Woodlands Township Board Approves $2 Million to Help Clean Up Debris in Area After Hurricane Beryl

THE FORESTS, Texas — The Woodlands Township Board of Directors voted July 18 to approve $2 million to help clean up debris in the area after Hurricane Beryl.

What you need to know

During the July 18 board meeting, city officials received an update from Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough and City Operations Director Chris Nunes on the extent of the damage Hurricane Beryl inflicted on the city’s parks and trails system.

Nunes said there are several sections of the city’s trail system, ranging from 10 to 150 square feet, that need repairs due to significant damage to the concrete.

“It’s going to take months to recover from this,” Nunes said. “We’re still working on the derecho from two months ago for debris. So this is a double hit that we’re working on.”

Keough also said the region is attempting to remove about 1 million cubic meters of debris from areas impacted by Beryl, and that the region’s debris removal teams will spend several weeks removing the vegetative debris.

What else?

In advance of the Public Utility Commission of Texas’ investigation into CenterPoint Energy’s preparations and response to Beryl, city officials also agreed to form two ad hoc committees on emergency management and government relations. According to city officials, the committees will focus on building stronger relationships with emergency management and legislative officials to better represent The Woodlands in legislative proceedings.

In their words

• “We need to emphasize to CenterPoint that it’s okay to say you don’t know when you don’t know, but be transparent and provide facts when they’re available,” said Nancy Becker, president of the Creekside Park Village Association. “If you don’t have facts, use estimates, but make them your best guess, and follow up as more is known.”

• “This is not just about CenterPoint hearings, but also about working with our lobbyists to have our legislative agenda ready when the Legislature starts on January 1, 2025,” said Board Member Brad Bailey.

• “It’s the hallways, the coffee shops, all those places where a lot of things happen. If you don’t have a voice, you’re going to get passed over,” said board member Kyle Watson.

Stay tuned

While the board approved an additional $2 million from the city fund to help with debris cleanup, the board also directed staff to explore additional options for reimbursement for costs through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The board also asked city staff to come forward with proposals for a potential lobbyist in the future who could be present in Austin during the 2025 legislative session and who could serve as a liaison to the city on legislative issues that could impact the city.

This article comes from our ABC13 partners at Community Impact Newspapers.