Hurricane-Flooded Lots Can Finally Be Mowed
Fayette County Commissioners Court brokered a deal to cleanup some of the property on Country Club Drive damaged in the 2017 Hurricane Harvey Flood. Under the plan finalized at a meeting last Thursday, the Frisch Auf! Valley Country Club will mow the overgrown lots under authority from the Monument Hill Homeowners Association.
After the flood in 2017, the County promised buyouts and prohibited the property owners around the golf course from performing any repairs on their property. Since then, the lots have become overgrown with grass and brush.
A grant administered by the Texas General Land Office (GLO) is supposed to provide funds for buyout of the flood damaged property and work to convert the property to greenspace. Commissioners had been waiting on word from the GLO about whether they could begin mowing the lots before grant money arrives.
County Judge Joe Weber had called for the County to mow the lots. Complicating the issue, state law generally prohibits counties from performing work that benefits individual property owners. The properties are all still privately owned. To get around that problem, assistant county attorney Blake Watson presented a plan two weeks ago whereby the County would reimburse the Monument Hill homeowners association for mowing the lots using private contractors.
“I’m not for this contractor deal,” County Judge Joe Weber said at the time. “I think we need to go out there and get it done.”
Weber proposed mowing the lots using county labor and equipment under his authority to regulate public nuisances. At a special meeting last Thursday, Oct. 21, Watson said the County found a different solution. He said the homeowners association (HOA) has the authority to perform work on property belonging to its members. The properties along Country Club Drive are still technically part of the HOA, even though the HOA decided long ago to waive membership fees for the flooded properties.
Watson said the County would not need to perform the mowing work after all. He said the Country Club agreed to mow the lots under authority from the HOA.
Angela Hahn, the County’s grant specialist, said the buyout grant is still undergoing an environmental review. She did not know when the buyout funds would be available.
Founders Park
In other business at the Oct. 14 meeting, Commissioners Court unanimously approved a contract with JB Locke Construction Company to build public restrooms inside Founders Park on the Square in La Grange.
The project will cost the County $250,700. Cutright and Prihoda Architects designed the facility. The contract stipulates that the project should be complete within 170, including eight rain days. Commissioners also discussed applying for a grant to pay for construction of a tourism office in the park as well.
Cardboard
Commissioners authorized Recycling Center Director Paul Zapalac to bid and possibly purchase two used cardboard baling machines being sold at the Johnson City fall surplus auction.
“Normally these balers go for $12,000 to $15,000 and that price is rising,” Zapalac said. “Currently, these balers are $500 a piece.”
Zapalac said the County could use the balers at the recycling collection locations in Flatonia and Warrenton. Currently, the County must transport loose cardboard from those locations to La Grange, where it is baled. Pct. 3 Commissioner Harvey Berckenhoff said county workers could save trips by baling the cardboard on-site.
Zapalac said cardboard is one of the more lucrative commodities handled by the Fayette County Recycling Center.
“Right now we’re getting paid the fourth highest price we’ve ever gotten since we’ve been selling cardboard,” Zapalac said.
Commissioner unanimously approved Zapalac’s request.
Feed the Need
Commissioners also granted a request from La Grange’s Feed the Need Missions to move their weekly gatherings to the courthouse square.
Feed the Need Missions offers a free hamburger meal and Christian fellowship every Monday. The organization had been conducting weekly gatherings near White Rock Park.
The new location on the east and south side of the Square will give the organization greater exposure. The organization meets every Monday evening with setup from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., meal from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and cleanup from 7:30 to 8 p.m.