Travis County Commissioners Court
April 7, 2009,
Item 13
Now, let's call back to order the voting session of the Travis County Commissioners court.this morning we had two dignitaries in our presence and we didn't overlook them.
we just didn't get to them.
but there are two items dealing with drought conditions in Travis County.
and they are 13, consider and take appropriate action on Travis County's drought disaster declaration and letter to the governor requesting state assistance due to ongoing drought conditions.
and 14.
consider and take appropriate action on request to Texas agrilife extension service in Travis County to coordinate a study of drought impacts on Travis County farmers and ranchers.
good afternoon.
>> afternoon.
are we on 13?
>> uh-huh.
>> okay.
my name is pete baldwin, emergency management coordinator of Travis County.
last week I had the meeting with the agrilife extension service, skip richter and brad pierce, also the farm service administration to talk about the effects of drought on Travis County.
in reality we have been in a drought since 2007.
it's an extended period.
the governor about three weeks ago submitted a request to the federal, to the usda requesting a disaster declaration for the state of Texas due to drought conditions.
numerous counties in our central Texas area have already prepared disaster declarations to support this effort.
at this point in time there's been no word as to whether that has been approved or where they are with that.
but in an effort to help lend credence to that request, it was felt from our discussion that -- that by Travis County issuing the disaster declaration and following the process of -- of sending the letter request for assistance to the governor, that that would even further support Texas' claim to drought assistance.
so that is where we came by coming up with the disaster declaration regarding drought conditions and I visited with the judge and instead of the judge under chapter 418 has the authority to sign disaster declaration at any given time.
it is then good for seven days until ratified by the governing body.
but instead of doing that, we thought that we would just bring it to court because this is not -- we have been in drought now for a little over two years.
so there wasn't something that was an imminent threat.
that's what we bring before you today with the recommendation that you approve the -- the disaster declaration.
and that the judge, allow the judge to sign the disaster declaration and the letter requesting assistance as following the process of the disaster declaration.
and then we can move forward and if there is any assistance coming out at the federal level, we will be able to take advantage of it.
>> can you tell me what kind of -- if they decide to say okay we would like to accept this particular letter that you are requesting, I guess this entire region and probably maybe other areas in the state, and they actually send some form of relief, what kind of relief would that be?
under what type of subject matter would it be, that, this, that, what would it be?
>> normally these come in the form of some type of financial assistance, such as loans.
i'm going to turn to brad or skip and let them take this, but the governor just renewed his order which usually there's a restriction on the height of round bales of hay that can be hauled.
he has removed that restriction in order to try to get more in here.
brad or skip, do you want to address that?
>> yeah.
some of the other things that -- that will come as far as assistance is concerned is emergency feed programs to where we've got producers that -- we've got cattle that is one to twos, that means extremely poor condition.
>> [papers shuffling - audio interference] so the need for emergency feed program is definitely already here, been here for a long time.
one of the things that pete mentioned that really got some problems is that the quality of hay that we have been able to produce the last two years is -- it's been pitiful.
so the feed program and the nutritional value that the ranchers can get for their cattle through this is extremely important.
also, another thing that may come from this is to be able to provide what we call equip money to the farm service agency and also the natural resource conservation service.
this would be to -- anything from renovating a pasture that's been through drought to renovating a pond that went completely dry, to restructure those type of things is the type of assistance that we usually get.
>>
>> [indiscernible] farm service --
>> there's another one, though.
>> the natural resource conservation service.
michael rainy is the director for Travis County and bastrop county for that.
and hopefully, you know, those type of things will be coming to give assistance to our producers.
as we all well know, it's been a tough drought, hopeful through these type of things will help.
>> okay.
when the quality of hay in Travis County is poor as it is now, the assistance would be money to buy more hay or --
>> would be -- right.
to buy hay or other nutritional type of products to -- to, you know, get the cattle back in good shape.
you know, '07 we were able to raise some hay but, you know, the rainfall was so erratic that the quality is -- it was horrible.
i mean, we -- bastrop county lost over a thousand head of cattle to the drought.
just due to -- you know the condition of the cattle right now.
>> do we know how many Travis County --
>> Travis County -- it's real hard to -- to know about that, Commissioner Davis.
one reason is that -- that one way that bastrop county -- most of their cattle are marketed through their county.
Travis County we have -- we don't have an auction service to take them to.
so -- so as far as being able to pinpoint exactly how many cattle, we don't know.
it's -- there is -- we know that there's been some loss, but we're not in -- in as tough of shape of what bastrop county is in.
