Travis County Commissioners Court
April 7, 2009,
Item 14
>> number 14.
which we read a moment ago.
>> judge, I placed this item on the agenda because I felt that we needed to -- to maybe get some type of -- of study, I guess, to see -- I guess you really have elaborated on some of the stuff that's impacted, but I think as far as having a study on the impact of the drought maybe something we may be able to gather.
who is here to represent the farm service agency?
>> we had contacted farm service, as well as tried to contact them and spoke to them, they had a meeting today and weren't able to make it.
they are available for contact if any of the court would like to speak directly with them or we can represent what they do, what they are doing in this situation.
>> right.
i guess -- I'm trying to -- to connect the dots.
as much as possible.
i'm sure there are some other folks that may need the dots connected.
the agri -- agri life extension service, even though I know you represent the whole state as far as -- as far as what you do, specifically trying to focus just on Travis County.
east, west, north, south, as far as the -- we really don't have, you -- the statistics that were for bastrop county as far as cattle that were lost as an example.
this thing is bigger than -- pretty, pretty, pretty significant, it's huge, it's humongous, especially if you are having to deal with your crops, hay loss, you are not able to -- the ramifications and impacts.
is there any kind of way that we can coordinate or get information in the form of a study, I guessworking through the farm service agency and also to see the natural resource conservation folks to see if they can relay that information through -- through ago life extension service to let us know how really -- really severe this thing really is for Travis County.
right now, I have no idea except from what I hear of how -- how folks will have to go out and sprig again because their hay has been destroyed because of the drought and of course the cattle and also the crops having to have water.
and -- and so -- so I'm just concerned about that and if it is something that you can do, I don't know whether the court is going to -- going to go forward with this.
but I just think that we need to have more information than what we have now.
so could you help me out on this.
as far as kind of -- trying to explain --
>> Commissioner Davis, probably about 60 days away from knowing the real impact, the roll crops, milo, corn, sorgum, cotton, I'm sorry, are -- are trying to make the row crops, so if we get the little rains that we are getting now, the impact is not going to be near as severe as if we don't get rain.
we know already know that we have a 97% loss in -- probably at 97% or more loss in wheat as far as our grain harvesting is concerned.
we know that in 2008, 25% of our normal hay crop was made.
we are still in limbo right now as far as what our '09 crop will do as far as hay is concerned because of not knowing where we are going to be at 60 days from now with rainfall.
if it doesn't rain anymore, we are in real tough shape.
if we get these small rains that we have been getting here lately, the impact may not be as tough as -- as what -- you know, what we thought it would be.
so --
>> but a 60 day windows is --
>> we are at about a 60 day window right now knowing the true impact of -- of -- of how much loss we're looking at.
>> okay.
well, what we would be doing if we tried to give some sort of assessment is giving sort of a snapshot of general descriptive factors.
there's not data, we can't tell you exactly the -- how many dollars worth of cattle have been lost, how many dollars worth of hay has been lost, there are general factors.
the one place where there's an exception to that is that the fsa has done their assessment, their damage assessment report sent up to the federal usda on wheat, whereas about a half million dollars worth or excuse me oats was lost.
that was actually quantified by them.
the rest of it is the assessment that we have, educators with the farmers, talking to fsa, talking to natural resource conservation and others in trying to give a general assessment.
as brad was indicating we are turning seasons now, all of the warm season seeds would be going in the ground for milo and other things, that's yet to be determined.
could be 60 days or more.
could be this is the end of the damage or could be we're just continuing on.
that also doesn't take into the account that the farmers that sold cattle at a low price, when there was a glut on the market.
now we have to turn around and buy back their breeder stock, an additional financial hardship on them.
so it's -- it's very hard at any point to really say -- to quantify it.
>> right.
well, I guess -- if we can get as much information as we can, to really -- you know, I guess things are continually being assessed.
but I was hoping that we could -- probably be a continuing thing, but if we could maybe get something in house, looking toward that 60 day window and I haven't heard I guess pete if I'm incorrect, correct me, but as far as the drought is concerned, as far as the rain and stuff is concerned, we really -- you know, we have burn bans in place right now.
of course the picture doesn't look that great.
i just would hope that -- that the study or the information that you have will acquire you can make it available to the court.
if the court skies we can make that -- desires we can make that available, as well as bringing in our extension disaster education network better than necessarily.
>> okay.
i appreciate that.
>> I have a couple of questions, my apologies to being late, I'm the personal assistant to a six-year-old and an eight-year-old sometimes happenings.
the statistics that you just quoted, those are for Travis County specifically?
>> that's correct.
>> okay.
so thankfully you are looking at both -- both food production for livestock and human, correct?
>> correct.
>> clearly there is a large economic impact to this drought.
i think this collaborative effort that you have suggested is just fabulous.
i would ask that -- that the sustainably foods policy board be included in the loop because they may be able to fill in some gaps where the federal and regional statistics don't have specific fine tooth comb information.
i think it would be really beneficial to include them.
i have asked them to consider an agenda item that parallels this.
and will be asking them to consider the possibility of creating a subcommittee to specifically liase with this collaborative effort so we can explore all of our options for a sustainably water supply and a sustainably use policy around it.
framing it all in terms of economic development and sustaining our agricultural industry.
>> if I may, executive manager for health and human services.
sherri flemming.
Commissioner, I wanted to just respond to your comment about the agenda item and it happens that the food sustainability board met yesterday and had that agenda on their item but did not get to it.
>> that's what I heard.
>> wanted to make sure that you were ahead of that.
>> they had a very ambitious agenda yesterday.
>> we can do that.
in addition to that, know that we are already talking to the farmers representative on that board as part of our producers, not just the a d.f.w.
rinomic -- would be included in any assessment that we put together.
>> agrinomic.
>> I know that you already have relationships with those farmers, I only suggest it because the board is broader than just the agricultural community, I think it would bring a larger awareness to what the economic impact is.
the larger economic impact to the region.
i really, really appreciate what you all have been doing to reach out on this.
>> I wanted to reiterate one thing about what both brad and skip have been saying.
unlike a tornado or flash flood where damage assessment can be done very rapidly immediately after the storm moved on or first daylight, those are I won't say easy, because we don't like those anyway.
but the point is with drought it's such a prolonged event that to take a snapshot at any one given time, two months ago, we had farmers out there that were planting row crops just so collect insurance because there was no rain.
and then all of a sudden we got two or three inches of rain, four inches of rain, a follow-up shower.
so I just want to make sure that the public and everyone understands that drought is a different disaster because it's an ongoing long term process.
any time you say here's our status, it can change the very next day.
but if we take what -- what we already have and know right now, we send this disaster declaration out, we are making a statement that say we have sustained damage, we see it persisting.
our u.s.
drought index monitor says we are still in exceptional brought and it's calling for it to persist or strengthen.
>> do we need a motion on this?
>> yes.
judge, I would like to move approval of item 14 and with the additional things that we are asking that Commissioner I will accept that as a friendly I guess as far as the involvement of the sustain able board with track and city of Austin you are talking about both, right?
>> yes.
>> to be included in the assessment of data.
also, if it's any way possible, any monetary revelation that may be assigned with -- with this drought impact and as far as the disaster is -- is there any money per se.
if that can also be brought back.
so I move -- I would like to move that as in the form of a motion.
>> second.
>> any more discussion?
all in favor?
that passes by unanimous vote.
>> thank y'all.
>> thank y'all.
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Last Modified:
Tuesday, April 7, 2009 2:03 PM