KENDALL COUNTY, Texas – The Kendall County Emergency Management Office provided cleanup updates and announced a new debris call center on Tuesday.
County officials hosted a news conference Tuesday afternoon at Boerne Municipal Court on Old San Antonio Road to share updates after the catastrophic floods on the Fourth of July.
Watch the Tuesday afternoon news conference below:
No reports of missing Kendall County residents
There have been no reports of missing residents from Kendall County, according to Kendall County Judge Shane Stolarczyk.
Local first responders as well as state and federal agencies have completed primary and secondary search and recovery missions along the Guadalupe River, Stolarczyk said.
As of Tuesday, Stolarczyk said the number of bodies recovered in Kendall County remains at nine. All nine bodies came from communities located upstream.
On July 22, Gov. Greg Abbott said only two people remain missing from the Hill Country floods: a girl from Camp Mystic and a man.
Stolarczyk said Tuesday that there is “no indication” that the two still missing are located within Kendall County.
Cleanup operations, call center to begin Wednesday
The county has received authorization from the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to move forward with cleanup and remediation efforts, Stolarczyk said.
Cleanup operations will begin Wednesday, July 30, and are expected to continue for eight to 10 weeks. Stolarczyk also noted it is a “fluid situation.”
DRC Emergency Services has been contracted to manage debris removal operations, he said. Tetra Tech will serve as the third-party monitor overseeing the cleanup and disposal process.
Work crews will operate from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day across the county “until flood mitigation is complete,” Stolarczyk said.
Tetra Tech is also establishing a call center that will connect residents to operators who can answer questions about the debris removal process, Stolarczyk said. The call center will be activated at 8 a.m. Wednesday and can be reached at 830-217-2890.
Emergency Management Coordinator Brady Constantine warned of scams targeting residents affected by the Hill Country floods.
He urged residents to ensure the legitimacy of organizations. Anyone who believes they are being scammed should reach out to law enforcement.
Burn ban still in effect
The countywide burn ban remains in effect, Stolarczyk said.
Officials are working closely with TDEM to reevaluate the burn ban on a daily basis, he said.
“We are a very rural community working through this process,” Constantine said. “We have to lift the burn ban tactfully. ... So please be patient with us on that aspect.”
Debris removal process
Stolarczyk said DRC contractors will begin debris removal in the western part of the county and move east.
The county has been divided into sections – Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta and Echo – and crews will start in the Alpha section, progressing through each section sequentially, he said.
The Comfort area has seen a heavier saturation of debris, so removal will be slower on the western part of the county but should then speed up as the process continues, Stolarczyk said.
“Priority will be given to cleaning up the county right-of-way, followed by debris on private property as feasible, and then debris in and along the river channels,” he said.
Landowners are encouraged to contact the call center for updates on the next stages of the cleanup process once right-of-ways are cleaned.
Stolarczyk said state contractors are only authorized to clean within the boundaries of flood’s high-water mark.
“If your property lies outside this boundary, contractors will not provide cleanup services to your area,” he said.
If private landowners are able to safely move flood debris from their property into the county’s right-of-way, DRC will haul it off “free of charge,” according to Stolarczyk. Debris should be piled on the edge of the right of way, not blocking roads or fire hydrants.
During this phase of the cleanup, Stolarczyk said, “there should be no burden on taxpayers right now.”
“We understand that not all landowners are able to move debris,” Stolarczyk said. “For those in that situation, help is on the way — though it will come at a later date.”
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality approved a 50-acre site owned by the county for depositing debris temporarily. All trash and debris will be taken to the secured, fenced location and sorted, then hauled away from there, Stolarczyk said.
Constantine emphasized that the site is not a dump site for private citizens. Only dump trucks from the debris-contracted company are allowed to enter.
TDEM and DRC are developing right of entry, known as ROE, a process that will allow landowners to grant permission to contractors to access their private property and remove debris at no cost to the property owner.
Stolarczyk said the process is still being finalized, but updates are expected in the next seven to 10 days.
Separating debris
Constantine asked residents to remain patient as the debris removal process continues.
He said debris should be stacked and separated in following categories:
- Electronics (including, televisions, computers and stereos)
- Large appliances (including refrigerators, washers, dryers and air conditioners)
- Hazardous waste (including oil, batteries, pesticides, paint and cleaning supplies)
- Vegetative debris (including tree limbs, branches, logs and plants)
- Building materials (including drywall, lumber, carpet and furniture)
“It is imperative that we separate these piles as much as we can,” he said.
Constantine noted that household trash is not part of the debris pickup. He encouraged everyone to protect themselves when managing debris, including using respiratory protection, gloves and hand sanitizers.
Anyone who has vehicles and recreational vehicles on their property is encouraged to follow the right-of-entry process that will be released at a later date. The call center can be contacted in the coming days for more information, Constantine said.
Additional information on cleanup operations and debris removal updates can be found on the Kendall County website and the county’s Office of Emergency Management and Fire Marshal Facebook page.
“The road to recovery will be a long process, but together the Hill Country will rebuild, stronger than before,” Stolarczyk said.
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