplain within an urban community is already highly de- veloped. Here, the management options include restoration of natural areas and the relocation of structures that axe particularly threatened by flood hazards. ^ Suburban Areas/Urban Fringe -Urban fringe areas ofren face great development pressure, but maybe fortunate enough to have some open space to work with. Effective planning is critical in these communities, and can include a focus on maintaining existing open areas along waterways and restoration of vegetation. ^ Rural Areas -Agricultural communities have a different set of floodplain concerns. They have an advantage in the fact that open spaces are more plentiful. Management strategies here should fo- cus on controlling erosion and excessive nutrient loadings, as well as revegetating stream banks to restore natural ecosystem functions. Floodplain Functions The basic characteristics of floodplains and their natural resources function in ways that make them very valuable to humans and wildlife. Water Resources Naturnl Flood and Erosion Control - Provide flood storage & conveyance - Reduce flood velocities - Reduce peak flows - Reduce sedimentation Water Quality Maintenance - Filter nutrients and impurities from runoff - Process organic wastes - Moderate temperature fluctuations Groundwater Recharge - Promote infiltration & aquifer recharge - Reduce frequency & duration of low surface flows Biological Resources Biological Productivity -Promote vegetative growth in rich soils - Maintain biodiversity - Maintain integrity of ecosystems Fish erWildlife Habitats - Provide breeding and feeding grounds - Create and enhance waterfowl habitat - Protect habitats for rare & endangered species Societal Resources Harvest of Wild and Cultivated Products - Enhance agricultural lands Provide sites for aquaculture - Restore and enhance forest lands Recreational Opportunities - Provide areas for active and passive uses - Provide open spaces - Provide aesthetic pleasure Arens for Scientific Study d Outdoor Education - Contain historic & archeological cultural resources - Provide opportunities for outdoor study Floodplain Management Floodplain management is re- garded as a process by which decisions are made rather than simply a set of floodplain regula- tions or flood control structures. In terms of the natural environment, floodplains include important habitat areas such as river chan- nels, the water's edge, riparian buffers, wetlands, and upland areas adjoining flood-prone areas. Addition- ally, vegetation that grows in the floodplain helps determine how water flows across the land and can play a major role in controlling erasion and sediment deposition. While it is important for communities to plan and take responsibility for the land uses that occur in their own floodplains, it must be recognized that flood level and water quality can be very much affected by land use activities that occur elsewhere in the watershed. Land uses along tributaries are likely to have an im- pact on downstream communities. Wise management of tributaries is therefore extremely important, as their protection can yield benefits for the entire network. / \ ~~9~ c// l~ r ~~~ / Cyr-dZ-'/ ~C~ ®--t.~.-~- '~ ~~ ~'~.- ~'% (~~ ~.~ ~~ ~,-~~~. ~~ ~ i ~'-l~Zd ~Q~~~ 7~v~~' ~~3d Sl o _~~~~ A 7 1'. ~, 1 1 It-< i ;. t ~_ ~~~ ~,,t --~_ ~1 / f ~ ~ / / ~ ~~ ~~ ~ -fir-' c-~~~-~ ~~'-". 0 ... ;" c <' _, - _. - %/, ~C~ll'~J~--L-C..-~~f .~LG"s~. /~ i r _s' ~~ --~C~t'Z/L . ~/4_ l ~ ,."` e ~/ 7 z ~ c:z ~ ~"'7z/ r~i't~ tr+~/`z.'c~ c '~~. ~~~ ~~ ~~. ~~,''~~ C'. C Cam' Z-v,.' . ~ ~ ~~ ~ '- - f ,.CC2",t~ --C~' - ~' ~~.e'- ~ -"~C- JL L,Z L,t, ~c ~-fL~''~L ~ ~ , f ~ ~~7 ~- -~~/lam .I / ~ ~' ~~ ~~G~t-ems ~.l%'._r~. ~= C - e~% ~Z~--~~ ~ ~~-,~ L ,~ ~ ~ ~ t -(! Cc c? ~ ~ a ~t.a v,-°S~In,L~L I L L ;,- 1 L2~ ~--c~ r L /' ~- i- J ~` ~ 4100 Piedras Dr. East, Ste. 253 San Antonio, TX 78228 0) 735-3391 0) 735-3392 Fax Board of DireMOrs Ruben Camarillo Chairman Bexar County Juan Estrada Vice Chairman Frio County Tom Walton Secretary~Treasurer Bandera Michael Korus, Director AACOG Representative David Caballero, Director Atascosa County Roger BaenzigegDirector Guadalupe County George Molekamp, Drrector Kerr County Otto Kasten, Director Kendal! County Albert Gamez.h., Director Wilson County t7JJ4ce Staj/ Bertha T. Venegas RC &D Coordinator USDA-NRCS Rosie Flores