BEAUMONT — The regular meeting of the Jefferson County Commissioners Court on Monday afternoon served as a forum for information on disaster recovery.

County Judge Jeff Branick said a number of congressmen and senators, Gov. Greg Abbott and state officials toured the area after Hurricane Harvey hit. They told the judge and the commissioners court Jefferson County would get what it needs for recovery.

“Greg Abbott said he is dead set on this being the fastest disaster recovery in the history of the U.S.,” Branick said. “He will use his authority to get rid of any red tape in the way. For instance, permitting will be done through the TCEQ (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) rather than the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). He will streamline the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permitting. He wants to move forward in an expeditious fashion past the disasters. That’s why I’m cautiously optimistic.”

To speed up the process, Federal Emergency Management Agency will have county commissioners look at roads and bridges in their precincts and fill out project worksheets to begin the work. Some roads have been underwater for 10 days and they are starting to buckle and crack.

Three LNVA lift stations were inundated with water. Branick anticipates they will be lifted to a safer height.

It was also discovered there was some faulty communication equipment that needs to be addressed.

FEMA is expected to have hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy back properties. However, the maximum for a property buyback is $33,000.

A Disaster Recovery Center is scheduled to open this week at Christus St. Mary’s Hospital in Port Arthur on Ninth Avenue near Gulfway Drive. Another DRC is scheduled to open at the former Goodwill store at Gateway Shopping Center in Beaumont.

Branick said another challenge faced by residents are denial letters from FEMA. He believes the denials were prior to Sept. 2 when Jefferson County was included as part of the presidential declaration afterward.

The Texas Education Agency has a hotline at 512-463-9603 to answer questions from parents and/or guardians who have children in school.

Mike Morath, commissioner of the TEA, said he will work particularly close with the Port Arthur ISD because they are unsure how many students they will have returning.

Yet another challenge is that Jefferson County is not eligible for the disaster-housing program that would bring FEMA trailers to Southeast Texas or the Direct Repair Program. FEMA told Branick “There is a plethora of housing inventory available in Jefferson County,” as the reason for the denial.

He added that he is hopeful the problem will be taken care of on Monday and the county will receive Community Development Block Grants to address housing repairs.

The Department of Health Services will soon set up a food distribution center in Port Arthur. Michael “Shane” Sinegal, Precinct 3 commissioner, said he is working on making the Jefferson County Sub-Courthouse as the center.

The military is using C-130s to spray for mosquitos. They started in Orange County and will make their way through the county until they reach Port Arthur. The planes can carry 100,000 gallons of spray. The pilots and crew use night vision goggles to see at night.

The Texas Department of Agriculture said the spray will not harm crops. Beekeepers should cover their hives for protection.

The ship channel is under draft restrictions at a depth of 28-feet. Large ships can’t get or get out.

A dredger will immediately start clearing the channel by pushing sand down the channel and smoothing out the bottom.

Debris removal on private properties and commercial properties will start on Monday.

Starla Garlick, 4-H agent for the county, will relay information between the Rebuild Texas Commission and the county. Commissioner John Sharp said every county has an AgriLife presence that could serve as a conduit of information.

Garlick said an immediate concern is the housing situation in Port Arthur.

Branick speculates refineries will be back up in another 28 to 40 days. During that downtime, millions of gallons of fuel are not being processed and driving up prices nationally.

The Small Business Administration has low interest loans available for businesses, renters and nonprofit organizations. The National Flood Insurance Program is offering a 120-day extension for those who let their coverage lapse. For instance, someone who let it lapse in May could still have time to renew.

The meeting concluded with the judge and commissioners sharing their personal thoughts and thanking everyone for a job well done.