San Angelo City Council special meeting 7-10-25

[0:00:00] Everyone, it's July 10th. We're going to call this meeting to order. 2025. Um, right now we're going to open. Has anybody got any public comment? Jamal Schumpert. Jamal. Has somebody got the clock? Gotcha. State your name in your district, please. Jamal Shumpert, 2817 North R Street, St. Angelo, Texas. Um board, I just want to tell you before you guys tell me to go talk to your departments. I have uh I actually even filed a complaint with TCQ on the two now bridge area where you saw the house on pullium. I understand some of the damage was unavoidable, but the houses destroyed in my area. It was avoidable. the act the actual erection of the storm water pathway makes a S and then it bottlenecks over a low area. It should have been bridges built. The only only person been an adequate bridge was the Texas railroad and that's the one behind Yes, believe it or not Tom. Yes, it's a 14oot bridge and it's behind Saninto and that's the area that didn't flood fortunately. Not too bad. I understand some of the areas outside of St. Angelo outside of the area were unavoidable. But if we even look at what's happening today, there's 8 to 10 foot weeds and tires and dumping all in that area. It's a no wonder that our storm water drain got blocked to leading to the the houses being lifted onto the streets. This is a problem that your departments have and I've talked to you guys. I even made a presentation, brought pictures last year, and you guys spent money buying all the storm water drain equipment, but then you used it over there at the Red Aoyo and concreted that entire area and neglected all the other areas that you see today, which is in the north and the east side where your low lowincome people are. Not to

[0:02:03] say that those people wanted that, but that was the direction of this board, the city managers in that department. uh that neglect instead of just calling a blessing in a water restricted area, we're calling it a disaster because we wasn't prepared. It clean our drains at least on the north side where the recreation center is because it's still about 15t of water where people are playing basketball in water. Thank you. Thank you, Jamal. Heather, anymore. Uh one staff announcement from Robert Diaz. Robert. Robert, just to follow protocol, name and sir. Good afternoon, council. My name is Robert Diaz, single member of district 5, Karen Hessie Smith. I work with the city of St. Angel, the senior registered sanitarian. Just here to give some updates. We've received multiple calls from from people about uh you know, issues at their in the flood areas and stuff. Um, I do have, you know, it hits, I'm sure it hits everybody here personally, and I'd like to thank everybody, the council, uh, emergency response, uh, all the PD, the police department, firemen, everybody doing an exceptional job. You know, I just, uh, have an issue. It's not really, it's everything's personal, and I'm sure it touches everybody here, you know. Uh, I have uh my kids's great-grandmother lives a block out of the quarantine area on 232 PCON and they have people going by. They've been cleaning out the house. We were there this weekend helping them clean up mess and there's people just going by and tearing into their trash bags and they're having to constantly rebag all that stuff up and it's been out there since Friday. They've been starting to do stuff since Saturday morning when they've been able to get back into the house. I just wanted to make that uh known to y'all. But my main thing was just to to thank y'all for everything y'all done. That um sheet that y'all put out was is really helpful that went out with all the emergency

[0:04:05] numbers that they put. This is an awesome thing. So, I've been using it and directing people with that. You know, I'm just my hats off to all the staff, city manager, uh Rick Weiss, uh Mr. Michael Dayne, and everybody here. All all the all y'all's team. I just wanted to thank y'all for everything y'all done. Yeah, I know y'all been boots on the ground uh since this weekend and haven't stopped yet. And that was just my main thing I just wanted to bring up to y'all. Robert, prayers to your family and all you're going through. We all are going through very similar things. Many of the topics you brought up, Kelton and I discussed earlier today. Thank you so much for your time and your input. No, thank you. Any more? That concludes public comment. We'll move into the special agenda. Comments regarding items on the special agenda may be made by the public when each item is discussed as outlined above. To participate, please sign in with the city clerk prior to the beginning of the meeting. Speakers will be called in the order they signed in. Comments are limited to less than three minutes. Applicants, proponents, and appellants are exempt from time limit above and instead must limit the remarks to less than 5 minutes. Item A is consider authorizing an order continuing the declaration of disaster issued by the mayor related to the severe storm and flash flooding event that occurred on July 4th, 2025. Brandon Dyson. Thank you, mayor. Uh I think everyone knows uh due to the disaster, the mayor did uh declare that disaster, the government code only allows that to continue for 7 days, which tomorrow would be our seventh day. Uh so we need city council in order to continue that to approve an order continuing it and in talking with Shane uh the very minimum we think 90 days uh to 120 days is going to be the estimated time for this I have it now for 90 days but of course it's at council's discretion um and if you need any information from Shane but that's the need if we go 90 do we have the option to extend it? Yes. Yes. So you could continue it again and if everything works out perfectly

