Travis County Commissioners Court
October 4, 2005
Item 5
Number 5, consider and take appropriate action on appropriate assistance in response to hurricane rita. This item we have on just in case we need to take action or address some issues. Good morning.
>> I’m pete baldwin, Travis County emergency management coordinator. On rita, I need to get the judge's signature on the same documents that we did for hurricane katrina, the request for public assistance and the designation of the applicant's agent. Same documents would be for katrina, just different disaster numbers. Just a requirement that says we will be submitting expenses later on. So we need to get those signed and I’ve got two copies.
>> move that the county judge be authorized to sign that document on behalf of Travis County. Discussion? All in favor? That passes by unanimous vote. With Commissioner Gomez temporarily off the dais. Thank you.
>> and as an update on just the operational side of rita, all the shelters are currently closed. The ones that have not been able to get back to their homes have been assisted by red cross and other agencies to find temporary housing at this time. It is our understanding that as of yesterday beaumont was allowing -- that area was allowing folks to come back in, but there is still a curfew of 6:45 in the morning through 8:00 at night or the hours you can -- are the hours you can be on the street. Power is essentially restored to approximately 60% of the town, but they are allowing folks to come back and clean up property, but a lot of them do not have anywhere to go to because of lack of power and everything. There are a number of requests for services over in east Texas and into louisiana, and I will address some of those in one of our other issues here.
>> what about port arthur? You mentioned beaumont. What about the folks from port arthur?
>> they are in the same scenario. Beaumont, port arthur, orange, and the counties to the north of jasper, newton, those have been extremely hard hit. I will tell you that we have received requests for fire fighting equipment because as the power is turned back on, they are starting to see a lot of structure fires. And they are needing water. So we have committed six tenders to east Texas to support the local fire departments over there.
>> do you know approximately what the population is that we are serving here in Travis County through the document that the judge just signed as far as --
>> for hurricane rita?
>> yes. What is that population from the area that is here now? Do we have any idea what that number?
>> sherry may have a better breakdown. I don't have a specific breakdown where they came from. We had over 18,000 people registered in shelters and that did not include those staying in private homes and hotels. We currently have less than 100 located at the burger center when red cross started looking at taking over and trying to find them temporary shelter. That was a mixture of some katrina evacuees plus some folks from the beaumont, port arthur, orange and that area. I’m sorry, I just don't have a specific breakdown.
>> sherri fleming, executive manager for Travis County health and human services. We have served approximately 350 families, and that's an unduplicated count, with food pantry services. Now, that's a combination of rita and katrina, but we have found that the katrina services were considerably less, probably 50 or less. The majority of the food pantries we've been providing have been for rita evacuees, and my sense is that some were here longer than they thought they were going to be or with family members longer than they thought they were going to be and so that has been really what has caused us to see more evacuees from rita with food pantry assistance. So that's the sense that we have right now in terms of the numbers in the community.
>> there's been an out cry for folks that have any type of furniture I guess to support any room in a dwelling. Has -- does anybody have anything on that as far as that type of initiative?
>> we don't have a sense of a community-wide initiative. I know there are nonprofits who are continuing to work with individual families who have specific needs, Commissioner, and so as those needs arise, you know, thank god for e-mail because those things get out and everyone involved, you know, agencies, government, across the board, you know, we try to identify resources to address that particular need. So there are many, many agencies in our community who are continuing to stay in touch with evacuees and provide things as needed. But we do know many families did go into empty apartments and that was surely not our intent, but I think the shelter -- the moving the folks from shelter was our first priority at that time, and so now there is some kind of backfilling in order to help families get fun issueings and things they may continue to need.
>> trying to meet those needs and trying to bring all those resources together, not under the auspices of any agency but just personally going out there and doing it.
>> not only are our local agencies, city and county and state that are trying to provide assistance, but there is a large group called boad, the -- organizations -- volunteer organizations assisting in disasters. And 'it is comprised of church groups, nondenominational groups, it is amazing what these folks can bring to the table. As we go through and find these individual needs, then we can funnel it through the voad or through its mother and they can meet those specific needs. So there is a process in place trying to make those individuals meet those individual needs.
>> right.