Secretary/Ad»unistrative Assistant Closing out the year 2004 we can look back and be proud that our projects, such as, The Helotes Water shed project, The Tire Clean up project, The Water Well Cap- pingproject, The Grant Writ- ing Course, The NRCS Grants and others all which assisted the community, economically and environmentally. The Water Well capping was es- pecially important, because it not only protects the Aquifer, but also keeps children from falling into open wells. As 1 step down as chair- man (sincerely appreciate the December 2004 CHAIRMAN'S MESSAGE support and assistance from the Directors and office staff. I'II treasure your friendships always. I strongly urge you to sup- port the incoming Chahman and work with him in estab- lishing sponsorships for Alamo RC &D. The year 2006, budget wise will be very lean for all gov- ernment agencies, except Homeland Security and the Department of Defense. Its imperative that you spend as much time as possible on sponsorships in 2005. The staff and I Wish you and your families peace and the very best of heahh. Ruben Camarillo 2~~4 AWARD WINNERS Armand Martinez (right) receives an award in recognition for his service from Texas Association of RC &D presented by Ruben Camarillo (left), Chairman, Alamo RC&D Board Meeting. into Kasten received an award for his many years of dedicated service as Board of Director to Alamo RC &D Area, Inc. 2004 ANNUAL REPORT Page 2 Plugging Abandone A grant for $22,000 was re- ceived from the TCEQ ro plug abardor~d water wells in Bexaz County. A partnership was es- tablislmdwith the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) and the Kelly Air Force Re- development Pmgram. SAWS • Addrewa the envlroa- meMal needs of areas, rnm- munities rmd groups that do not have the rponrces d Water Wells ,~* " conducted extensive field- work for the project, visiting 643 well sites and identifying 131 abandoned wells. Of the 131 abandoned wells, SAWS plugged 32 through a 319 Envvonmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant, 75 wells were plugged by the Kelly Air Fore Re- development Program, 9 were funded by ALAMO RC&D and 14 did not St the criteria of the great. To en- surethe eligibility of poten- tial recipients of the funds, SAWS solicited the assis- tance of the City of San An- tonio Department of Commu- nity Initiatives (DCI), Com- munity Action Division to assist with the verification process. Only participants who fell within the low in- come criteria were eligible to have wells plugged. The to- tal spent was $537,688.48. For every dollaz Alamo RC&D spent, an additional $23 was brought in from the paMers. All the recipients of funds were classified as low income with 75% of the homeowners considered His- panic and 24% African American. Floods and the Environment Project Flood awareness and safety is a constant concern for our central and southwest coudies ~ disseminate information to the ten of Texas. Our counties have been on the minty Alamo RC &D azea about national list of azeas with high risk of flash floods and designate a Flood Aware- floodmg. Hess and Safety week. Two work- The awareness of the potential damage to sh s will be devel for farmers d °~ property and lives is first and foremost. Protce- an ~~ ~P g ~~~- tion of our watersheds along creeks, streams and tion radices associated with rivers is vital to maintaining the quality of ow healthy watersheds and Ure various water. USDA programs available. A workshop will be developed for rural A grad for $10,000 was received through CO~~n' landowners whose land is within the flood zone and NRCS. This project involve developing a plan Provide technical information and financial assistance on wells contaminated by floods. City of'Helotes Emergency Watershed Protection Project The drainage committee of the City of Helotes acquired our assis- tance during the fall of 2002 flooding to identify pdential funding sources to alleviate existing drainage prop lems. After numerous meetings, the City of Helotes applied and received $75,000 funding through the NRCS Emergency Watershed Protection. The clean up has been completed, and additional drainage issues are being identified. 