[0:06:10] and it can be terminated sooner. The mayor actually has the authority to do that in the order. So I I would hope we can do this in less than 3 months. So I would suggest that we stick with the 90 days. It's just a goal and a minimum timeline. Um with that I'll open it up to council for questions. So move. I have a first and a second. Heather, do we have any public comment? All those in favor? I. Any opposed? With that item passes or agenda item passes 70, we'll move into item B. Consider approval of the emergency debris collection task force order one with Saras environmental under under RFP01, excuse me, OP-1-20 for an amount not to exceed $1 million sourced from all solid waste fund balance and authorizing city manager to negotiate and execute all related documents. Shane, you're on. Thank you, mayor. Um, as you said, we we do have a current contract with Saras Environmental for debris management uh for the city uh for just such a situation as we're going through uh right now. Uh this will be for a task order for this specific uh for this specific event uh moving forward and not to exceed $1 million amount currently. Um, if for some reason we do find more debris or there's any other issues that arise during this time, uh, we will bring another action back to council before we would move forward with anything else. So again, this is a current this this cont this task order will be for not to exceed $1 million. Uh, just want to briefly go over kind of how this works and how we're going to be moving forward as well. Uh, we um, a after this action today, we will provide notice proceed and they will start mobilizing crews to St. Angelo this next week, excuse me. And as they as they're moving as they're doing that, we will be trying to be out there with some citizens as we're going through to make sure especially that hardest hit area uh where we saw the fastm moving the swift moving waters that we we saw so much destruction. Working with those uh property owners, homeowners, residences

[0:08:14] in that area to make sure that they are prepared and ready as they get here so we can follow the FEMA guidelines uh that have been laid out. So, so we would have the ability uh to hopefully seek uh any uh any relief that they may that they may allow for us. And so, again, moving forward moving forward with that. So, they may they citizens in that area probably start seeing city crews this next week trying to make get out there, work with them, help them, assist them in any way that we can to prepare as we're moval to get here. If they have questions, Shane, who would they call? Uh, if they have any questions, they can waste uh on the waist and any of that currently right now. Of course, it is on that what Mr. Diaz talked about just a minute ago. That flyer is on our website at sangelo.govjuly4. Uh, so that is there that will give them a lot of information. other information. If they need it, they can contact u they can contact my office at 65 325-657-4206 and we can direct them to folks that can help them there. They can also contact our customer service uh division as well too at the water utilities. So they can contact that number as well. So um but again as we're moving forward they that we are planning on starting so we give everybody time hopefully this end of this weekend. Um, I know everybody had to try to continue on with their lives as best they could. So, again, we're not wanting to start this too many too soon, uh, because with the de debris removal company, they're only going to make two, possibly three passes. Um, and that's kind of where we are in our contracted range right there. So, as as we're moving forward, we want to make sure we're giving citizens time time to make sure that they are able to uh what we call muck and gut. basically get in there and get their everything, all the debris uh out of their homes, whether that's flooring, that's furniture, white goods, anything electronics that have been ruined, get those out to the curb. And so, uh, we want to give them plenty

