They didn’t come back with bags of money, but county commissioners who lobbied Congress and federal agencies for help recovering from Hurricane Ike said they were pleased with the progress they made.
Commissioners Pat Doyle and Stephen Holmes were in Washington for three days to remind lawmakers the county is still struggling almost five months after the storm.
“We didn’t want them to forget about us,” Doyle said. “Even with all of the economic problems and the stimulus fight, we needed them to remember that in Galveston County, we had a tragic event almost five months ago and that we need help to rebuild.”
In addition to meeting with members of Congress, including the county’s representatives, Pete Olson and Ron Paul, the commissioners sat down with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers brass and the state of Texas’ liaison to Congress.
“Overall, it was very positive,” Holmes said. “To meet face-to-face with these agencies I think helped stress the importance of our visit.”
League City Mayor Toni Randall and Galveston Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas also were on Capitol Hill for their own lobbying effort.
“While we are all part of the county, our issue was on the unincorporated parts of Galveston County,” Doyle said. “We are not competing. We just have different needs in those areas.”
In particular, the needs of Bolivar Peninsula.
Sporting Bring Back Bolivar baseball caps, Holmes and Doyle pushed a wish list that included a request that FEMA extend the 100 percent reimbursement for debris cleanup in areas such as the peninsula and San Leon. County officials reported Wednesday that only 50 percent of storm debris had been cleared from the peninsula.
The county also wants federal help to raise and reroute state Highway 87 on the peninsula and fill in Rollover Pass. The day before Hurricane Ike made landfall, the pre-surge from the storm cut off the evacuation route off the peninsula because Highway 87 was inundated.
The commissioner’s $2 billion wish list also included requests to build a central wastewater system on the peninsula and other infrastructure improvements.
“We think the rebuilding process will go faster if we take care of the infrastructure needs and let private development take it the rest of the way,” Doyle said.
There were also requests to enhance the Texas City-La Marque hurricane levee system to hold back a Category 5 storm surge, which would require the levee to be raised to 25 feet. It’s only 21 feet tall at its highest point. The county’s request also included a request for Congress to waive the local match needed for the Hazard Mitigation Program, which would pay for the buyout or elevation of storm damage properties.
