R-2005-20 legislative review/necessary revision of emergency evacuation procedures/policies prompted by Hurricane Rita

Browse Search

. . WHEREAS, Texas Department of Transportation announced approximately twelve hours before landfall, that the State was implementing contra flow lanes, courtesy patrols to assist stranded motorists and the deployment of mobilized fuel trailers among other corrective measures, well after the critical evacuation problems became evident, and WHEREAS, the largest portion of fleeing evacuees could not access contra flow lanes until traffic was beyond the main urban areas of the City of Houston, and WHEREAS, it is critical to review this particular event, the evacuation plan, consider viable prioritized alternatives for the benefit of all Texans without constraint by localized interests over the needs of the greater Texas population, and WHEREAS, the first priority of the State of Texas and all Texas cities should be to immediately begin an appropriate review and ascertain needed correction(s), and through the upcoming legislative process secure State funding and/or State and Federal budget amendments to immediately begin the necessary improvements determined, and WHEREAS, the vast majority of evacuees honored the call to leave and conducted their flight in a civil manner, supported by vast law enforcement and emergency response agencies, communities, cities, counties, and faith based organizations went well beyond the call of duty and should be appropriately recognized and thanked for their cooperation, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the Texas Municipal League at the 2005 Annual Conference, adopt as a critical priority the call for the Texas Legislature to consider and act with all deliberate speed on the following: I. Recognize, thank and support the impacted refugee communities, cities, counties and agencies for their assistance in the mandatory evacuation associated with Hurricane Rita and ask that appropriate funding be provided to assist these supporting stakeholders for the inevitable future mandatory evacuation. 2. Support all needed assistance to that portion of Texas adversely impacted by Hurricane Rita. 3. Call for an independent, competent and non partisan review of the Hurricane Rita evacuation event and governing emergency management plan and processes to determine reasonable and appropriate opportunities for improvement. 4. Provide the revised public policy to address the identified needs accordingly. 5. Provide the local jurisdiction with adequate authority, infrastructure improvements and funding to improve this process. 6. Target a revised plan for approval, no later than June 1, 2006. 7. Implementation of identified projects to be competed according to a time schedule requiring all deliberate speed to implement.