Flooding was on the minds of the audience and the mayor at Monday’s Austin City Council meeting.

Friday, August 11, 2000

Flooding was on the minds of the audience and the mayor at Monday’s Austin City Council meeting. Francis Skinness wants the city to put together a citizen committee for flood management while Chuck Lennberg and several others hit by the flood just want to know what’s going on.

"It’s taken less waters and rains each time," Lennberg, who lives on Ninth Street SE near the horseshoe pits, said. "There weren’t such problems when we bought the house in 1973, but now I would like to know what the status is on a buyout."

An update by City Engineer Jon Erichson revealed that the city is working toward more than one solution. Erichson has been in contact with the Army Corps of Engineers, and he is gathering data for both the Corps and for FEMA so the city can be reimbursed for its disaster-related expenses. The Austin Housing and Redevelopment Authority also is pursuing flood-related grant money.

"The Corps will be responding to our request to study Austin again," Erichson said, referring to the first study done after the 1978 flood. "There have been some significant changes since then."

As for a public meeting on the city’s plans for future flood prevention, Erichson said he preferred to wait until he actually had some news to report.

"We don’t have a lot of answers without the Corps," he said, "but I know that public meetings will be a part of any study they do."

In other matters Monday, the council:

n Approved the appointment of Lt. Curt Rude to captain of the Austin Police Department at the recommendation of Police Chief Paul Philipp. The appointment was effective immediately, but Rude will be formally appointed at the next council meeting.

n Granted a variance from City Code requirements for sideyard setback to Theoni Lecakis of 1209 Ninth St. NW.

n Designated the voting places and judges for the city, utilities, county and state primaries and general elections on Sept. 15, and Nov. 7, respectively.

n Continued a public hearing until the next council meeting on a business subsidy agreement for Cooperative Response Center. The hearing was again delayed because of negotiations resulting from inferior soil on part of the CRC’s future site.

n Adopted a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program for the airport project.

n Honored Elaine Hansen of the Mower County Chapter of the American Red Cross and Randy Stahl of the Salvation Army Austin Corps. Both were presented with a key to the city by Mayor Bonnie Rietz.

"I don’t know what we would have done without you," she told the two representatives, listing many of the ways the two charities helped residents and business owners devastated by the flood.

"It is much more than me," Hansen said. "It’s hundreds of volunteers and thousands of supporters."

"How can I top that," Stahl said after Hansen spoke. "I’d just like to thank you for letting us do our job."

The next regular Austin City Council meeting is at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 21.