Flooding leads to disaster declaration, West asks for application approval
The Van Zandt County Commissioners met for the first time in 2016 on Monday, Jan. 4.
Commissioner and County Judge Don Kirkpatrick rang in the new year by ratifying and extending the local state of disaster declaration due to heavy flooding throughout Van Zandt County.
Heavy rains and turbulent weather hammered the county the weekend after Christmas, leading to washed out roads and stranded drivers on highways due to high water.
On Dec. 28, 2015, VZC County Judge Kirkpatrick issued a disaster declaration that requested state assistance from Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
VZC Fire Marshal Chuck Allen asked the commissioners to extend the original declaration.
“We are still not really sure how many homes were affected by the floods. The Red Cross is still doing door-to-door assessments. But, there were 20 homes reported to me that had been affected, “said Allen.
Allen also asked citizens on Facebook to contact his office if “significant damages to your residence as a result of the flooding had occurred during the Christmas weekend. This would be water that came inside the house and caused damages or a place that was destroyed.”
Allen told the commissioners that representatives from FEMA and the state would be in the county Dec. 6 to assess the various locations that had reported damages.
Allen also said on the Facebook page, Van Zandt County Fire Marshal/Emergency Management, that his office is trying to “document losses to enable the State of Texas to submit to the President for a federal declaration and hope to be able to provide state assistance to those who qualify.”
All through the Christmas weekend, Allen updated the citizens on Facebook with photos from around the county of water rescues and places of extreme flooding.
Photos documenting rescues occurring off of Highway 19 south of Highway in 80 in Edgewood sparked a lot of attention extreme flooding throughout the region.
The commissioners approved extending the local state of disaster for not more than 30 days.
Preservation Program
Texas has more historic courthouses than any other state—235 are still in active government use.
The Texas Historical Commission's Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program has turned around the trend of disrepair and begun restoring these treasured historic landmarks. To date, the program has restored 63 Texas courthouses and another 28 courthouses have received emergency or planning grants to complete small projects.
Commissioner Pct. 4 Tim West asked commissioners to consider making an application to the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program.
West told commissioners that “in the last session, the Legislature approved $20 million for the Preservation Program and so far there 11 applications, and ours will be the 12th, submitted for approval. They are not going to approve but four or five of the 12 applications. We are a 50/50 chance at best.”
West said that the county is asking for $2.365 million of the allocated funds.
“The funds would allow a total restoration from the roof all the way through. We would do all the sidewalks and every room in the courthouse including the fourth and fifth floors. They will end up being in-conditioned space for storage of historic items,” said West.
West said that the restrooms will all receive an update also.
“We have to be ADA compliant with the restroom on the first floor. The restrooms on the third floor does not have enough room to make them ADA compliant. But, we only have to have one restroom in the building that is ADA compliant.
The commissioners will meet again at 9 a.m. Jan. 12.
