BEST FISHING IN TEXAS
SPORTS VIEWS
Kaz’s Forecast
Capt. Dickie Colburn Page 1B
Page 1B
DOWN LIFE’S HIGHWAY
CAROLINE BREWTON Feature Columnist For The Record Page 2A
Roy Dunn Columnist Page 7A
H H H H H Your Hometown Newspaper Since 1958 H H H H H
The Record TheRecordLive.com
Vol. 56 No. 20
Distributed FREE To The Citizens of Bridge City and Orangefield
Week of Wednesday, September 3, 2014
BC, FEMA officials discuss flood zone David Ball
For The Record
Bridge City city officials met last week with FEMA officials to get some answers regarding properties residing in flood zones. Both parties met on the afternoon of August 27. Also present were engineers from Lonnie G. Harper and Associates who were hired by the city, Orange County officials and officials from other cities within the county. Representing FEMA was Larry Voice and Steve Eberbach. The city appealed new floodplain maps produced by FEMA at the end of 2013. “I think the meeting was good,” said Mayor Kirk Roccaforte. There was a lot of progress made between FEMA, the city and the engineers. We received some good input and there was a lot of questions and answers.” Roccaforte said FEMA is willing to compromise on some things. Both parties asked for more data. “Our appeal was filed in December. We’ve asked a lot of questions and got some answers, but not many yet,” he said.
He added he was “very encouraged” by the dialogue and hoped to come to a resolution. “We’re gathering ROCCAFORTE more data to exchange and come back in weeks if not months. Hopefully in the next few weeks,” Roccaforte said. On the flip side, Earl Armstrong a media relations representative with FEMA, said they are looking over the appeal that was submitted by Bridge City. The goal of the meeting was to make preliminary comments, speak to the community and to go over additional data.” In a Record article dated April 22, 2014, Roccaforte said federal legislation passed through amending the BiggertWaters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 that will give relief to residents of the city on flood insurance rates by reinstating the grandfather clause and subsidies. “The Pre-FIRM (prior building) elevation needs to be at least eight feet in base flood elevation. If it’s nine or 10 feet, the homesteads will get better
rates,” Roccaforte said. “Most of Bridge City is over the eight feet elevation mark. It stays with the property, however, not with the person.” The Biggert-Waters Act en-
acted the actual rates per property, he said. For instance, some properties escalated 400 percent, from $1,200 a year to $8,000 a year. “Property values would have
plummeted,” Roccaforte said. He cited his son’s property as an example. He has a nine foot elevation, but it went from $700 a year to $4,800 a year. FEMA came out with new
Hometown girl lands ‘Big Red’
BC reports fewer calls from brown water David Ball
For The Record
OC agrees to new regional Mutual Aid Agreement David Ball
For The Record
It was out with the old, in with the new at the regular meeting of the Orange County Commissioners’ Court on Monday afternoon. Commissioners approved rescinding the existing Mutual Aid Agreement between the county and the cities of Orange, Pinehurst, West Orange, Bridge City, Vidor, Pineforest and Rose City. Also rescinded was a MAA between Orange County, and Jefferson County, and Hardin County. In its place, County Judge Carl Thibodeaux was authorized to sign the South East Texas Regional Mutual Aid
H • SHERLOCK BREAUX Page...................... 4A • Obituaries Page.......................6A •Dicky Colburn Fishing...................1B • CHURCH NEWS Page................ ......5B • CLASSIFIED ADS Page......................6B
Agreement. Jeff Kelley, emergency management coordinator for the county, explained the MAA made for the county is no longer binding and FEMA will no longer recognize the language in that MAA. He added he became aware of this two years ago. Orange County is preparing a document and a draft will be sent to FEMA. Kelley said it’s a “clean document” that will meet state standards too. The 2002 MAA was made with each individual agency within the county. The new MAA will be a regional document and not an evergreen document that only needs to be signed one time. The SETRPC will not sign the document but manage the signatures of the entities. They will also serve as a repository and create a database. “I highly recommend looking at all the Mutual Aid Agreements in the county and clean them up with this approved language,” Kelley said. If changes aren’t made to the MAA, FEMA will not work with the county and it will affect reimbursements during a disaster. The cities have been notified and some have finished their drafts. Kelley thinks the gap will be closed in a week or two and everyone will have their MAA turned in to FEMA. Kelley said he will brief the court on the progress of the other entities completing their MAAs. In other county business, a part-time position in Records Management Department was filled. The position became vacant on August 29. COUNTY BUSINESS Page 3A
floodplain maps for the city at the end of last year. The new rate maps have been appealed and most of the city has been taken out as a most preferred area. “Eighty percent was not in the flood zone (under the old map). Now, 80 percent of the city is in the flood zone,” he said. The city has also hired Lonnie G. Harper and Associates, an engineering firm out of Cameron, La. who have been successful in the past in revising rate maps. The appeal from the city was made December 24, 2013. FEMA signified in February they received the appeal.