[0:10:17] of time. And again, we want everybody to place it behind behind the curb or at the a edge of pavement. Please do not put anything in the streets. uh kind of moving uh let me uh we will we will start in the hardest hit area. We will break these up into sectors. They're going to bring they're going to start off with uh two to three separate units that they're bringing in um for debris collection. We're going to start again in the hardest hit area. We're going to break these areas up into zones. Uh we're going to work these work their their units in zones. And so we will be working um jointly with them to get them in here. Uh and again start with the hardest hit areas first and then moving our way north and and northwest up into that part of town. Uh and again this first this first run we'll be getting that stuff off the curb. So if there is if there is the need they've run out of room in front of their homes, we'll get this out of the way and then we'll give them another chance to continue to bring more debris out as we move through the rest of the rest of the city. And so that's kind of how we're we're uh processing this moving forward. Want to again stress u separating uh these items. Uh keep your keep your construction debris whether that's flooring, carpet, walls, furniture, all of those type things in one pile. Uh electronics, whether that's TVs, computers, um any any electronic devices, keep that in one pile. Um, and then also your white goods, your refrigerators, dry washers, dryers, um, any any item like that, keep those in a separate pile as well, too. We did not have a lot of um tree or or brush damage. So, we're not really worried about brush piles, but if there for whatever reason you did see damage for you had damage in trees or landscaping, anything, make sure that is in a separate pile as well, too. Um, and again, we will get around to get that picked up. Please, no household hazardous waste at this time. No oils, gas, fuels, uh cleaning supplies, please keep those back away from the edge of

[0:12:20] the curb. We will be uh working uh with Republic Services here in the near future uh to set up a separate time to start working through collecting any uh household hazardous waste that may be available. We'll but we will set that up um you know 2 weeks, 30 days down the road trying to work let all of this big debris get out of the way. then we'll take take a lot of that. Those those things cannot be put in our landfill. So that's why we want to make sure that they are not inter intermingled within that. Um Shane, I have a question. This is up for a million dollars, but what if we aren't here long? So tell me this is based on tiered and tonnage, so it may not be a million dollars. It could potentially You're correct. You're correct. It may not be if um this is this is just an estimate uh just kind of based on kind of the numbers that we have seen so far. um and based on what this company has seen in other locations with similar in incidences that uh they gave us this estimate. So again um it may turn out that it's not this much. It may be reduced but again based on their best guess their best estimate of what they've seen in other municipalities across the country that's what this was based on. So again if they don't if they if they don't haul that much off then they don't charge us. So, do these get a contingency, too? I know some contracts we do get a contingency for an overage by by state law, we get up to 25%, but again, I I don't we want to make we want to make sure that we are we as we move through this, we're keep we're keeping we're keeping council up to date. But, I mean, if if it's a if it's 1 million and $10,000, we'll we'll use that. We'll use the provision in state law. But if we're talking large sums of money, we want to bring that back to council for your approval. Let us know if we get anything over a million. Yeah. Yeah. So, we will we will bring that back to council at that point. So, again, and then regular household trash, again, you can please do not bag any of the stuff you're sitting out for debris management. Regular household trash. If

[0:14:23] you still do not have a cart, uh you can bag that. Please place that at the uh on your regular pickup day, you can place that at the curb. And Republic Services will continue to pick that up. As I stated uh I think earlier in the week u you know recycling and bulk has been suspended currently. Uh we are going to re-evaluate that with the public uh coming into tomorrow evening and we will again we will if if we're going to change our our cycling on that. We will get back with the with the with the public and we will get something out to everybody uh again to keep everybody updated on trash updates. Um, and just quickly just just so you know the numbers uh that we're looking at right now and kind of what this was based off of. Uh currently just through our um through the ISAT surveys uh damage surveys that we've done looking at 1520 surveys that have been completed um 294 affected homes 705 of them with minor damage 463 with major damage and 58 that uh basically in in how the form goes it would be considered destroyed. Uh now not all of those were again like the ones that were swept off their slabs but again sustained enough dam sustained enough damage uh that they met the threshold in within the state guidelines to be considered destroyed a complete loss. Um, again, we want everybody again to make sure that they are working. Again, as you know, we don't want to put people in a rush in a bind. They've been through a traumatic event. But again, want to reiterate the importance of getting all of this to the curb. If and if people are not able to, if they are not physically able to or don't have the means or manpower, we do have a lot of assistance coming to this town that's going to be free of charge for people to be able to to utilize. And so we want them to make sure they reach out uh for that assistance to to make sure we don't want people living in in dangerous situations or their house becoming a dangerous situation to live in. So we

