A Message from Mayor Rios

A Message from Mayor Rios
June 20, 2018
Rain!!!
 We’ve heard rainfall estimates between 9.7 – 11.3 inches since Sunday with more to come. The Street Department has done an incredible job of blocking streets to prevent stalls and flooding to property, as well as clearing out drains to minimize flooding. There’s more to come tonight, so we urge you to be cautious when driving. If you see an area with clogged drains or water coming out of manholes, please call the City’s Public Works office at 790-1160 between 7 am– 5 pm. If it’s after hours, call the Public Safety Center at 729-1111.  The intense rains caused a breach in the temporary bulkhead at the Key Allegro Bridge and some damage to the street. These issues have been patched. City Council was scheduled to approve a FEMA-funded plan for the full repair of the bulkhead at the upcoming Tuesday meeting, but issued an emergency order today with work beginning immediately. For those who are wondering, the temporary work undertaken several months ago was a stop-gap measure until FEMA released funds for permanent repair.  The City is meeting with representatives of FEMA and TxDOT tomorrow to assess the bridge.  With all this rain, we’ll soon be inundated with mosquitos. We suggest you get rid of any standing water in pots, outdoor furniture, etc. For those who have standing water on their property, we suggest the use of mosquito dunks. There is a free, but limited, supply available through the County’s Environmental Health department.
Rebuilding and Recovery News
 The Long-Term Recovery Team will host a public Town Hall tomorrow (June 21st) from 6 – 8 pm at the Aransas County Library.  Grants of up to $5,000 are available to Aransas County businesses through the Texas Small Business Rebuild Initiative, a collaboration of the Rebuild Texas Fun and several Coastal Bend area chambers. You do not have to be a Chamber member. Application deadline is June 30.  Homeowners – Friday, July 6 is the deadline for turning in applications for mitigation reconstruction grants to Community Planner Amanda Torres.  For those who were unable to attend the workshop or need additional information, please visit this site: https://tx-rockport2.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/13557/Residential-GrantProgram-Workshop  County Commissioner Betty Stiles has been named to the Board of Directors for the Coastal Bend Disaster Recovery Group.
 Randall Freeze has joined the Long-Term Recovery Group as a liaison for the entities and the Memorandums of Understanding that will be put into place as funding is approved.  The Long-Term Recovery Group announced today that it will be holding monthly, rather than the previous bi-monthly meetings. We will continue to share important information in the Mayor’s Letter on a bi-monthly basis or more often, if warranted.
Updates
 The Movie in the Park, scheduled for Thursday, June 21, has been cancelled. New dates will be announced on the City web site and social media.  Over 930 businesses have reopened in Rockport-Fulton.
Reminders
 BURN BAN has been removed. It is still illegal to sell or possess fireworks within the County.  Dumping on streets and highways and private property (without the owner’s permission) is illegal and subject to fines.  Counseling services are available to Aransas County residents on Tuesday evenings from 5 – 7 pm at the Aransas County Library. There is no charge to residents. The program is underwritten by Rebuild Texas and other foundations.