Travis County Commissioners Court
January 22, 2008
Item 17
17 is to consider and take appropriate action on the u.s. Army corp of engineers ucac e, flood damage evaluation study of the highland lakes including Lake Travis.
>> transportation nat resources. We are involved with the study of the colorado river and an offsheet is the onion study. It includes Lake Travis the army corp of engineers, as you mow, the lcra and Travis County city of Austin have been endaged in the study well over five years. Part of the issues deal with the bpflood level of Lake Travis an in particular the flooding of drive yard point--graveyard point that will go under water almost every time the lake floods. The army corp of engineers and their study process has looked at the buyout of graveyard point and it into a recreational area. Easibility in thqr) until assist what they have thus far indicates at least in economic terms it's feasible to do that. But this they are midway through the study, and they have watched the court in terms of representing the people of graveyard point about some reluctant to even want to sell in a buyout. So they are asking us, the lcra and army corp of engineers both, kind of our intent to continue to look at the buyout of graveyard point and eventually, if it turns out to be feasible, submit it to the congress as a project under wurda where the federal government would participate in the purchase of the buyout and converting it into basically a park. So what this is is basically an affirmation that we will continue to work with the army corp of engineers, the lcra, in this feasibility study. Typically we would participate 50 percent, the corps of engineers 50 percent. If we choose to go this way, tnr sometun kind services as hard cash, in the neighborhood k"esjuuan--importantly, I think what they are looking for uahis to continue to pursue this as a matter of policilve they would not want do a buyout program without local support. If there is no local support they may back out of this right now and say why spend anymore moaning on this. Lakeway is very much interested in the recreational area, and they could very well be the party, the fiscal party, with the army corp of engineers, in the actual acquisition or creation of the park itself. That is a 35 percent local match capital dollars that would ch on go into converting to a recreation the area. But that.is down the )a first is to get through the feasibility study. What we are looking on is to see if the we continue as a county government as a matter of policy to work with the lcra to finish the study and determine whether or not it's feasible to do this, and then, I guess, the ig--if it comes back to be feasible, the enough to do itrs then we further go into the buyout mode and apply to congress for a project that would buy out those projects))rthe floodplain. To summarize, more than anything q&aqkhwhat we are saying, are we still on board with the possibility of a floodplain buyout of order to convert it into a recreationel area on lake travi.
>> by approving this item, we basically approve the study and indicate our interest in--
>> at least playing it through, as they say in golflve let's get to the 18th holy and find out whether it's feasible or not.
>> discussion?
>> judge, , you know, I don't know that it may not be prematurhis get into conversation, but I eventually am going to have, by the time we really look at this, going have some issues with it. I will venture to say that there are a lot of people in this community that are not supportive of spending tax dollars. In our part it's tax dollars. I’d feel more comfortable with it being a bond to see how people felt about whether that would get passed or not. But I hear from a lot of folks that they resent the fact that tax dollars would be spent on coming out and doing buyouts especially on graveyard point. There probably is no one that lives at graveyard point that doesn't wreck myself that they iiveqpn tt.ighly f&j some people have even told us they are not interested in buyout. They are just the not interested in selling their property. So I guess ima little uncomfortable, until the direction that we may go, and maybe I need to say it now that in the event that we are going to move forward, I’d really like to see that be a bond issue because that gives us the cover, really, of saying, , you know, the majority of people in the community, weapon push comes to shove, and I think that's the con varies al, let's find out how the people in the community feel about it. I don't thick we is say anything other than we probably need to move forward, junk, with allowing them to continue to do the study. But when the time comes I would like to see us at least ha+q$q opportunity do that. I’mel to make the motion to proceed. And that I think is definitely tnr's opinion, to continue to do the study.
>> second.
>> second.
>> add as the specific projects come forth, based on the amount, I to thin)hwe should get public approval. If imall amount I would consider a co, but our plan is to get voter authorization.
>> either it's voluntary.
>> in this case this is a condition dem nation.
>> okay.
>> this is not a voluntary buyout of the when the army corp of engineers moves in its under threat of condemnation.
>> if we went bond route.
>> the bond route would be voter approval of the local match that the army corp of engineers would use in condemnation.
>> okay.
>> discussion? All in favor. That passes by unanimous vote.
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Last Modified:
Wednesday, January 23, 2008 8:09 PM