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Home My WebLink AboutCC Minutes 1989-08-02 Emergency � " 97 EMERGENCY MEETING FRIENDSWOOD CITY COUNCIL AUGUST 2 , 1989 MINUTES OF A EMERGENCY MEETING OF THE FRIENDSWOOD CITY COUNCIL, • ,a THAT WAS HELD ON AUGUST 2 , 1989 AT CITY HALL AT 1Q : 00 AM WITH THE FOLLOWING PRESENT CONSTITUTING A QUORUM: MAYOR COUNCILMEMBER COUNCILMEMBER COUNCILMEMBER CITY MANAGER CITY SECRETARY PAUL SCHRADER AQB W:CCK[.ANDER EVELYN NEWMAN ED STUART ANNETTE BRAND DELORIS ARCHER MAYOR SCHRADER CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER TO DISCUSS PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANE CHANTAL . MAYOR SCHRADER STATED THERE WAS 14 . 66 INCHES OF RAINFALL MEASURED AT CITY HALL AND RESIDENTS IN THE COMMUNITY INDEPENDENTLY MEASURED AS MUCH AT 18 INCHES . EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR RUSSELL WILLIArIS AND t�lAYOR SCHRADER TOURED THE CITY AGAIN THIS MORNING AND ESTIMATED APPROXIMATELY 100 HOMES HAD WATER IN THEM IN VARYING DEGREES , ANY WHERE FROM GETTING CARPET WET TO AS MUCH AS 3 FEET . MOST OF THE ROADS IN THE CITY ARE CLEAR WITH SOME ROADS ADJACENT TO THE CREEKS STILL HAVING WATER ON THEM BUT THAT IS EXPECTED TO DRAIN OFF BY THIS AFTERNOON . MAYOR SCHRADER STATED fiE WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND THE CITY ASSIST IN REMOVING CARPET , TREES AND LIMBS AND IF THE CITIZENS CUT THEM UP AND PLACE THEM AT THE CURB THEN THE CITY SHOULD HELP WITH PICKING UP FLOOD DEBRIS AND REPORTED THAT BEST WASTE SYSTEMS , INC . HAS BEEN CONTACTED AND WILL BE PUT ON NOTICE . MAYOR SCHRADER STATED PICKUP WILL NOT BEGIN TODAY TO ALLOW PEOPLE A CHANCE TO GET THERE CARPET , TREES AND LIMBS OUT FOR PICK UP . MAYOR SCHRADER REPORTED A SHELTER WAS OPENED AT WESTWaOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BY RED CROSS LAST EVENING WITH APPROXIMATFLY UO PEOPLE INITIALLY SIGNING UP BUT SOME EVIDENTLY CAriE IN AND LEFT AS 16 PEOPLE STAYED IN THE SHELTER , THE SHELTEA IS EXPECTED TO CLOSE VERY SHORTLY WITH ONLY 0ldE FAMILY LEFT AND RED CROSS IS IN THE PROCESS OF SECURING ACCOP�IMODATIONS FOR TWO FAMILIES . MAYOR SCHRADER REPORTED HE DID DECLARE AN EMERGENCY YESTERDAY AND REPORTED THE CITY WILL BE WORKING WITH GALVESTOPI COUIITY TO DECLARE A DISASTER SO THAT WE CAN OBTAIN SOME RELIEF AND GET SOME RECOVERY ALSO . -9 � � *�140TI0N MADE BY COUNCILMEMBER 4JICKLANDER TO APPROVE ORUINANCE ON �I PRICE GOUGING FOR A 30 DAY PERIOD . ' SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER NEWMAN . MOTION APPROVED UNANIt90USLY . MAYOR SCHRADER STATED THIS 11CTION WILL BE RATIFIED AT MONDAY � S COUNCIL MEETING. AT THIS TIME MAYOR SCHRADER REQUESTED EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT RUSSELL WILLIAMS TO PRESENT AN UPDATE ON THE HAPPENINGS OF HURRICANE