Burn ban still on despite fall weather
County Environmental Services and Floodplain Director Herb Darling recommended maintaining the burn ban for the unincorporated regions of the county during the commissioners’ regular meeting.
The commissioners agreed.
The average Texas Forest Service Keetch-Byram Drought Index for the county is now 617, up 13 points from last week, and the danger for widespread fire is still present, Darling said.
The KBDI in some parts of the county is as high as 749, Darling added.
KBDI measures the potential for forest fires based on daily water balance, and the highest index of 800 indicates extremely dry conditions.
Darling said out deer-hunting season begins this weekend “with a lot of people coming into the county.”
The burn ban does allow outdoor fires for “cooking, ceremony or warmth” as long as people tending the fire have a cell phone and water source next to the burn site, Darling said.
However, Darling asked hunters to be cautious while lighting campfires.
Turning to the aftermath of the June 2007 flood, Precinct 3 Commissioner Ronny Hibler said repairs along CR 328 near Cow Creek are nearly complete and repairs to CR 343 near Camp Creek will be complete before the end of next month, weather permitting.
The Governor’s Division of Emergency Management, the Lower Colorado River Authority and the county are still negotiating an interlocal agreement that may allow Lower Colorado River Authority staff to help clean flood-damaged Camp Creek Park, Hibler added.
“Hopefully, we can get that resolved in a few weeks,” Darling said.
Also pertaining to the flood, the county recently sent several reimbursement claims to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and “no deficiencies” have been reported, Darling noted.
The Highland Haven Dry Creek Crossing Improvement Project is still waiting final approval from FEMA, Darling said.
Precinct 1 Commissioner Bill Neve said he wanted to start the project as soon as possible, so the county could detour traffic from Dry Creek through Camp Champions while the camp is closed for several weeks.
“If you don’t do it (the project) during (the camp’s) off-season, it is going to be very tough to do,” Precinct 4 Commissioner Joe Don Dockery said.
During the Burnet County Quarterly Investment Report, County Treasurer Betty Trapp reported the county had more than $9.7 million in total cash and investment accounts as of Sept. 30 and earned interest of more than $69,600 on cash and investments from July through September.
In other business, the commissioners approved hotel occupancy tax funds totaling $16,350 for five groups seeking financial assistance for local events next year.
The commissioners approved $7,300 for the Burnet Bluebonnet Festival; $4,500 for the Bluebonnet Blues/Fine Arts Festival; $2,200 for the Sawin’ and Smokin’ Festival; $1,300 for the Plein Air, Paint the Town event; and $1,050 for the Chamber Music Festival.
County Judge Donna Klaeger announced County Auditor Kevin Smith recently received the Government Finance Officers Association Certificate of Achievement Award for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the 16th consecutive year.
The honor comes with a plaque, Klaeger noted.
“You’ll have to find another wall to hang them on,” Hibler quipped.
During a presentation by the Air Evac Lifeteam, Area Manager Terri Thompson said Air Evac is the largest independently owned air medical evacuation service in the United States, with 80 helicopters in 14 states, including 20 in Texas and one on call in Marble Falls.
Besides flying injured or sick people to hospitals, Air Evac often helps local fire departments and law enforcement agencies with reconnaissance support, Thompson added.
More than 2,000 residents of Burnet County are Air Evac members, Thompson said.
raymond@thepicayune.com