County residents next week will have a chance to air concerns to state lawmakers and area leaders about Hurricane Ike recovery efforts.
The committee on Hurricane Ike will meet at 10 a.m. Jan. 7 at the Galveston Island Convention Center, allowing the public to tell state lawmakers and area leaders what issues and obstacles they face almost four months after the storm struck Southeast Texas on Sept. 13, causing catastrophic flooding from storm surge and displacing thousands of people from their homes. The storm was the third most destructive to ever make landfall in the United States.
The committee has met before, and local leaders have asked lawmakers to address such issues as temporary housing from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Last time the committee met in early December, more than 2,000 county residents still were living in hotels. Meanwhile, cities and county officials still are squabbling about where to house temporary trailers.
Some residents of mainland communities are strongly resisting temporary trailer parks, saying they fear crime. Many of the displaced are from the island’s public housing projects that are home to the poor.
Other issues include finding money to aid Galveston residents in elevating and rebuilding their homes to new codes that meet federal flood rules.
Lawmakers are considering initiating contracts with mobile home or travel trailer companies to provide immediate housing options for Texas residents displaced from their homes by disaster, allowing local officials to bypass what they say is a sluggish response from FEMA.
Some lawmakers, including state Rep. Craig Eiland, have criticized FEMA for its slow reimbursements to local governments attempting to rebuild their communities.
Rep. Sylvester Turner, the chair of a House of Representatives Committee charged with investigating the response and recovery after the hurricane, said the committee would recommend setting aside $100 million over two years for cities and schools to dip into as they await for FEMA reimbursements.
Other recommendations including creating a setback line as far away from the Gulf of Mexico and restrict people from building in front of that line.
Also, officials have recommended local governments find better ways to track resources and store emergency supplies year-round in cities such as San Antonio or Lufkin.
The list of government officials scheduled to attend the meeting include County Judge Jim Yarbrough, Galveston Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas, Port of Galveston Director Steve Cernak. Island developer and oilman George Mitchell, and with Landry’s Restaurants CEO Tilman Fertitta, whose company has massive investments on the island and Kemah. Texas Department of Insurance Commissioner Mike Geeslin and Texas Windstorm Association manager Jim Oliver also are schedule to attend the meeting, among others.
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At A Glance
WHAT: Committee on Hurricane Ike devastation meeting
WHEN: 10 a.m. Jan. 7
WHERE: Galveston Island Convention Center, 5600 Seawall Blvd., Grand Ballroom