CHANTAL . MR . WILLIAMS REPORTED THE CITY STARTED WATCHING CHANTAL AS SOON AS SHE CAME INTO THE AREA , REALIZING IT WAS GOING IN TO THE EAST OF US , WE ASSUMED IT WOULD BE A RELATIVE DRY STORM AS DID A LOT OF PEOPLE AND IT TURPJED OUT TO BE ONE OF THE FEW STORMS THAT HAD THE WET SIDE ON THE WEST AND THE DRY SIDE ON THE EAST . THE CITY DID HELP EVACUATE AT A MINIMUt4 OF 30 LOCATIONS WITH SOME BEING PICKED UP BY BOATS COt�IING DOWN STREETS WITHOUT LOCATION DOCUMENTATION AND THAT NUMBER OF 30 LOCATIONS TOTALED ABOUT 200 PEOPLE . COOPERATION S�iITH THE CITY STREET DEPARTMENT , CLEAR CREEK DRAINAGE DISTRICT AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT USING DEEP WATER VEHICLES AND BOATS , ALL OF THE PEOPLE WERE GOTTEN OUT OF THE FLOODED AREAS . MR . WILLIAMS RE—STATED THAT A DISASTER EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED AROUND P100N YESTERDAY THRU THE CHANNELS WITH D . P . S . REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS . MR . LiIILLIAM5 STATED A COUPLE OF POINTS OF INTEREST 4JERE THAT THE ABOUT OF RAIN THAT CAME DOWN WAS SO RAPID THAT THE FIRST HOUSES STARTED GOING UNDER WATER AROUND 10 : 00 IN THE MORNING WHILE THE CREEKS WERE STILL DOWN IN THERE HASICl1LLY NORMAL LEVEL , THE HEAVY RUN OFF FROM THE EXTREMELY HEAVY RAIN IS WHAT DID US IN FROM THE BEGINNING . MONITORING OF THE CREEKS SHOIdED THE TRIBUTARY ' S TO CLEAR CREEK STARTED GOING DOWN AROUND 5 : 00 IN THE AFTERNOON , CLEAR CREEK STARTED COMING UP AT A MORE RAPID RATE AND CLEAR CREEK CRESTED S0�4E WHERE BETWEEN 8 : 00 OR 9 : 00 IN TfiE EVENING AND HIGH TIDE RELUCTANTLY WAS AT 9 : 00 LAST NIGHT WITH LOW TIDE AT 5 : 00 THIS MORNING . THIS MORNING CLEAR CREEK WAS AT 25 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL AT THE FM 2351 BRIDGE . MR . WILLIAMS REPORTED WE HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE STATE REPRESENTATIVE AND WILL PROCESS A REQUEST TO THE GOVERNOR TO DECLARE A DISASTER AREA FOR THE PUBLIC , NOT FOR GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES AS F!E DID NOT RECEIVE GOVERNMENTAL DArfAGE TO ANY DEGREE . THERE WILL BE A MEETING AT THE NORTH GALVESTON COUNTY ANNEX BUILDING AT 10 : 00 AM TO PRESENT THE PAPERS TO THE STATE OFFICIALS WHICH WILL FORWARD THEM TO THE GOVERNOR FOR VERIFICATION IF HE SO DESIRES . MAYOR SCHRADER STATED WE WERE IN CLOSE COIdTACT WITH HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL AND THEY FEEL THAT CLEAR CREEK CRESTED AT 7 : 00 PM A� 23 . 8 FEET WHICH WAS MEASURED AT FM 528 ANU CLEAR CREEK . MAYaR SCHRADER COMMENDED THE CITY STAFF ESPECIALLY RUSSELL WILLIAMS , THE POLICE DEPARTMEPIT AND DISPATCHERS FJHO DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB , THE STRONG SUPPORT FROM THE STREET CREWS , CITIZENS , RED CROSS , TOM LAY THAT MONITORED A HAM RADIO DURING THE STORM AND COUNCILMEMBERS WICKLANDER AND JORDAN THAT WERE AVAILABLE IN THE CITY DURING THE STORM. 