Special Council meeting set for Sunday

Mayor Steve Adler declared a local state of disaster on Thursday because of record flooding that struck the city on Oct. 30. That declaration will be in effect for seven days or until it is ratified and extended by City Council. There will be a special Council meeting at 2 p.m. on Sunday, during which Council will consider an extension of the declaration, although it is not clear exactly how long that extension might be in effect. Travis County has already issued a disaster declaration. Sunday’s agenda also includes three other flood-related items. Council will consider an ordinance waiving permitting and development fees, as well as “reimbursing certain fees and costs required to address damage resulting from the flooding,” the agenda says. In addition, Council will consider waiving the usual residency requirements for the city to purchase properties in the 25-year floodplain of Onion Creek and 100-year floodplain of Little Onion Creek. If this item passes, the owners of homes in those areas will not be required to live in their homes for the 90 days prior to the city’s purchase, and the homes will be appraised at the value they had on Oct. 29, the day before the flood. There are more than 200 homes in this category. There is also a catch-all item at the end of the agenda that says, “Consider and take appropriate action related to the flood event beginning on October 30, 2015.”