2004 Annual Report Page 3 Bexar County SEP- Abandoned Tire Cleanup A grant from TCEQ was received for $62,625 to clean up a watershed of illegally abandoned tires. The Bill Miller site was designated by TCEQ as the cleanup location. This site is currently owned by the San Arnonio Water System. A partnership was forged with the San Antonio Water System to The purpose of this project is to address °' environmental factors that affect a healthy watershed. This includes factors such as debris along the rivers that collects from flooding and debris from illegal dumping. A grant for $5000 was received through the NRCS. This project is currently un- derway with the development of news articles and workshops to educate the public. ~" r£ ~+ ~° aeedv "r~eti8 •Ades the envbon- ntndal xeeds of meas. can- nrunrt+es and groups Ih@ do not have the resources Making Things Happen! This will project will benefit peo- ple living within the watershed by providing a clean, safe environ- ment. The cleaning of areas along the Medina River will keep debris from blocking the flow during heavy rains and flooding, elimi- nating debris from polluting the waters and eliminating standing water where disease vectors thrive. CALENDAR OF EVENTS A[amo RC&D Area Southwestern States RC&D Assoc Meetings Apri127, 2005 June 29, 2005 August 24, 2005 '^ October 26, 2005 February 23, 2005 Mtg. March 20 - 22, 2005 Littlerock, Arkansas National Leadership Conference February 28 - Mazch 2005 Washington, DC assist with the cleanup. A contract was awarded to a local business to be- gin the clean up process. Approximately 175 tons of tires were collected. Texas Assoc. of RC&D Annual Meeting May 2 - 4,2005 College Station, TX Maintaining Healthy Watersheds Page 4 Alamo An~ua~ Meetin The Annual Meeting "Improving Existing Commwtities>, was held December 8, 2(104 at Scenic Loop Caf€ in San Amonio, Texas. A total of forty-nine (49) cotnnnurity leaders from the ten county area we serve attended. During the Business meeting, Jce Cantu of Bandem was elected as chairman of the Board of Directors. Juan Estrada of Dilley was elected Vice Chairman and Albert Gamez Jr., of Floresville was elected as Secretary/ Treasurer. Bertha Venegas, RC&D Coordinator with Natural Re- sources Conservation Service (NRCS) gave highlights of projects accomplished locally. She thanked the volun- teers for their hard work a~ dedication to RC&D and welcomed new volunteers. Mr. Tomas Dominguez, Assistant State Conservationist For Field Operations with NRCS thanked Alamo RC &D Area volunteers for their work a~ gave NRCS program highlights. Mr. Claude Ross, NRCS programs, highlighted the ac- ._. complishments of RC &D state wide, artd upcoming Changes. Mr. Morrison Waods, with the University of Texas in San Amonio, Institute for Economic Development, gave us poiNers on starting a business, the reasons businesses succeed a~ the importance of having a business plan. The meeting concluded with the presentation of a service award to Olto ICastea followed by a meal. 2004 Budget INCOME Useable Funds Balance 27,500 Sponsorship Dues 2000 Membersh~ Dues 600 NRCS Grant 17,000 Projects Bexar SEP-Tire Cleanup 62,625 Bexar SEP- Water Well Plugging 22,000 RC $D Budding 207,540 Kendall SEP - VFD Assistance 600 Grant Writing 101Course 800 Advanced Grant writing Course 800 Fundraising Course 800 Fire Protection Project 700 Annual Meeting 600 Noncash CoMrmutions-NRCS 95,000 Alamo Grant Fees 10,924 TOTAL INCOME 6449,489 EXPENSES DueslSubacdptions B00 Inswance 850 Professional Fees 1,000 Postage 800 TreveuTraning 3,000 Miscellaneous 500 Administrative Assistant Salary 2,184 Payrol Taxes 200 TraveVTraining 500 Secretary Salary 14,920 Payroll Taxes 1200 TraveVTraining 300 Projects Bexar SEP-Tire Cleanup 62,625 Bexar SEP -Water Well Plugging 22,000 RC 8D Budding 218,464 Kendall SEP - VFD Assistance B00 Grant Writing 101Course 500 Advanced Grant wrrtirg Course 500 Fundraising Course 500 Fire Protection Project 500 Annual Meeting 1,500 Board Development Training 500 Noncash Contributions -NRCS 95,000 Audit-Review 1,500 Office Supplies 500 Office Equipment 200 Sollwrare 1,100 Websde 500 TOT/LL EXPENSES 432,543 NET INCOME 616,946 Page 5 to Volunteer Fire ' tag Your Ranch's Future ~~ rg " ~#~.,~ 'i ;"~".?