Kerrville City Council extends disaster declaration; talks debris, threats

AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) — The Kerrville City Council met in an emergency session Monday morning, where they approved the indefinite extension of a local disaster declaration, and discussed ongoing rescue operations, threats made against the city, and donations.

The declaration, which was initially started on July 4, will now run until it is ended by Mayor Joe Herring. It allows the city to operate under a "City Emergency Management Plan," but the reauthorization also paused the city's tree preservation ordinance.

It was approved unanimously by the council.

Another resolution that passed unanimously suspends the city's responses to open records requests for seven days. Kerrville City Attorney Mike Haynes said that city staff would start working this week on received requests, but wouldn't respond until next week.

"At the end of that seven day period, we will have to start responding, and we obviously had a number of requests for information, so we'll start working on those probably this week," Haynes said. "This, again, is just pursuant to state law. Essentially, through early next week, we will be gathering information, but we won't respond."

Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice updated the council about search and rescue operations in the area. He noted that inclement weather and staff scheduling would be challenges as those searches continue.

"Those folks are doing everything that they can, and they do their business well. And so we try to stay out of their way," said Michael Hornes, Kerrville assistant city manager.

Hornes also explained a debris management plan for the city. Debris will be sorted – construction materials to the landfill, while vegetation will be set out to dry before being burned.

Following the updates from Rice and Hornes, Council Member Brenda Hughes spoke about threats made against city staff and officials, including harassing phone calls to City Hall.

"We're not only dealing with all of the aftermath from this tragic event, but now we have to worry about threats that are coming to staff, targeted threats that are specific to individual staff members," Hughes said. "I wanted on the record that I would like additional security here, and I'm not leaving here till we get it."

Hornes promised that Hughes' concerns would be taken up with Texas DPs and Kerrville Police. He noted that each council meeting since the floods has had law enforcement officers present.

"Yes, ma'am, we certainly will. We will put that up the chain," Hornes said. "We'll make sure we continue to do that."