Fayette County Year in Review
Leaders from the various departments of Fayette County government compiled the following reports on their activities in 2024. Look for more in Friday’s paper.
Emergency Management Undergoes Hurricane Harvey Audit
Fayette County submitted an application for the mitigation funds allocated through the second round of Hurricane Harvey funding in April 2024 to the General Land Office. The projects included in that application include boosting the county’s communication capabilities; assisting Ellinger Water and Sewer Corporation with a much needed expansion; and mitigating drainage issues in the Plum area. The County expects to get funding approved in early 2025.
As was expected, the county was audited by GLO in a desk review for the Hurricane Harvey buyout program. They requested documents that were procedural in nature and in use at the time of the hurricane. Many of those processes have been updated and we anticipate closing out that program in early 2025.
In early December, the County submitted an application to the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Community Development Block grant program to purchase fire rescue equipment for the volunteer fire departments. Early evaluation indicated the county scored well, but as of the end of the year, how much funding would be allocated was not known.
The National Weather Service is forecasting above normal temperatures for much of late winter/early spring with below normal rainfall. That will continue to impact fire conditions which could force more burn bans to be implemented.
In February 2021, Dr. Deb Zoran, the interim director of the Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team completed an animal sheltering plan for the county. An animal issues committee was formed in 2024 to begin the process of updating that plan. Dr. Zoran and her students will coming to the county in January to assist again.
Commissioner Harvey Berckenhoff, Scott Wiley with the Ag Extension office, Teresa Brown with the Gardenia E. Janssen Animal Shelter and Kyra Sucharski, the disaster assessment and recovery agent, have met twice to discuss the gaps in the current plans and identify possible ways to mitigate them. As the plan development progresses, they will recruit members of the veterinary community and representatives from other areas to serve on the committee.