[0:16:26] want to make sure that people are actively seeking to to clean out their house the way they need to do it. And again, we do have that assistance coming. Um again, they can reach out uh to our on our website. We have the information on our website and we'll continue to be posting updates there at the stangelo.govjuly4. gov/july4. Uh again, and that's also again to to reassure everybody that there uh while financial assurance is not necessarily guaranteed, but uh there are there are again we we've had very generous people donating to the city uh donating area foundation and others. Um and and again we're hope or again we're hopeful uh that we will see some federal assistance as well. There's no guarantee but we're hopeful. So again, we know that hopefully there will be some financial assistance for these folks as they try to rebuild and try to get their life back um and going. And so with that, if there's any questions from council, I'll be happy to entertain. I'll start down here on the end with Mary and we'll work our way to the other side. Thanks, Shane. Sorry, Tommy. Do we have a what the threshold is for us to get to to get that potentially get the federal assistance? There there's there's two. There's the there's the individual which was the ISAT ISAT which we discussed earlier. Um I believe in in my conversations with our emergency management coordinator I believe that we have reached that threshold uh from that side. Uh we are still survey on the on the PAT side which is the public entity side which is the city the county um uh governmentbased organizations. We are still working through that damage assessment currently uh to see if we as a municipality, as a county, as a government entity will will qualify for that or or not. We're not there yet, but we're working towards those numbers. One the reason I asked that some of the people that as I was going on the route, uh they're they have a lot of pride and they don't think that they've been affected or or you know, someone else

[0:18:29] has it worse than they do. And I was explaining that this helps get us to that threshold. It it just increases our our odds. It it does. And in the in the more the more information we have, the more knowledge we have, the better position we as a city um or as a county even or going to be in our efforts to try to seek assistance uh from the federal government. One of the things too that I it is just kind of an FYI, but when um in coming across some of those people, a first thing I say, I'm not asking your social security number. I don't need anything like that. This is just to help um help get us so that we can help you more. U but that just if y'all encounter that, that seems to be a a diffuser and it increases their their willingness to uh let us assist them. Correct. And and again, we're we just want damage. We're I mean, we just want to be able to assess the damage and know what that is. We're we don't we don't need personal information. Don't want personal information. Again, just um whatever they're willing to give us is great, but again, it is to assess the damage as well. I have also heard uh and we can address this maybe later and with some other communication as well that we can send out but but one of the concerns is brought to me is that u people may be reluctant to uh to participate or to be active in this because they're afraid it may affect their insurance or something like that. Uh this event will not this event will not affect that that I mean that is strictly a flood plane management issue. um not necessarily this this was much greater than the flood plane. We we we saw things that were way past the 500year event um uh flood plane uh delineation um on the map. And so as we move forward, again, we just want to reiterate that that please continue this. Don't worry about those type of issues. Again, those will not affect folks. Uh continue continue to pre provide this information and and participate in everything that is available to them. Mary, thank you Karen.

[0:20:32] All good. Thank you, Patrick. Hey, Shane. Um, on the So, the bag trash and debris and appliances, is Republic going to handle all the bag trash or is Sarah grabbing all that as well? No, Republic will handle all the bag trash and so that will that will be with uh with the routine pickup uh on and again uh we have gone back to u regular routes. So, whatever your day normally is for trash collection will continue to be your day for regular trash collection. Do they need to try to get it in their trash cans or is Republic going to set up a time to kind of kind of like we have bulk week to come in and grab all that? Yeah. Again, just try to keep it to household trash. If it if it is debris of any kind, please put it in our debris piles for Sarah to pick up. But you know, if it's uh you know, say newspapers, I know a lot of people don't do newspapers anymore, but you know, uh whether that you know food waste, food tra you know, food trash, you know, anything like that that would be normal household waste, plastics, those type of things. Uh please discard those in the bags and and we will take those. Do we know Sorry. I guess um is the Republic going to set up a time to come get all that or they just going to be trying to get it on their daily routes? They they they're just doing it on their daily daily routes. Again, still playing some catchup. Uh again, as we were disrupted last week, again, trying to play some catchup within that as well. But again, I think I I visited with Joe Spano this morning. Uh most of their routes are on time. They're not having a lot of difficulties at this point. uh a little bit slowing them down because of some of the um u some of the rerouting of the traffic flows that we have here in town currently right now. Slowing them down a little bit, but they're really doing uh really doing good on time. Tomorrow, uh because Friday, last week was the really the big day that was that was truly missed last week. And so, uh tomorrow may be a lot slower than normal getting around. Uh but they believe that once they get through uh that Friday route that they will have next week that everything will should be a lot closer to normal time and and when you normally see uh the trash truck come through your neighborhood. And then on

