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Uvalde County court approves county-run flood debris pickup, designates Road Department as contact
Summary
Commissioners voted unanimously to have county crews collect flood debris and use temporary city landfill acreage if the city’s permit is granted; the court directed the Road Department to be the public point of contact and to publish guidance on eligible material and separation requirements.
Uvalde County commissioners voted unanimously to pursue county-run removal of flood debris and to use temporary acreage a nearby city has offered if the city secures a permit. The court directed residents to report eligible flood-related material to the county Road Department and said debris must be separated into appliances/metal, brush and household/construction piles for disposal.
Forrest, who presented an amended event-based debris-management plan, told the court the plan “provides a way forward on how to deal with debris in instances of storm and or flood,” and emphasized strict documentation — GPS tracking, photographs and chain-of-custody — to preserve any potential FEMA reimbursement. Commissioners debated the trade-offs between using a third-party contractor with a monitor (which can help with FEMA eligibility) and having county crews do pickups more quickly. One commissioner argued county crews would be “far cheaper and… far more accountable.”
During public comment, Deer Valley resident Lucy Horn urged faster action for families with destroyed homes: “We lost nearly everything in the flood… The place we used to call a home is now just a pile of rubbish,” she said, asking the court to help remove debris so rebuilding can begin. Commissioners said they would publish eligibility criteria and separation instructions on the county website and social media, and begin taking reports so pickup can start as soon as the city’s temporary permit is confirmed.
The motion that county crews perform debris pickup, with the Road Department as the point of contact, passed 4–0.
