Debris Removal: The Work is Picking Up

In many neighborhoods throughout the Houston area, officials don’t yet even have an idea of a start date for debris removal.  Obviously this isn’t a competition, but in Bellaire we’re fortunate to be well on our way.  It’s not going nearly as fast as we’d hoped, but the pace of our collection has only been increasing each day.  Through our active management of the process we’ve been able to bring in more crews and equipment and have secured additional staging site capacity.

Our debris removal operations are noticeably improving as increased staging site capacity has allowed the contractor to bring in more and larger equipment, like this tandem, self-contained loader.

Specific Use Permits for New Bellaire High School, Offsite Baseball Approved With Conditions

With our daily attention devoted to Hurricane Harvey recovery, much of our usual city business has been deferred or postponed indefinitely.  One major item that has been pending on our docket since before the storm, and has now been brought to a successful resolution, is the specific use permit for the rebuilding of Bellaire High School.  This week the City Council granted that permit, along with a second one to allow for the relocation of the baseball field to the former Gordon Elementary/Mandarin Chinese school property to free up some extra space on the BHS campus to make the site plan work.

City Engineer to Present Hurricane Harvey Report Oct. 2

At the City Council meeting this past Monday night—our first post-Harvey—the City Manager’s report was devoted to the hurricane and the City’s ongoing response.  His detailed presentation covered several topics, starting with a walk-through of the City’s preparation for and then daily activities during the storm, followed by the transition to recovery.  He spent a great deal of time focused on the questions people are asking right now, concerning the process for flood repair permits including market value and substantial damage determinations, and about our progress to date on debris removal.

What the City Manager’s report did not get into was any engineering review.  That will be for the City Engineer, who is currently preparing a comprehensive analysis of the root causes and extent of the devastating flooding we experienced, and where to go from here in our infrastructure planning.  He will present his report to Council and the public at our meeting on October 2.

Council received public comment from several speakers concerning flooding and related topics.  Given that this was our first regular meeting post-Harvey, it’s unfortunate that it happened to be the same night as the long-awaited public hearing on the specific use permit applications for the reconstruction of Bellaire High School.  The hearing was legally noticed weeks before Harvey had even formed in the Gulf and demanded our attention despite everything else going on in the aftermath of the storm.  This resulted in a late evening, and understandably not all of our speakers could stay for public comment.

We welcome your input, as always, and there will be multiple opportunities to address Council at our upcoming meetings as we continue to discuss these issues of paramount importance to our community moving forward.  I hope you will make plans to join us for the City Engineer’s presentation on October 2.

Things Are Looking Up as the Debris Comes Down

I never thought I’d be so excited to see a bunch of heavy trucks rolling through Bellaire.  What a beautiful sight, indeed!  Debris removal is a major milestone on the road to recovery and will have a huge impact in restoring a sense of normalcy to our streets and neighborhoods.  Getting rid of all the piles at the curb allows us to begin moving forward in rebuilding our community, and none too soon.

“After All This, Will I Even Be Allowed to Rebuild?” – What You Need to Know About the 50% Rule

Yesterday the Permit Office began accepting applications for flood repairs.  Over the course of the day they received 27 applications.  After sorting them according to their complexity to allow for the most expedited review, the Building Official was able to approve and issue 11 permits same-day.  But while things are moving quickly at the Permit Office, owners of older Bellaire homes that flooded are faced with an additional concern:  Will they even be allowed to rebuild?

Below I give you my overview of this issue, but if you take away nothing else what’s important for you to know is that there is no one-size-fits-all answer.  It’ll depend on the specific facts and circumstances of each house, and the City has no way of making a determination until a permit application with supporting documentation is reviewed.  Please don’t jump to any conclusions or make hasty decisions, and be assured the staff will explore all available options with you.

FEMA Here to Assist Bellaire Residents Through Disaster Recovery Process

Representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency arrived this morning and came to City Hall to brief us on their Hurricane Harvey response in Bellaire.  They gave us an overview of the federal disaster recovery programs available to residents, as well as to the City itself, and what to expect in the coming days.  We then took them on a driving tour through several of our neighborhoods so they could see for themselves the extent of the damage we sustained and get a handle on the sheer number of impacted homeowners in need of assistance.  They will allocate resources accordingly.

The first step for those seeking federal disaster assistance is to register with FEMA, online at disasterassistance.gov or by calling (800) 621-FEMA (3362).  Our own City of Bellaire Library reopened today, and has public computers and librarians available to help with filling out the forms.  Also visit our Hurricane Harvey Recovery Resources page for other helpful links and information.

Debris Piles and Traffic Bring About New Concerns

As if our messy situation weren’t bad enough, it’s now becoming even worse with a steady influx of scavengers and onlookers, and the additional traffic they create, particularly in hardest-hit Southdale.  We’ve been getting lots of questions, so I take this opportunity to share and address these concerns with a broader audience.

Some amount of scavenging is to be expected.  It’s not illegal per se, but we’re concerned about it because many residents are reporting that scavengers are rummaging through their belongings at the curb and leaving an even bigger mess behind.  In some cases they’re opening and dumping bags out in yards and in the streets to pick through their contents, and not bothering to clean up again after themselves.  If you observe this kind of activity, don’t hesitate to call the Bellaire Police at (713) 668-0487.  We’ve got officers on patrol who will respond.  See also Chief Holloway’s suggestions, which he sent out this morning.

Bellaire Rising to the Challenge

Several of us on City Council have gotten together and ventured out into the neighborhoods to check in on people cleaning up after the flood, to show our support and share information.  To a person, those we’ve visited with are in remarkably good spirits, buoyed no doubt by the kindness of both neighbors and (now former) strangers.  Volunteers have just been showing up and getting right to work.

In the hardest-hit neighborhoods we’ve encountered folks from all over Bellaire and beyond.  Many who were less directly affected have dropped everything to lend a hand.  Informal relief efforts have been popping up, to collect donations and match volunteers with homeowners needing assistance.  This unfathomable catastrophe has brought out the best in all of us, and together we’re pulling through.