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Court hears status update on FEMA buyout properties; dozens purchased, many still pending
Summary
County staff told the Fiscal Court that the county has purchased dozens of FEMA buyout properties from the 2022 program but many demolitions and closings remain pending because of title issues, abatement needs and state approval for 2025 buyouts.
County staff gave a status update Aug. 18 on the county—s ongoing FEMA buyout programs, saying dozens of flood-prone parcels have been purchased and demolished under the 2022 buyout round but many properties remain pending for legal, survey or abatement reasons. The update, provided during a regular meeting of the County Fiscal Court, summarized purchases, demolitions and next steps for the 2025 buyout list.
The court was told the county purchased 73 properties under the 2022 FEMA buyout program and demolished 64 of those. Staff said the remainder of that 2022 group is in varying stages: about 12 parcels have been purchased but are held up by title issues, others are pending vacancy or abatement, and some require surveys before demolition.
For the NRCS (National Resources Conservation Service) buyout work that has been coordinated alongside FEMA, staff reported the county purchased 58 properties and demolished 14, with the remainder undergoing survey and abatement. Staff said they issued 10 survey requests the prior week and hoped returned surveys would allow demolition of additional homes.
The presenter said the county has not yet received the state—s approval to start work on the FEMA 2025 buyout properties, and staff are waiting on the state to instruct the county to proceed. "We still haven't gotten any approval to start on any of those properties yet," the presenter said. Because of that, the 2025 properties remain on the county—s buyout list but have not entered demolition or closing phases.
Staff reported 13 properties currently pending closing; they said the county planned to submit another request for funds that week and that, if approved, they expected about 13 more closings by the end of September. The update also noted remaining properties in the program mostly require homeowner documentation such as FEMA letters before closings can be completed.
On demolition logistics, staff said some properties remain in "vacancy or abatement" status and that abatement or title problems are the most common reasons postponing demolition. The presenter asked the court for patience while state and survey processes run their courses and to expect additional closings and demolitions in coming weeks should the state release approvals and survey work be completed.
Court members thanked staff for the update and asked follow-ups about timing and whether remaining legal or documentation problems could be escalated. Staff said they would continue to push for surveys and requested funds and would report back when the state provides authorization to proceed with 2025 buyouts.
The discussion was informational and no formal action was taken at the meeting; staff described next steps and estimated additional closings by late September if required approvals and documents arrive.
Ending: Staff will return to the court with further updates once the state provides authorization for 2025 buyouts and when additional surveys or closings are completed.