[0:22:36] this uh this cost, is any of it um expected or possibility of being recouped through FEMA or is this all? If we if we as a as a you know the city and the county and as long as we within Tom Green County if we meet the levels um uh for the PAT surveys and we meet that level and we do receive a FEMA declaration for uh the uh the public entities then yes this is uh the Saras what we're spending here on the SARS contract um maybe not all of it but some of it definitely would be uh hopefully eligible for some assistance uh back from from the federal government. So, thank you Patrick. Good questions. Harry Joe, welcome to St. Angelo. Thanks. You you you did say it earlier, there will be multiple passes, correct? So, if someone doesn't have it out there the first time, correct? we be at least two, possibly three passes. Uh we will we will be monitoring that as as the process goes through. Um and and again if there's a few one-offs here or there, you know, my city crews can assist, but again, we want this primarily this because through this contract and how and through the and the next uh the next item that we have up here with the monitoring company uh for us to seek federal um assistance for any of this, it has to very specific guidelines on how it's picked up, how it's disposed of, all of it has to be monitored by a third party company. So again, we want to make sure that we are getting as much of this as we can through this contract. Again, if there's a few one-offs here and there, you know, either through our partners at Republic, through bulk pickup, andor through uh city city crews, we I mean, we're we're going to help folks, but and I don't know, you said you're going to set up like a zoning map possibly when you get with them. maybe okay this pass will be this time

[0:24:39] and and we and and we will as as we as we work with Saras next week and we are creating these zone maps and and of course timing is always varies but again we will try to uh try to kind of be out in front of that and let folks know a day or two ahead of when they will be coming through their neighborhoods and doing the collection. I think most people are ready. It's just there's there are but but we have a lot of we have uh our the volunteer group and I do want to give a shout out to all of our volunteers and our co-ad and everybody that's been working out there. They have been phenomenal. Um I've I've been doing this for 25 years. I've been through h gosh what six, seven, eight of these guys. Um and I and I we have never had a response uh from our our volunteer community. I mean they've always been great. Everybody's always been there, but this uh these guys, they I mean they are they have been spot on this time. They have taken so much weight off of the shoulders of the city staff. It it's been incredible. So, I want to give a shout out for them. So, uh, but again, you know, it as as we're moving forward and and getting these volunteers because we do as they've been out there, they've noticed a lot of people are not wanting to participate or not because they they are afraid either one, they they can't physically do it or two, uh, they're afraid that if they do pull those sheetrock off the walls, if they do do things like that, they're not going to have the means to to replace it or to fix it. And so again, we want we want people to know that there is assistance out there and so to please reach out um and and seek out that assistance because again we we want people to get that stuff out and we want we want to help the we want to help everybody. Thank you. I don't have a question. Mine's more of a comment hopefully helpful comment comments maybe to to the public. Um, there are going to be folks coming into into this town, if they're not already

