HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 071025-1.A - Extending Emergency Declaration for Flooding of 07.05.2025 with Gov lettersRESOLUTION NO. ® 7/0�-J• 4
AN RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
GEORGETOWN, TEXAS, RATIFYING THE DISASTER
DECLARTION SIGNED BY THE MAYOR ON JULY 5, 2025, AND
CONSENTING TO ITS CONTINUATION THROUGH JULY 23, 2025;
REPEALING CONFLICTING RESOLUTIONS; INCLUDING A
SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND ESTABLISHING AN EFFECTIVE
DATE.
WHEREAS, on July 5, 2025, Mayor Josh Schroeder, acting in accordance with authority
granted to him under Section 418.108(a) of the Texas Government Code and the City's Home -
Rule Charter, declared a local state of disaster for the City due to severe flooding resulting in
imminent threat of widespread and severe damage, injury, and/or loss of life and property;
WHEREAS, Section 418.108(b) of the Texas Government Code provides that such a
declaration of disaster may not be continued for a period of more than seven days except with the
consent of the governing body of the political subdivision; and
WHEREAS, on July 9, 2025, the City made the determination that the imminent threat of
widespread and severe damage, injury, and/or loss of life and property continues and will continue
to exist for a period of more than seven days;
WHEREAS, the City Council supports the disaster declaration signed by Mayor Josh
Schroeder on July 5, 2025 and consents to the continuation for a period of more than seven days.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF GEORGETOWN, TEXAS:
Section 1. The meeting at which this resolution was approved was conducted in
compliance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code, Chapter 551, including
Section 551.045 regarding emergency meetings.
Section 2. The facts and recitations contained in the preamble of this resolution are hereby
found and declared to be true and correct and are incorporated by reference herein and expressly
made a part hereof, as if copied verbatim.
Section 3. The City Council hereby ratifies the disaster declaration signed by Mayor Josh
Schroeder on July 5, 2025, and consents to its continuation through July 23, 2025;
Section 4. All resolutions that conflict with the provisions of this resolution are hereby
repealed, and all other resolutions of the City not in conflict with the provisions of this resolution
shall remain in full force and effect.
Section 5. If any provision of this resolution, or application thereof, to any person or
circumstance, shall be held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect the other provisions, or
application thereof, of this resolution, which can be given effect without the invalid provision or
application, and to this end the provisions of this resolution are hereby declared to be severable.
Resolution Number: (0 Z/b 2,S- _f,4, Page 1 of 2
Subject: Ratifying and Continuation of Local Disaster Declaration
Date Approved: July 10, 2025
Section 6. The Mayor is hereby authorized to sign this resolution and the City Secretary to
attest. This resolution shall become effective and be in full force and upon execution by the Mayor.
PASSED AND APPROVED on the loth day of July, 2025.
ATTEST:
OF GEORG
Rro
City Secretary os11 S hroed
men 6t-z� ' "
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
ndsay M. Lujan, enior Assistant City Attorney
Resolution Number: (071 0 2 S • , Page 2 of 2
Subject: Ratifying and Continuation of Local Disaster Declaration
Date Approved: July 10, 2025
GEORGETOWN
T E X A S
July 10, 2025
The Honorable Greg Abbott Governor of the State of
Texas
c/o Chief Texas Division of Emergency Management
SOC 0)tdem.texas. gov
RE: Disaster Declared in the City of Georgetown
Dear Governor Abbott:
Georgetown, Texas, is facing significant threats to life, health, and property due to severe storms
and flooding.
This event has caused substantial damage to public infrastructure and increased risk to public
safety. Preliminary damage assessments are underway and indicate that:
• Critical infrastructure including water and wastewater utilities have been severely impacted.
Park infrastructure including public trails, restrooms, and play structures have experienced
major damage or destruction.
• Emergency response and recovery resources at the local level have been overwhelmed and
require state assistance.
