County ready to begin cleanup of Guadalupe flood debris

Cleanup starts tomorrow. 

That’s the word from Kendall County authorities, who said work will begin Wednesday to remove the thousands of tons of debris left by the July 4 Guadalupe River flooding. 

“We have received authorization from the Texas Division of Emergency Management to move forward with the cleanup and remediation effort within our community,” County Judge Shane Stolarczyk said at a Tuesday press conference. 

Work crews from DRC Emergency Services out of Metairie, Louisiana, have been in the Boerne area for several days, waiting to hear the words Stolarczyk delivered to the media. 

“Cleanup operations will begin tomorrow, Wednesday, July 30, and are expected to continue for 8-10 weeks,” he added. 

Stolarczyk said the number of bodies found in Kendall County, nine, has not changed in weeks, despite search and recovery crews having completed primary and secondary sweeps of the river in the county. 

“At this time, we have no indication that the two missing individuals are located in Kendall County,” he said. Thus, TDEM granted the county the right to proceed with its clean-up. 

He said DRC has been contracted (by TDEM) to manage debris removal operations, working seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. countywide until flood mitigation is complete. 

And if your property is buried in several feet of debris, the number you need to know is 830-217-2890.  

A call center begins manning the line at 8 a.m. Wednesday and will connect callers with officials who can answer questions about the debris removal process. 

Landowners seeking debris removal will file ROEs — rights of entry — granting permission to the contractor to access their private property to remove debris, at no cost to the property owner. 

The ROE process, Stolarczyk said, is still being finalized; he expects an announcement within 7-10 days that the system is online and ready for use. 

DRC will begin debris removal in some of the hardest hit areas of the county, nearest the Kerr County line and start with county right-of-way, a priority at this time. Private property cleanup will follow prior to debris in and along the river. 

Stolarczyk advised landowners to consider moving debris onto county right-of-way, without blocking roadways and access points, so it can be hauled off by DRC. 

Officials said they are not ready to release information about who has been found, and where within the county, at this time.