Over four years after the 2013 Halloween floods racked the Onion Creek neighborhoods, the Environmental Commission voted unanimously at its Dec. 6 meeting to approve staff’s recommendation to move forward with 128 buyouts of houses at immediate risk of flooding come the next downpour. The Watershed Protection Department’s recommendation is a culmination of multiple years […]
Halloween Flood
A devastating flash flood that struck the Onion Creek area on October 31, 2013. At least five residents were killed.
Posted inFire, Public Safety
Fire department touts improved flood performance
Larry Jantzen, chief of special operations with the Austin Fire Department, told members of the Public Safety Commission on Monday that the department was able to respond more quickly and effectively to the Oct. 30 floods because of improvements it had made since the floods that struck Austin on Halloween of 2013. For starters, the […]
Posted inCity Council
Council hits brakes on flood buyout
Last week, City Council voted unanimously to delay a proposed flood buyout in Northwest Austin in order to give members time to learn more about the program. Council is currently considering funding up to $328,000 for the purchase and closing costs of 11701 Charing Cross Road as well as the relocation of the current homeowners, […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Flood victims tell of bureaucratic nightmare
A Travis County couple whose home was heavily damaged by the Halloween Flood last November told County Commissioners Tuesday of a 10-month ordeal of bureaucratic intransigence, inflexible regulations and endless red tape in their quest to get a permit to repair their house. Mike and Nancy Kimbro say they apparently checked the wrong box on […]
Posted inElections, Resources
No ballot question on Onion Creek buyout
The question of whether Austin should buy out 240 at-risk homes in the Onion Creek floodplain will not go before voters in November. During a special called meeting Friday, Austin City Council voted 5-1 against putting the buyout proposal on the November ballot via public improvement bonds. Council Member Chris Riley said the […]
Posted inDevelopment, Environment
Environmental Board rejects fee hike for buyouts
A plan to finance Onion Creek home buyouts through an increase in the city’s drainage utility fee found no support at the Environmental Board last week. Board members asked City Council members to find another way. In a resolution passed Wednesday, Environmental Board members asked that Council “seriously consider utilizing the general bond option, rather […]
Posted inLocal Politics
FY 2015 budget features small jumps in property taxes, fees
City budget writers are proposing a 2.2-cent decrease in property taxes for Fiscal Year 2014-15 but because the valuation on many properties has gone up, most property owners will still be paying higher taxes, according to Chief Financial Officer Elaine Hart. Staff is proposing a rate of 48.09 cents per $100 valuation, higher than the […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics, Public Safety, Resources
Council approves funds for buyout of 140 more homes in Onion Creek
Though some relief is on the way for Halloween Flood survivors, the fact that nearly 15 percent of the funds could be spent on consultants raised some eyebrows at City Council Thursday. Council members approved all four items related to the Onion Creek buyouts but they faced some pushback from citizens concerned about the […]
Posted inDevelopment, Environment, Public Safety
Council OKs two measures to speed buyouts in flood-prone areas
More than six months have passed since Austin’s Halloween flood. At nearly 1 a.m. Friday, Onion Creek residents gathered at City Hall learned that relief may be in sight in the form of an expanded city buyout program. Two propositions were on the table. Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole, Mayor Lee Leffingwell and Council […]
Posted inLocal Government, Public Safety, Resources
Community group seeks organized assistance for flood victims
A community organization called the Travis Austin Recovery Group (TARG), formed in the aftermath of the historic 2013 Halloween floods, is noting the six-month anniversary of the event with the release of a Draft Recovery Plan for the people and businesses affected by the disaster. Though copies of the plan were sent to officials […]
Posted inDevelopment, Environment, Public Safety
Martinez proposes that city issue debt to buy out flooded homes
Austin City Council Member Mike Martinez will announce a proposal at 10 a.m. today that would have the potential of greatly accelerating buyouts for homeowners whose houses were damaged or destroyed in last year’s Halloween floods on Onion Creek. Martinez’ plan targets homes in the Onion Creek region not currently covered by the city’s […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Halloween flood report points to shortcomings of emergency response
An after-action report on the City of Austin and Travis County’s response to the Halloween flood released last week said that there were myriad serious problems with the response to the emergency. Chief among them was a lack of ability for emergency officials to communicate with people in the affected area. According to the […]