Critical infrastructure, such as water and wastewater systems, have been compromised, posing
health and safety risks and impeding recovery. The San Gabriel River experienced severe bank
erosion in some places, coming within feet of our public trails and completely eroding the trails in
others. The public continues to be at risk, in part, because individuals continue to skirt barricades
and safety fencing to access trails, roadways, and areas where there is active debris, decaying aquatic
organisms, and damages to park infrastructure. The scale and complexity of the damage exceeds the
capabilities of local resources, and without timely state support, the safety and recovery of the
community remains at risk.
I have determined this incident is of such severity and magnitude that an effective response is
beyond the capability of the City of Georgetown to control Pursuant to Chapter 418 of the Texas,
Government Code, I respectfully request you include the City of Georgetown in the federal disaster
declaration due to the significant flooding event that began on July 5, 2025, resulting from heavy,
prolonged rainfall and river cresting. Furthermore, I am asking that successive proclamations be
issued and remain in effect until the threat of loss of life, injury, or damage to property is contained.
Sincered
Josh jchroede;eMayor
C: Sen4for Charles Schwertner
Representative Terry Wilson Representative Caroline Harris
Williamson County Judge Steven Snell
City Manager David Morgan
Terry Gaskin, Texas Department of Emergency Management
DECLARATION OF DISASTER
July 2025 Flooding Event
Date Approved:
City Hall 1 808 Martin Luther King Jr. St. I Georgetown, TX 78627
0 512-930-3652 F 512-930-3622
georgetowntexas.gov
GEORGETOWN
T E X A S
more than «lelcome
To: David Morgan, City Manager
From: Christine Rogers, Emergency Management Coordinator
Date: July 9, 2025
Re: Flood Disaster Ongoing
The City participated in preliminary damage assessments of publicly owned property alongside state
teams throughout the day on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. Additional State teams were deployed in the City
today, July 9, 2025, to assess potential areas of concern on private property. These assessments helped
the City to gain a better understanding of the extent of damages and public health and safety impacts to
our community. A rough summary is below.
On Monday and Tuesday, the City's pre -positioned debris contractors came out to assess the impact of
the disaster and start a plan to ensure safe collection and removal of debris.
The City's water and wastewater infrastructure suffered severe damage, including a major leak in a 12-
inch water line under the San Gabriel River. Work to protect the remainder of the system and isolate the
issue took multiple days, with boil water notices across a large portion of the jurisdiction. Water has
been restored to all but one customer as of 6 PM today. Crews are still working to clear out and close off
our wastewater distribution system as multiple manholes he in or around the San Gabriel River and
were impacted by silt, debris, or even washed away. This is causing on -going impacts to our wastewater
treatment plants.
The public continues to skirt barricades and safety fencing to access trails, roadways, and areas where
there is active debris, decaying aquatic organisms, and damages to park infrastructure. The San Gabriel
River experienced severe bank erosion in some places, coming within feet of our public trails and
completely eroding other trails.
Many of our community members utilize the parks and trails, but their safety is threatened with the
debris and ongoing safety issues.
The disruptions and damage to our parks and water/wastewater infrastructure create unsafe conditions
for the community and require further emergency recovery work.
Due to the ongoing threat to the public, remaining emergency work, and debris and damage in high -
traffic community areas, which were highlighted during the preliminary damage assessments with the
State teams and City experts, I made the determination that the disaster beginning on July 5, 2025 is
ongoing and there is a need to extend the current Declaration of Disaster, which requires Council
approval. Upon this determination, the City took immediate action to start the process of extending the
Disaster Declaration.
City Hall 1 808 Martin Luther King Jr. St. 1 Georgetown, TX 78627
0 512-930-3652 F 512-930-3622
gPnrgPtowntPXaS_gnV
GEORGETOWN
T E X A S
July 5, 2025
The Honorable Greg Abbott
Governor of the State of Texas
c/o Chief Texas Division of Emergency Management
SOC@tden-Ltexas.gov
RE: Disaster Declared in the City of Georgetown Dear Governor Abbott:
Pursuant to the powers of the Mayor of the City of Georgetown, I have issued the following:
A declaration certifying concerns related to the severe weather conditions and the occurrence
and imminent threat of widespread and severe damage, injury, and/or loss of life and property
in the City of Georgetown and declaring a state of disaster.