[0:26:41] here, that are from out of town, that will say they are there to help people rebuild, to um recover, rehab their damaged properties, to the extent possible, and it won't be entirely possible, but to the extent possible, I would suggest to those folks that are affected by this that need assistance in rebuilding, rehabbing, um, or recovering their property, use local contractors that you know and that have done this type work before. There will be folks that are here only for themselves and the amount of money they can make. There will be people that will ask for money upfront before any work is performed. Do not pay people upfront before they perform the work for you, especially if you do not know them. Um, that's going to be hard for some because they are in such dire circumstances. They are going to need assistance quickly and they are going to need to have things done to their homes quickly. They are going to jump at the chance to have somebody do it. But to the extent they can, they should lo use local people. Um I I want to echo what Shane has said. I have had the the I'll say the fortunate um ability to have just a little bit closer seat to the front. And what Shane said, the amount of cooperation and collaboration and teamwork among the folks that have been working on this day in and day out has been amazing. It really has. Um, somebody said to me this morning after a meeting, um, this is my sixth one of these type real crisis events I've been through. He said this one has been um at as the police chief said we have been

[0:28:47] at our worst in terms of disaster but the best has risen to the top and the comment was this is one of the best efforts I have seen in terms of the cooperation the collaboration and the collegiality among those working on it. So, I want to say thank you again, as Shane did, to those people. That's the volunteers, that's the city staff, that's our police department, that that's our fire department, that's all of the the volunteer organizations in town that have stepped up. Th this is even in the midst of its worst, um St. Angelo has risen to its best. Councilman, to your point, th those folks are here. I I've visited with two two uh property owners so far that have been approached by um out people from out of town uh telling them that they will be more than happy to clean out their house and haul it off for for x number of dollars. They're they're already here. So again, please beware. And again, we will have we will have we have people mobilizing into our community to help volunteer vetted volunteer groups. Um and they will be in identifiable shirts and things like that. And so again the and they are free the they are free of charge. They will not charge anybody a dime to come in and assist these folks. So again uh yeah please beware be aware of that. Like Harry you had a comment. I do. I want to follow up a little bit what Jean just said. They are in the community. You see a lot of people don't know where they're going. And sometimes that makes it a little difficult for somebody that's been around as long as I have because I have a tendency to want to get where I'm going and they don't have any idea. So they're stopping in the middle of the road. They're turning without a turn signal. So they're in the town and and unfortunately as Mr. Heard said some people will interact with them and end up losing money or not having the house rehab the way it needs to be. So I don't know that

[0:30:53] anybody up here or sitting down there can say it often enough. Do not do not interact with these out of town people. do it with the local people that will be here when that job is done. Be here when they need some additional repairs. I make a motion to approve. Can I get a second? Second. All right, I've got a first and second. Any public comment? Without one, we'll take a vote. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion passes 70. We'll move to item C. Consider approving an emergency purchase pursuant to Texas Local Government Code section 252022 A2 for debris collection monitoring contract with True North Emergency Management LLC in the mountain not to exceed $350,000 sourced from solid waste fund balance and authorizing city manager to negotiate and execute all related documents. Shane Kelton's side two. Yes sir, mayor. Uh we have um again this is the second part of that first one that we discussed a while ago. Um as Saras comes in here and does this that they are required to have a third party monitoring firm that watches everything as they are actually loading the product from the curb into their trucks uh to make sure that the all the loads are consistent and they're not intermingled or co-mingled. And then uh they also have to be there at the landfill as the trucks pull into the landfill and are weighed um and they have to identify that and actually quantify visually what what's in the truck. And so again required this is one of those FEMA guidelines requirements for us to be able to seek um any assistance that may be available to us. Any questions? Got a move motion to approve by Tommy. Can I get a second? Second. Second by Karen. All any public comment, Heather. No public comment. All those in favor say I. I.

[0:32:53] Any opposed? Motion passes. 70. Item four. Is there any followup or administrative issues? I will say we are having a press conference at the annex. I mean, not at the annex. We're going to do at city hall. Yeah. City hall. City hall. 2 pm tomorrow. Um, anybody else have any follow-up or administrative issues? Move we adjourn. Got a fir. Got a first. Second. I got a second by Harry Thomas. Anybody opposed? All in favor of closing it, say I. Motion carries 70. This meeting's adjourned.

Captured 2026-07-26 · source: youtube.com/watch?v=EJilDo3DZJg