Travis County Commissioners Court on Aug. 12 unanimously approved additional emergency spending and operational agreements to expand debris removal and contingency access after severe July 2025 flooding in the county's northwest, including the Sandy Creek and Cow Creek areas.

County officials said crews have removed roughly 50,000 cubic yards of debris from the public right-of-way in the Sandy Creek area and about 6,000 cubic yards from private property so far. “We've removed about 50,000 cubic yards of debris from the right of way in Sandy Creek,” Emily Ackland, division director for Natural Resources and Environmental Quality, told the court.

The court approved a $5.6 million transfer from the county emergency reserve earlier in the meeting and then, after additional briefings on evolving needs, unanimously approved a second transfer of $2,352,000 to the county central emergency response budget, bringing the day's total transfers to $7,952,000. "We need at least a million more dollars over the next seven days beyond the $5.6 million," Travis Gatlin of the Planning and Budget Office told the court, prompting the additional transfer vote.

Nut graf: The money will pay for debris removal on public and private parcels, short-term landfill vouchers and dumpsters for residents, site assessments and early engineering for damaged low-water crossings and bridges, and contingency measures — including rented or purchased temporary bridges — to preserve access and public safety while permanent repairs are designed and contracted.

Key details and operations
- Private property work: The county is collecting right-of-entry forms from property owners; Ackland said 78 forms had been submitted and 55 site assessments completed. DRC is contracted for property debris removal; Thompson will perform assessments and contractor outreach.
- Disposal and vouchers: The county distributed 300 vouchers for residents to dump debris at the county-designated landfill at no cost and has placed dumpsters in the Sandy Creek area for household trash.
- Vehicles and VIN-bearing items: The county submitted a State of Texas Assistance Request (STAR) to Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) for vehicle removal (cars, boats, RVs, manufactured homes) and coordination with FEMA is ongoing.
- FEMA deadline: County officials reiterated the FEMA registration deadline for individuals is Sept. 4, 2025, and encouraged residents to apply online or at the Round Mountain Disaster Assistance Center.

Infrastructure and contingency planning
- Cow Creek and low-water crossings: County engineers described multiple damaged low-water crossings. The county is preparing engineering designs, repaving projects and signage/gauge installations at low-water crossings. Robert (transportation staff) said engineering contracts for design and construction will follow the assessment phase.
- Sandy Creek Bridge and temporary access: The Sandy Creek Bridge is “structurally fine” but its approach abutment is undermined and must be repaired before normal traffic can be restored. County staff said they are pursuing rental and purchase options for temporary bridges and negotiating a land-use agreement with a private property owner (Sunset Ranch family) to use an alternate crossing if needed. “We were able to find a rental bridge that allows us to span that area now,” the county's transportation representative said; the court authorized land-use paperwork to move forward.
- Cost framing: Staff described contingency planning and initial estimates. One county official cited a roughly $700,000 range for contingency measures tied to temporary bridges and immediate mitigation; Planning & Budget staff reported total tracked flood-related expenses approaching the original FY25 emergency reserve level after earlier transfers and staff time were counted.

Budget and reimbursement outlook
- Emergency reserve history: The county began FY25 with a $15 million emergency reserve and previously transferred $4 million on July 8 and $3 million on July 15 for debris removal and immediate response. The court's action on Aug. 12 draws the emergency reserve to zero. Planning & Budget staff and other presenters said they expect to seek FEMA reimbursement where applicable but cautioned reimbursements can take years and may be less than requested.
- County staffing costs: County payroll tracking showed roughly 24,431 overtime hours and related staff costs under $1.5 million so far for emergency response and shelter operations.

Public information and community assistance
- Outreach and case management: Health and Human Services reported a dedicated social worker on site for long-term case management and ongoing phone outreach (about 200 phone numbers called). The county set up a Disaster Assistance Center at Round Mountain Church for registrations, right-of-entry forms and information.
- Technical and ecological help: County staff said they are coordinating with AgriLife, the Hill Country Alliance and other partners to provide riparian and tree-planting guidance to residents after debris removal.

Formal actions recorded
- Transfer of $5,600,000 from the emergency reserve to central emergency response budget (Department 195): Motion by Commissioner Shea; second by Commissioner Trevillion; outcome: passed unanimously.
- Transfer of $2,352,000 (to fully draw the emergency reserve to zero) from the emergency reserve to Department 195: Motion by Commissioner Shea; second by Commissioner Trevillion; outcome: passed unanimously.
- Ratification of an interlocal agreement with the Texas Division of Emergency Management to use the Expo Center as a debris-management site for vehicle and boat debris and to authorize TDEM to remove vehicles/equipment when appropriate: Motion by Commissioner Trevillion; second by Commissioner Shea; outcome: passed unanimously.

Discussion vs. decision: Court minutes and staff presentations distinguished routine briefing items (debris counts, assessments underway), direction and assignments to staff (secure temporary bridges, complete engineering design contracts, distribute vouchers), and formal budget actions taken by the court. Several staff cautioned that FEMA reimbursement timing and amounts remain uncertain and that additional local funding decisions may be required as work continues.

Ending: County staff said operations will continue daily in the affected neighborhoods and directed residents to the county website and the Round Mountain DAC for updated information and for the FEMA registration deadline.