2 • • COUNCIL ASKED ABOUT THE HUN UF'F F'RUt9 COWARTS CR��;Y. ANU Wf1Y W�S IT SO MUCH HIGHER . MR . WILLIAMS REYORTED THE RAINFALL THAT WAS MEASIIRED AT CITY HALL WAS 1 �4 SOME INCHES , THE RAINFALL IN SUNMEADOW WAS MEASURED AT 18 INCHES , WE ARE OBTAINING RAINFALL DATA OFF HIGHWAY 35 BUT IT APPEARS THAT WAS IS WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS , THAT HEAVY RAIN HIT OUT AROUND BRAZORIA COUNTY/CLOVERFIELD AREA AND IT WAS JUST INUDATING THE CREEK AND IT JUST KEPT COP4ING . COUNCILMEMBER NEWMAN STATED IT WAS RUNNING DOWN THE STREETS LIKE IN THE 1979 STORM AND HOMES 4�JERE BEING FLOaDED FROM THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE AT THE SAME TIME THE BACK WAS BEING FLOUDED . COUNCILMEMBER WICKLANDER STATED THERE WAS SHEET FLOODING ALL OVER TOWN . MR . WILLIAMS STATED WE JUST HAD SO MUCH RAIN IN SUCH A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME AND STATED THE FLOODING THIS TIME WAS FROM THE HEAVY RAIN AND THE SHEET FLOODING AND NOT SO MUCH FROM THE CREEKS EXCEPT THOSE HOMES RIGHT ON THE CREEKS . COUNCILMEMBER STUART STATED THAT CLEAR CREEK IN THE POLLY RANCii AREA WAS lJP MORE THAN IT HAS EVER BEEN WHICH I5 WHERE THE WATER IS WINDING UP . COUNCILMEMBER STUART REPORTED THERE IS A A9EETING SCHEDULED FOR THE CLEAR CREEK WATER SHED REGIONAL PLAN ON AUGUS'I' 23RD WITH A PUBLIC HEARING AT 6 : 00 PM AND A MEETING OF THE BOARD AT 7 : 00 AND WILL PROBABLY BE HELD AT THE LEAGUE CITY CIVIC CENTER . MR . WILLIAMS STATED HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE CITY REQUEST HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL PLACE A FLOOD CONTROL DEVICE BE PLACED AT FM 2351 AT CLEAR CREEK BRIDGE AND STATED THIS REQUEST IS TIMELY AS THEY ARE IN THERE BUDGETING PROCESS AT THIS TIP1E 11ND STATED THE COST IS APPROXIMATELY $7 , 000 WHICH I5 A COMPUTERIZED DEVICE . MAYOR SCHRADER REPORTED THE WORST FLOODING WAS EXPERIENCED IN POLLY RANCH , IMPERIAL ESTATES , WILDERNESS TRAILS , SUNI�IEADOW AND ALONG THE CREEKS IN WINDSONG SUBDIVISION . MR . WILLIAMS STATED FLOODING WAS EXPERIENCED ALONG THE CREEK LINES AND IN LOOKING AT THE FEMA MAP IT IS PROVING TO BE MORE ACCURATE THAN THOUGHT TO BE . COUNCILMEMBER STUART STATED COMMUNICATION SHOULD BE SENT TO SENATOR JACK BROOKS TO PUSH THE CLEAR CREEK WITH P9AYOR SCHRADER STATING HE WOULD COMMUNICATE WITH SENATOR BROOKS AS HE HAS BEEN A STRONG SUPPORT OF THE CLEAR CREEK PROJECT . MAYOR SCHRADER STATED DISCUSSION REGARDING CLEAR CREEK HAS BEEN GOING ON AS LONG AGO AS 1939 AND THAT THERE IS NO WAY TO SPEED UP T}iE PRaCESS BUT THAT PROGRESS IS BEING MADE . 3 � o � MOTION MADE AND APPROVED TO ADJOURN AT 10 : 25 AM. ATTEST : DELORIS ARC ER , CMC CITY SECRETARY MAYOR PAUL W. SCHRADER