Wednesday's Internet Edition, March 10, 2010.
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The city commission will meet at 5:15 p.m. at City Hall to conduct a workshop regarding a proposal for ambulance service from American Medical Response.
The regular agenda will continue at 6 p.m. for adoption of the budget and 15 percent property taxes.
The commissioners court will meet at 1:30 p.m. to hold another public hearing and adopt a tax rate increase of more than 9 percent.
Public comments at the county’s first public hearing a tax hike that was held Sept. 17 stirred up the meeting.
“I am fine with the tax increase, however, we do have a drainage problem,” said Jose Palacios, a Ricardo resident.
Palacios’ residence is located on North Country Road 1060. He pleaded with commissioners for assistance concerning the drainage problem on his property.
He recalled two automobile wrecks where flooding was a factor in which victims were taken to hospital by HALO Flight.
He told commissioners the road is so narrow that it makes it difficult for the school buses and oncoming vehicles to be on the road at the same time.
“I have talked to him (Commissioner David Rosse Pct.1) since 1994 and that’s a long time. I have taken stuff and done everything for a heads up and no positive response,” complained Palacios.
Palacios told commissioners that his drainage problems date back to 1994.
He said after its rains the water would sit on his land for two days, with standing water as high as 19 inches. He and his wife would park their vehicles 150 feet away from their home and in the morning wrap bags around their legs to wade across the property to their vehicles.
Palacios asked the commissioners whether the state could help with the drainage problem.
“We are not getting any help from the state,” Commissioner Romeo Lomas, Pct.4, said.
“No one is listening to us either; maybe we should all take a trip to Austin and let them know what’s going on.”
Rosse agreed with Lomas. The state is not helping and he reminded Palacios the location of his home is in a designated flood plain. Rosse said the commissioners court is aware of the problem and not ignoring it.
Rosse said he had spoken to State Rep. Juan Escobar requesting state help for the drainage problem.
Judge De La Garza agreed it was up to the commissioners to help.
“I have looked for grants and found many but it is not an overnight thing,” the judge said.
“I agree if we are going to raise taxes and we need to put some of that money aside to match the funds with grants later,” De La Garza said, expressing optimism about federal funds for drainage.
“Regretfully it takes all of this for an outcome, but it’s not for lack of trying,” De La Garza said.
Kleberg County is experiencing one of its heaviest rainfalls on record and flooding in various parts of the county is not uncommon with the heavy rainfall and saturated ground.