>> one of the latest things I do know and thank you for bringing it up and sharing it with -- especially those people moving into apartments, but how they are empty. I know I may have mentioned cada a few times, but they also were also a part of the initiative, as Commissioner Gomez brought up, of trying to work individually with those families to bring about the furniture, all the other type of necessary things that you have to have when you move into an empty apartment. So it is an effort going on, but I just wanted to know what your sense of it was at this time. Since that relocation and all these other things are taking place.
>> and we are continuing to receive food products from the capital area food bank so those persons who might be hearing my voice, we would continue to appreciate your support of the capital area food bank because the food bank is continuing to provide food resources not only to the county's emergency assistance centers but also various non-profits throughout a multi-county area continuing to assist evacuees from katrina and rita. So the food bank will continue to appreciate your financial and food donations. In addition, I would remind the court that a couple weeks ago when shirley was here from work source, our community had received $1.2 million in national emergency grant to employ evacuees in areas where they might be able to assist other evacuees, and I’m pleased to announce that palm school will be expecting their first one I think this week to help with the distribution of food pantries to those folks. So we're pleased to have that person joining our staff, but work source has engaged good will's temporary services and they are doing the screening and matching up evacuees to those particular positions that might be shared with them. And so those nonprofits or our sister departments in Travis County can contact christy lott at good will, and her number is 637-7155. And identify just a brief job description, doesn't have to be anything fancy, but she is working to match up the evacuees with those positions that are identified.
>> do we have any idea as far as job placements that have been successful so far? Even with the county or any other major employer. Are we keep a tally of placement by these persons for employment opportunities?
>> I would imagine good will is and we could have that information to you in the next couple weeks with our subsequent reports.
>> I was basically talking about across the board because when I went and looked at the job placements, you had several employers down there that were seeking employees to work for them.
>> oh, yeah.
>> I was wondering whether there was an overall tally of all those persons, there were several employers there, a bunch of them.
>> we can request --
>> pardon me?
>> the placement roster from work source, how many folks as a result of the job fairs that they held were placed. We can certainly request those.
>> it would be good to have some numbers.
>> sherry, could I have a telephone number if someone wants to go find a job or to apply or to look at what is being posted? Could I have a number where they could call?
>> let's see. Evacuees interested in public service employment should apply at any of the work source career centers. That would be the north Austin site at 6505 airport boulevard. That phone number is 512454-work, 9675. There is also a south Austin location. 381-4200. And east Austin location at the acc eastview campus and that number is 223-5400.
>> thank you.
>> can you still call the 211 number?
>> absolutely.
>> after all else fails, phone numbers are hard to get. 211 is --
>> will get you there.
>> somebody can direct you wherever.
>> absolutely. They continue to have a hot button for katrina and for hurricane evacuees in general. And it does connect you and they update as quickly as they get the new information, they update their forms and there's, I think, up to a 40-page packet of information for evacuees.
>> thank you.
>> what's christy lott's number again?
>> that number is 637-7155. And that is good will temporary services.
>> but they are hiring people to fill what jobs?
>> they are primarily interested in evacuees who might be able to help provide services to evacuees. So that could be social workers, it could be, you know, working in food pantries like we've been identifying in our shop.
>> that's the federal grant funding.
>> that's the federal grant funding, $1.2 million. And we have that opportunity to access additional dollars so we are certainly encouraging nonprofits who hear this to contact good will and see how they might be able to have someone placed.
>> okay. Mr. Tkerry barry, are you part of that program?
>> I thought there is a secondary effect of hurricane rita. You may have read in the morning paper about the prison population and that. As you may or may not know, our population in our system is 2,845 folks, 66 of which are out of county. We have a little over 200 people that are paper ready and 107 are going to leave this Friday. But I just wanted to mention that that there is a backlog which is going to have some effect on our out of [inaudible] housing situation probably in October. We're keeping an eye on it and we're concerned about it.
>> it's a pretty large prison unit in the beaumont area and especially one in jasper and they are trying to not create a crunch.
>> we are able to get reimbursed if we can trace --
>> I’m not so sure about that. We will find out.
>> thank you for the-bad -- I mean thank you for the news.
>> let's just say that the sheriff's office is keeping an eye on this.
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Last Modified:
Wednesday, October 5, 2005 8:54 AM