>> caldwell county --
>> they were in pretty good -- they were two auction services and bastrop has a couple, but we have -- we don't have any.
but we have lost some cattle.
we just -- we haven't been hit quite as hard as bastrop county.
but it's been traumatic all over Texas.
but we definitely has v been hit pretty hard here.
>> when you say, just for clarification purposes for the public watching, when you say lost you mean they were sold because --
>> well, no.
in bastrop county it was death loss.
a thousand head death loss.
>> oh,.
>> yeah, yeah.
>> in Travis County and other counties in the area many producers have had to reduce their herds, you know, dramatically, also, because of this.
we all are in a wait and see period right now.
hoping every day that we get more rain to take the burn ban off.
we are hoping that we get more rain to where we can get some relief to these producers, but again hopefully with this disaster being signed by the governor and -- and you as the court, where you can get some relief for our producers in the future.
>> would it be any prohibition if the court decided to -- not only approve this declaration but also extend a copy of this declaration and send it to the different elected officials, Travis County delegation, to congress, united states congress and also the senate here in the state of Texas -- for Travis County to let them know what we are trying to do across the board as far as trying to bring some type of federal assistance down here in this particular region.
would that be -- would there be an objection.
>> that might enhance --
>> would thering be --
>> Commissioner Davis one thing that I would like to say, the phone has been ringing off the walls probably at the capitol for help because we're the most serious region as far as the drought.
it's a state-wide thing.
of course you heard about the fires up in winderler and those areas.
>> I don't think it would hurt anything.
the more know about it.
get the word, concern about that, to let everyone know that we are trying to get assistance the best way we can.
>> correct.
>> so, judge, if there's any way possible, I second this motion and -- it's yours if you make it, whoever would like to make the motion.
but I would like to make sure that this particular -- if you can send it to the elected officials to make them be aware, put them on alert what we're trying to do.
they may not all know about it.
i just don't want to take no chance of it not being per vased the way it should be.
>> makes sense to me.
>> okay.
>> move approval.
>> second.
>> discussion?
>> judge.
before we vote, I need to point out one thing that there was a mistake in the backup.
we have corrected it on your copies in your office to be signed.
any actual disaster declaration, in the actual disaster declaration, section one, we cite chapter 418108, the next three chapters have been transposed and the next section where it says 418018.
so we have contacted your office, got those corrected so the correct copies are for your signature.
>> okay.
>> okay.
>> okay.
what's this filed in the office of the Travis County clerk?
>> on any disaster declaration that -- that signed by the judge and then immediately filed by the -- by -- in the county clerk's office, of which by us going through court it would be my understanding they will receive a copy and that will be filed as normal in court minutes.
>> okay.
>> because in other times I will have you sign one and then I make the trip down to county clerk's office and we don't do these very often, so it's an educational process for all of us every time we do one of these.
>> okay.
>> we thought you adopted the good government position of -- of encouraging us to coordinate and cooperate a lot more.
>> > I don't think I introduced myself.
i'm brad pierce the ag agent here in Travis County.
one thing that I want to make note is that we are doing educational programs.
we did two last month with our producers, one of them called cattle 101, we had f.s.a., natural resource conservation service and also the Travis County tax appraisal district involved because naturally producers have to take cattle off their property to let them know what the proper steps were to notify the tax appraisal district as far as in that area.
so those are some of the things and also of course natural resource conservation and fsa explains some of the things that could be coming down the pipe as far as government aid.
also the other program that we had was called summer workshop, we had a growing list and others attend or speak to let them know that the producers have to raise quality hay.
some of the type of educational things that we want to pass on to try to get the situation straightened out.
we are trying to do as much as possible with workshops and seminars to offer the education that we need.
>> okay.
>> judge, with that -- would there be anything improper if we can direct staff to send it to the -- to the elected officials?
my office could do it.
doesn't bother me one way or the other --
>> it's a public document.
we can send it to whoever we choose.
>> if you don't mind sending it to the Travis County delegation, the -- both united states senators, that would be the delegation, the united states congressmen that represent Travis County, we have three of them.
so those three.
>> we can make sure those get mailed to them, yes, sir.
>> I appreciate that.
>> all right.
>> all in favor?
that passes by unanimous vote.
>> thank you.
The Closed Caption log for this Commissioners Court agenda item is provided by Travis County Internet Services. Since this file is derived from the Closed Captions created during live cablecasts, there are occasional spelling and grammatical errors. This Closed Caption log is not an official record the Commissioners Court Meeting and cannot be relied on for official purposes. For official records please contact the County Clerk at (512) 854-4722.
Last Modified:
Tuesday, April 7, 2009 4:08 PM