Too much talk, no action

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, April 10, 2001

If you are a victim of flooding in Austin, there has been too much talk and no action.

Tuesday, April 10, 2001

If you are a victim of flooding in Austin, there has been too much talk and no action.

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That message was heard loud and clear Monday, when Vicky Trimble hosted a citizens meeting at The Hardy Geranium business she owns.

Trimble’s business is located across Fourth Street SE from Double K Specialty and other businesses, as well as the Austin Eagles Club, which were inundated with flood waters last July.

Around the corner from The Hardy Geranium, the former Century Liquor Store, the viaduct along Oakland Place East was filled with water up to the now-blocked Third Street SE street above.

The Salvation Army Austin Corps, Budget Oil, B&J Bar, Triple J Auto and all the other businesses from Fourth Street NE north to Jim’s SuperValu suffered flood damages.

Last weekend’s threat of more flooding of Dobbins Creek, the Cedar River and Turtle Creek propelled the citizens living in flood harm’s way to protest inaction on the part of Austin city officials.

Unconvinced of the officials’ sincerity of purpose and dismayed with the Army Corps of Engineers’ indication they cannot do anything that isn’t cost-effective, the citizens are planning their own damage control efforts.

"If we get together as a group, we can be heard," Fran Skinness, a resident of Hangge Addition along the banks of Dobbins Creek, told a group of more than 30 people Monday.

Skinness’ plan was to have every resident of Austin who suffered flood damages, going as far back as 1951, to total those damages and submit them to city and Corps of Engineers officials to tell them it is cost-efficient to undertake flood-control measures.

 

Sherry McCarty, another flood victim, was angry.

"We don’t have anybody on our side," she said.

"We need the city to make this more of a priority than it has been," said Kyle Klaehn, owner of Double K Specialty.

McCarthy said the city is content to spend tax dollars to buy homes in the flood plain and build more homes in another flood-prone area, Murphy’s Creek.

That prompted Klaehn to say: "The money is out there to do this work if they can do development projects like that. If the city can spend money on an ice arena, why can’t they spend money on flood control?

"I have had everybody who is anybody in my back yard, when a flood has occurred," McCarty said. "It isn’t rocket science. They keep talking, but they don’t do anything."

Leo Reding, a former council member, mayor and state legislator, gave a history of other aborted efforts at flood control in Austin’s history.

He also told how his retention pond idea could help the city by establishing a buffer for the waters in the watershed north of the city.

Skinness said the city’s many development projects are contributing to the problem, "when they take land that had a water retention capability.

As for the city’s well-known and well-used efforts to acquire properties in the flood plain area, no one supported it.

"How much more money does the city have to spend to take care of all those new parks they are creating by buying houses and creating parks and where does it end?" Klaehn said.

Despite Reding’s repeated assertion that flood-control measures could be taken to alleviate the problems in the city, skepticism abounded among the citizens.

"Why can’t we start small?" Trimble said. "If they say it isn’t cost effective to do a big project, why can’t we do a little at a time to stop the flooding?"

Archie Baley, a repeat flood victim along the Cedar River, whom the city has refused to buy out, said: "My flood insurance goes up every year. It’s gone up every year since the 1978 floods."

"We’re all frustrated and we don’t know where to turn," McCarty said.

Dr. Mark Reeve, who lives near the J.C. Hormel Nature Center and led efforts to halt a large housing project west of the nature center that many thought would exacerbate flood problems in nearby Hangge Addition, told the citizens to "stick together."

Reeve urged them to expose their problems in the media and to "keep after city officials" and demand action.

"It worked for us," he said.

The meeting ended with the citizens agreeing to contract city officials until some flood-control measures are taken.

One idea may be seen soon. "I Was Flooded" bumper stickers, store window posters and letter-stamps may be printed.

McCarty, the most vocal of the upset citizens, suggested confronting city officials at the next ribbon-cutting for a new development project and "ask them why they can’t spend money on flood control."