During the first city council meeting since the July 4th flood, city leaders discussed the need for weather sirens and the lack of communication from Kerr County.
INGRAM, Texas — City leaders in Ingram met for the first time since the devastating July Fourth flood during a city council meeting Monday night.
Ingram was one of the hardest-hit areas during the disaster. Now, city officials are focusing on how to move forward—and they say they are doing it largely without communication from the county.
Mayor Claud Jordan and fellow city council members have been working around the clock to support search and recovery efforts in the community. On Monday, they were hoping to receive an update from Kerr County officials.
Kerr County Emergency Management Coordinator William B. Thomas was scheduled to speak but canceled due to scheduling conflicts, according to Jordan.
“We have no information. Nobody has called us, nobody has contacted us,” said Jordan. “We were hoping to hear from him, but I guess not.”
During the meeting, Code Enforcement Officer Stuart Gross called the lack of communication “a disrespectful shame.”
“They just did not respect us enough to call and ask, ‘How did you fare? What do you need? Do you need resources? Here’s what’s going to happen.’ Even now, we’re getting our information through websites and web postings,” Gross said.
Despite the silence from county officials, city leaders say they won’t wait for others to act—especially when it comes to public safety.
Councilman Ray Howard, who was unable to attend Monday’s meeting due to medical reasons, called in to propose an investment in two weather sirens along the river. He said he plans to research what Comal County has done with their warning systems.
Howard also noted that both the president and the governor pledged funding for this type of infrastructure.
“We’re going to hold them to it,” he said.
Mayor Jordan called it a great idea and encouraged Howard to work on a formal proposal. The council is also keeping an eye on the special session in Austin, where state lawmakers may discuss funding for emergency warning systems.
Meanwhile, Gross said he wants the city to reconsider where people are allowed to camp along the river.
“I think it’s more than just sirens,” he said. “We need to change the way of thinking. The campground below me completely washed away—I mean, gone. People were screaming for help. Should they have been down there?”
During Monday’s meeting, the council did approve opening up a bank account for donations specifically for the city.
KENS 5 reached out to Kerr County leaders regarding the city’s concerns about communication but did not hear back before this story aired Monday night.