Friday, April 26, 2024
Whether helping Coryell County find sources of grant money, identify top concerns among low-water crossings or put important information and maps into an electronic database, Natural Resource Solutions of Austin has been busy assisting county officials and departments for several months.
During the most recent meeting of the Coryell County Commissioners Court, a scope of work was approved between the county and NRS to help plan out future efforts.
"This is a continuation of what we've accomplished (working with NRS) - including three grant applications - and gives the court more latitude to continue with data collection independent of specific grants," said Coryell County Judge Roger Miller.
A next step is to obtain software so it can be utilized for county operations including the road and bridge department, emergency services, school districts, "a whole host of uses," Miller said.
Once the Geographic Information System (GIS) software is being used by the county, "it can provide another level of information that will be readily available to the public," Miller said. Two examples of beneficial uses he mentioned were to alert people and show areas being evacuated because of fires, as well as road closures during an emergency.
"This (agreement) will allow us to work with NRS to continue to collect data and analyze it," Miller said.
Steve Manning, president of NRS, said there are a trio of specific areas to focus on.
"There are about three things that are especially relevant right now," Manning said. "This is a pathway for the court that doesn't cost a whole lot of money to get you into the 21st century (with data collection and accessibility)."
When NRS began working with the county earlier this year, much of the information needed to compile databases – including key maps – was only available on paper and not in electronic form. Not only is having an updated electronic database important for local accessibility, it is often required in order to apply for certain grant funding for county projects.
Manning said there is a program the county can use through Esri – an international supplier of geographic information and software – that would cost $600 a year (or $50 per month). It would allow the county to tap into an electronic database and also use that as a way to communicate with vendors, the city of Gatesville, Copperas Cove, and other entities through that system.
"That would get you up and running and better able to communicate and identify areas on the map if concerns arise," Manning said. "We recommend you do this pretty quickly so y'all can actually see the product."
Manning said while the county has worked with NRS primarily on road and bridge information, "it has come to my attention that the county is also interested in grants for water infrastructure. There are grants specifically tied to smaller communities and counties and we should talk about those opportunities more in the near future."
There are U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) grants available that would benefit the county, Manning said.
"The (Central Texas) Council of Governments has done a great job helping the city of Belton obtain about $2 million (through the EDA) for the city of Belton. We believe another grant opportunity for water infrastructure is available. Counties can apply. This would not necessarily be for roads, but for water infrastructure.”
Maddie Todd, an NRS policy analyst and project manager, gave county leaders an update on grant applications. One which would help upgrade local bridges has already been submitted, and others are in the process of being compiled.
One of those grants would provide funding to help eliminate snags in rivers and streams that have caused significant flood damage in Coryell County.
Commissioner Ryan Basham said he has already reached out to area landowners affected by these snags and hopes to obtain funding to help them.
"If no action is taken, they will lose more land," he said, adding that the problem "is massive."
Manning said the county initially identified 20 areas of concern – low-water crossings – impacted by flooding, but he has learned there are more.
"There are a number of crossings identified by (local) school districts that were not on the list of top 20 projects," he said. "I need guidance from the court on how you want to prioritize those."
Judge Miller said the county and the NRS should work together to identify the next steps in a comprehensive plan to make improvements throughout Coryell County.
"We need to start to put together a master plan rather than just taking little bites as opportunities come up," he said. "We can shape the environment instead of just reacting to it."