The impacts of the threat include road closures due to flooding, water main breaks, hazardous
travel disruptions, and damaged critical infrastructure, and need for assistance to homeowners
for potential debris removal and remediation from flood waters.
The declaration is attached to this letter.
Sincerer, /
Jos7eTerry
oeder, M-6yor
C: Senator Charles Schwertner Repr n Wilson Representative Caroline Harris
Williamson County Judge Steven Snell
City Manager David Morgan
Robbie Barrera, Texas Department of Emergency Management
DECLARATION OF DISASTER
July 2025 Flooding Event
Date Approved:
City Hall 1 808 Martin Luther King Jr. St. P.O. Box 409
Georgetown, TX 78627
E ms@georgetown.org O 512-930-3652 512-930-3622
georgetown.org
DECLARATION OF DISASTER
A DECLARATION OF THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF
GEORGETOWN, TEXAS, DECLARING A STATE OF
DISASTER IN THE CITY OF GEORGETOWN; AND
PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE
WHEREAS, Section 418.004(1) of the Texas Government Code defines disaster to be the
"the occurrence or imminent threat of widespread or severe damage, injury, or loss of life or
property resulting from any natural or man-made cause, including fire, flood, earthquake, wind,
storm, wave action, oil spill or other water contamination, volcanic activity, epidemic, air
contamination, blight, drought, infestation, explosion, riot, hostile military or paramilitary action,
extreme heat, cybersecurity event, other public calamity requiring emergency action, or energy
emergency;" and
WHEREAS, the City of Georgetown, Texas, due to severe weather conditions, is
experiencing the occurrence and imminent threat of widespread and severe damage, injury, and/or
loss of life and property; and
WHEREAS, due to these disaster conditions, the Mayor must protect the health, safety,
and welfare of the city's citizens, and declaring a state of disaster will facilitate and expedite the
use and deployment of resources to enhance preparedness and response; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Chapter 2.76 of the Georgetown Code of Ordinances, a
declaration of local disaster activates the recovery and rehabilitation aspects of the City of
Georgetown emergency management basic plan and authorizes the furnishing of aid and assistance
under the declaration; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor of the City of Georgetown has determined, from statements and
information provided by City of Georgetown Emergency Management personnel and other
emergency services serving the City of Georgetown, that extraordinary measures must be taken to
alleviate and prevent the suffering of people and to protect or rehabilitate property.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED BY THE MAYOR OF
GEORGETOWN THAT:
SECTION 1. A local state of disaster is hereby declared for the City of Georgetown pursuant
to §418.108(a) of the Texas GovernmentCode.
SECTION 2. Pursuant to §418.108(b) of the Texas Government Code, the state of disaster
shall continue for a period of not more than seven days from the date of this declaration unless
continued or renewed by the City Council of Georgetown.
SECTION 3. Pursuant to §418.108(c) ofthe Government Code, this declaration of a local state
of disaster shall be given prompt and general publicity and shall be filed promptly with the
City Secretary.
SECTION 4. Pursuant to §418.108(d) of the Government Code, this declaration of a local
state of disaster activates the City of Georgetown emergency management plan.
SECT1 Oti 5. Pursuant to §418.108(f) of the Government Code includes the authority for
the mayor to order the evacuation of all or part of the population from a stricken or
threatened area under their jurisdiction if the mayor considers the action necessary for the
preservation of life or other disaster mitigation, response, or 'recovery.
SECTION 6. Pursuant to §418.108(g) of the Government Code includes the authority for
the mayor to control ingress to and egress from a disaster area under their jurisdiction and
authority to control the movement of persons and the occupancy of premises in that area.
SECTION 7. This proclamation shall take effect immediately from and after its issuance.
ORDERED this 5th day of July, 2025.
i
Josh Schr edg( Mayor
City of 4orketown, Texas