Hays County officials have made a move to shore up their defenses against nature's fury by applying for more than a million bucks in flood mitigation funds. With a history of damaging floods under its belt, the county is seeking the dough to draft plans that could help prevent future watery chaos. The Commissioners Court gave the green light on a funding application that aims to fend off the effects of severe flooding like the kind that wreaked havoc in 2015, swallowing homes and racking an estimated $100 million in damages, according to KXAN.
On deck for the funding are a couple of key initiatives: a Drainage Master Plan along with a Community Flood Mitigation Plan that's supposed to clue officials and developers into the high-risk flood zones. The largest chunk of change requested is a whopping $1,125,000 Flood Infrastructure Fund grant from the Texas Water Development Board. If they snag the grant, Hays County will need to pony up a match of $375,000, which is 25% of the total moolah needed for the project. The other grant on the table is a smaller one, sized at $178,526, which would also need a county match, this time to the tune of $59,509, as per the San Marcos Record.
But that's not all folks – some cash could come in for an Emergency Preparedness Coordinator. Hays County is looking to accept a grant from the Department of State Health Services that'll cover most of the tab for this new position. It's a deal that sounds sweeter than Texas tea, coming in at $126,721 and requiring just a 10% match from the county coffers.
And while they're at it, the county commissioners are juggling more than just flood grants. They've got a proclamation fiesta lined up, celebrating everything from the historical chops of The Alba Ranch to the life-saving heroes of organ donation. And let's not forget nods to Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention Month and Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month, because no stone of awareness is left unturned. Amid these commendations, they'll also be tipping their hats to the folks that keep the lines of emergency communication open, proclaiming April 14 through 20 as National Telecommunicators Week, as reported by the San Marcos Record.