~" n.., _~. A grant was received by the Texas Commission on Envi- ronmental Quality (TCEQ) to provide assistance to the Boerne Volu~eer Fire Department. The grant allowed for the purchase of hazardous material (HAZ MAT) equipment. A grant writing workshop was conducted for the volan- teerfire departments in the Atascosa County VolurReer Fire Department Association. Approximately 15 volunteer fire departmern persomrel were assisted in filling out forms to apply for grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). West Texas Telecommnaication Project The purpose of this project is to conduct an outreach and educational program in a 37 county area of West Texas targeted to for 6,000 to 8,000 farmers and ranch- ers to educate those in basic computer skills with the goal of equipping them to participate in NRCS conserva- tion programs. Alamo RC &D is charged with coordi- nating local outreach efforts announcing the availability of Egov training. Four hour training sessions on basic computers operations, Internet access and email for farmers and ranchers will be conducted. Additionally, three hours sessions for farmers and ranchers on USDA/ NRCS program information through on-line use of USDA website will be conducted. Training sessions will begin sometime after January 2005. Contact our office at (210) 735-3391 for addi- tional information. A workshop, "How Secure Is your Farnr/Ranch's Future" was hosted by the Texas/Mexico Border Coali- tion and co-hosted by the Alamo RC&D Area. The one-day event focused on food safety by way of herd health, estate planning, and managing risk by using coverage options. Alesia Swan representing USDA Risk Management Agency talked about the coverage options available through their agency. Dr. Catherine Tull with the Texas Departmem of Heahh reviewed herd safety tips to prevent anthrax and protect against predators. Dr. Gary Svetlik with the Animal Plant Health In- spection Service (APHIS) reviewed the symptoms of BSE and other TSE'S. The Workshop ended with a presentation from Mr. Henry Chu;ys, P.C., Henry Claeys Attorney at Law on Living trusts versus wills, followed by a meal Two proposal development workshops were spon- sored in Floresville and Bandera. The purpose of the workshop was to provide participants with an in-depth learning experience on how to begin the grant proposal process. A total of 33 participants completed the two day workshops. A board development workshop was held for directors, council members and volunteers of the Alamo RC&D Area. Board of Directors attended various training confer- ences throughout the year including the Southwestern States RC &D Meeting in Oklahoma City, Ok. The Na- tional Leadership Forum in Washington, D.C. and the Texas Association of RC &D Meeting in Corpus Christi, Texas. Coordinator's Message Another year has gone by quickly. We were able to ac- complishquite obit in such a short time. With the help of our partner, the San Antonio Water System (SAWS), we plugged 116 Wells leveraging our $22,000 to $23:1 ratio, spending a total of $537,688. Working again with SAWS, we collected 175 tons of illegally dumped tires from Elm Creek, with a grant for $62,625. Through the NRCS grant application we applied for and received funding for two projects. These projects focus on maintaining Healthy Watersheds and Floods and the Enviromnert. Alamo RC &D area was the only one in the state to receive two grants. I want to congratulate Armand Martinez on receiving an awazd from the Texas Assoc of RC &D for his service. We continued to provide board development training as well as grant writing workshops with a workshop specifi- cally targeting VFD's and providing grate writing support for applications submitted to Federal Emergency Manage- ment Agency (FEMA). I want to thank all the volunteers especially Otto Kasten for his many years of volunteer work to the Kendall County RC &D and Alamo RC &D Area board of Direc- tors . I want to thank Ruben Camarillo and Tom Walton for their leadership. They will be greatly missed on the board. I want to welcome all the new members to the board and council. I look forward to working with all of you Bertha T. Venegas Alamo RC &D Area Coordinator All programs and services ojtheAlamo RC &D Council are offered on a nondiscriminadon basis without regard to rote, color, national origin, gender, rehg~on, age disability, sexual orientatlon, marital or family status, poUdm! beliefs, parental smms, or protected genetic informahon. " Persons with disabibnes who re- quire special assistance or alternative mean for communicatlon please contact our office at (210J 735-3391.