Dec. 7, 2011 – The Galveston County Commissioners Court, by an order approved Dec. 6, 2011, has lifted the ban on outdoor burning for Bolivar Peninsula. The ban had been in effect since April 21, 2011, due to the excessive drought across the county and Texas.
Significant recent rainfall and colder temperatures have reduced the threat of wildfires, setting the stage for lifting the ban on the peninsula. The Commissioners Court had previously lifted the ban for unincorporated areas of mainland Galveston County on Oct. 11, 2011.
However, citizens are reminded that outdoor burning is illegal in incorporated cities as a matter of law. The Commissioners Court action only affects the unincorporated areas, including Bolivar Peninsula, the San Leon-Bacliff-Bayshore area, the Alta Loma area surrounding Santa Fe, and the Freddieville area between Hitchcock and Bayou Vista.
Emergency management officials will continue to watch rainfall levels to determine when and if the burn ban needs to be reinstituted in these unincorporated areas.

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Monday, Nov. 28, 2011 -- Galveston County will conduct two Public Hearings on proposed activities to be funded with Hurricane Ike Community Development Block Grant Funds.

The identical hearings will be conducted on different dates and times for public convenience: Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 5:30 PM and Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 1 PM. Both hearings will be conducted in the Commissioners Courtroom, first floor of the Galveston County Courthouse, 722 Moody (21st Street) in Galveston.

The purpose of the hearings is to obtain public comment on Galveston County’s proposed use of $115,725,091 in CDBG Round Two housing funds and $31,558,883 in CDBG Round Two infrastructure funds.

Housing funds will be used to benefit low- and moderate-income persons in unincorporated Galveston County as well as in every city in Galveston County with the exception of Galveston, which operates its own housing program. Program activities may include repairs to single-and multi-family housing, construction of new single-family and multi-family housing, repair of rental units, and demolition of blighted structures.

Infrastructure funds will be used to reduce losses from future hurricanes, flooding and storm surge, and to help citizens recover sooner from the next storm. Examples of possible program activities include installation of generators, elevation of flood-prone equipment, various projects to improve drainage, elevation of flood-prone homes, and loans to assist hurricane-impacted businesses.

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Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011 – Thanks to heavy rainfall across most of the county last weekend, Galveston County Judge Mark Henry has lifted the outdoor burn ban for portions of the unincorporated areas.
The outdoor burn ban has been lifted for all of the unincorporated areas of the Galveston County Mainland. However, the burn ban remains in effect for all of Bolivar Peninsula. While rainfall of up to 5 inches fell on other parts of the county last weekend, the peninsula received very little precipitation except in Port Bolivar.
The unincorporated areas of the mainland include the San Leon-Bacliff-Bayshore area; a portion of Dickinson east of Highway 3; the Alta Loma area around Santa Fe; and Freddiesville between Hitchcock and Bayou Vista.
This order does not affect the incorporated cities, as they ban outdoor burning as a rule.
The county’s ban could be re-imposed in a matter of weeks. The National Weather Service warns that a “La Niña” weather pattern is taking hold across the Southwest, bringing the likelihood of a warmer, drier winter and a continuing elevated fire risk.
Drought data will be monitored by the Office of Emergency Management daily to determine if and when the ban needs to be reinstated.

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