Nashville may be a long way from Bridge City but Bridge City is never far away from Teresa Hearn George. The Bridge City High School grad is the Senior Vice President of the Academy of Country Music which presents the famed ACM Awards that will be celebrating the 50th Anniversary in 2015. In her spare time Teresa is an avid sportsman, seen here hoisting a trophy sized redfish taken off the coast of Louisiana. The Academy will stage the largest awards show ever, at Texas’s AT&T Stadium –Home of the Dallas Cowboys—for a crowd of 65,000 and millions of viewers at home. Teresa is the daughter of Ray and Elaine Hearn of Bridge City.
Fundraisers planned for Bisson Penny Leleux
For The Record
Steve Bisson, a native of Bridge City and a 1974 graduate of Bridge City High School is in need of a liver transplant. He must be prepared to go to Houston and stay there on a moment’s notice from St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital on Main Street. Medical bills are mounting and due to his illness, Bisson has not been able to work. The community is pitching in with fundraisers to help with expenses. Saturday a benefit will be held at 11 a.m. - until, at the Texas Rose Saloon located at 2013 South Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway in Beaumont. There will be barbecue dinners for $6. A raffle for a .38 snubnose revolver with holster and ammunition are $2 each and donations will be accepted. There is no cover charge and lots of free music planned including: Dick LeMasters, Tre’ Thibodeaux and Doug Hayes. Sound and DJ services
donated by Chad Snider. They are still looking for more musicians, genre doesn’t matter. Music to start around 2 BISSON p.m. Last week, Joseph and Sons Metal Scrapping started a benefit Bisson by collecting scrap metal and large and small appliances. They reclaim the metal from the objects and recycle them. Joseph and Sons, which is veteran owned and operated, is donating 50% of their net proceeds from metal collected through community donations to the Bisson family to help with mounting medical costs. Joseph Henry, owner, said they will continue with the benefit as long as material donations continue. So far they have raised over $70. Henry said people are not only helping Bisson, but donations also help the environment by recycling rather thank filling a dump or
landfill. Donors can make arrangements to have their items picked up by calling the business for an appointment at 886-0075. Other items that may be donated include batteries, cars, tools, water heaters, air conditioning units, copper, brass, motors, metal storage buildings, televisions and many other items. For monetary donations a gofundme campaign was recently set up for online donations at http://www.gofundme. com/bu9gc0 or there is an account set up at Wellspring (formerly Firestone Credit Union) (409-697-2461) in the name of Steve Bisson. He has received two calls so far that organs were available, but neither were viable for transplant when the organs arrived. “When they call, you have to leave immediately,” said his wife Debrah. There is a six to twelve hour BENEFITS PLANNED Page 3A
Maybe the repairs made to the Bridge City water system are working. City Manager Jerry Jones reported at the regular meeting of the Bridge City City Council on Tuesday night flush-outs of brown water were ongoing and the pumps have been calibrated are running correctly. Jones said his office received two phone calls this weekend about residents having brown water from their tap and none on Tuesday. “It seems to be working,” he said. At the August 5 council meeting, Jones explained the brown water as a problem with the chemical treating encapsulating the manganese. Napco Chemical Company test ran the water and shared the results. A machine needed calibration and the system needed extensive flushing. Jones will also meet with representatives with the water filtering system this week. He also reported street work is continuing in the Live Oak area. The council also conducted a public hearing regarding the proposed ad valorem tax rate for the 2014 tax year, levied as follows: $.21021 per $100 valuation for the Interest and Sinking Fund $.26786 per $100 valuation for the Maintenance and Operation Fund $.47807 per $100 valuation for the Total Tax Rate This is the second public hearing conducted. The ad valorem tax rate will be adopted at 6 p.m. on Sept. 16 at the next city council meeting at city hall. Jones reported on city officials meeting with FEMA officials last week. He said things “went well” and progress was made. “We’re moving in a positive direction,” Jones said. In other council business, a Mutual Aid Agreement was rescinded between Bridge City, Orange County, and the cities of Orange, Pinehurst, West Orange, Vidor, Pineforest and BRIDGE CITY Page 3A