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Kemah residents crave stability after storm
By NEESHA HOSEIN
Kemah homeowners are fed up after two weeks as a spectacle for sightseers, hungry for a peek at their devastated homes and businesses.
The fear of looting, violence, public intoxication and hazards from debris pile-up are just a few of the concerns expressed by residents at a city hall meeting last Tuesday.
“It was never made clear to me why the curfew was lifted,” one woman said. “Can somebody tell me why?”
City Administrator Bill Kerber said lifting the curfew was an attempt to “balance things between our stores that could open, where people could go to Wal-Mart and buy the necessary things that they need for daily living.”
Although the curfew was lifted, the police department has maintained its checkpoints, and officers are trying to check as many people who come through as they can, whether they are contractors or citizens, Kerber said.
Building official Jack Fryday warned residents about contractor scams and advised them never to pay contractors in advance, and always verify that they are registered with the city.
“I feel like I am just stuck here in no-man’s land,” one woman said. “It says residents only, now I’m down there and I can’t tell you how many cars came down that way and they had to back up because there’s no way to turn around.”
A Palapas Bar representative said he has a lot of employees who “need to go back to work and are ready to go back to work as soon as possible” and asked about hours of operation for the bar, whose normal hours are 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. He said he hired three extra doormen for added security.
“I’d like for the city to seriously think about its citizens before it does its businesses at this point,” one woman said. “We are not secure where we are. Our home has been destroyed. We’ve got trash all over the street. I don’t need any more drunks in my yard.”
City officials expressed concern about these types of businesses creating an opportunity for individuals to become intoxicated and wander around neighborhoods and places they should not be present, causing disturbances.
“My main concern is that we need to be comfortable,” Councilman Wayne Rast said. “Right now, our police department is stretched as far as it can stretch. And I really don’t want to stop anybody from reopening their business… If we have to spread out farther than that, I’m worried about the resources that we have.”
Another concern is that the open parking lot that the bar intends to utilize for its customers could potentially be more productive if a church or donation program used the space to serve the community’s current needs, Kerber said.
“We just don’t want the gawkers and the people sightseeing,” another woman said.
“The information that we’re going to put out to the media is that there’s a curfew from dusk to dawn in our area of West Kemah and our area down in Old Kemah,” Kerber said.
Kerber said Kemah has “piggybacked onto a contract with the City of League City,” and Beck Disaster Recovery has approximately 46 trucks in the area that will make a few trips around before debris pick-up services cease.
Kerber instructed residents to “separate the vegetation from the metals, along with the boards with large bolts and pieces of metal on it.”
“I know everybody put a lot of their loose debris in plastic bags, hoping, trying to do the right thing and we appreciate that, but the grinders will not take the plastic bags,” Kerber said. “First off, they can’t see what’s in it before they put it in the grinder and the plastic bags get in there after a while and will jam up the grinders.”
If any debris misses a round of collection, the trucks will make a few more trips before heading out, Kerber said.
Several residents stood up and thanked and praised the efforts of law enforcement officers, but also expressed concern about insecurity.
“Why aren’t we getting law enforcement to help,” one woman asked. “I see law enforcement helping state troopers in all the other communities, but why aren’t we getting law enforcement help here?”
Kerber said the city’s request through the state for more law enforcement was turned down and he commented that they were probably “commandeered” to Galveston and Houston.
“Houston brought in law enforcement from all over the country,” the woman said. “I don’t understand why we can’t reapply and address this again and give the police department some help. There’s got to be a way to do that. I know the other cities are getting their senators to help them and why aren’t we talking to our senator.”
Kerber responded by saying it is just a process.
The fear of looting, violence, public intoxication and hazards from debris pile-up are just a few of the concerns expressed by residents at a city hall meeting last Tuesday.
“It was never made clear to me why the curfew was lifted,” one woman said. “Can somebody tell me why?”
City Administrator Bill Kerber said lifting the curfew was an attempt to “balance things between our stores that could open, where people could go to Wal-Mart and buy the necessary things that they need for daily living.”
Although the curfew was lifted, the police department has maintained its checkpoints, and officers are trying to check as many people who come through as they can, whether they are contractors or citizens, Kerber said.
Building official Jack Fryday warned residents about contractor scams and advised them never to pay contractors in advance, and always verify that they are registered with the city.
“I feel like I am just stuck here in no-man’s land,” one woman said. “It says residents only, now I’m down there and I can’t tell you how many cars came down that way and they had to back up because there’s no way to turn around.”
A Palapas Bar representative said he has a lot of employees who “need to go back to work and are ready to go back to work as soon as possible” and asked about hours of operation for the bar, whose normal hours are 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. He said he hired three extra doormen for added security.
“I’d like for the city to seriously think about its citizens before it does its businesses at this point,” one woman said. “We are not secure where we are. Our home has been destroyed. We’ve got trash all over the street. I don’t need any more drunks in my yard.”
City officials expressed concern about these types of businesses creating an opportunity for individuals to become intoxicated and wander around neighborhoods and places they should not be present, causing disturbances.
“My main concern is that we need to be comfortable,” Councilman Wayne Rast said. “Right now, our police department is stretched as far as it can stretch. And I really don’t want to stop anybody from reopening their business… If we have to spread out farther than that, I’m worried about the resources that we have.”
Another concern is that the open parking lot that the bar intends to utilize for its customers could potentially be more productive if a church or donation program used the space to serve the community’s current needs, Kerber said.
“We just don’t want the gawkers and the people sightseeing,” another woman said.
“The information that we’re going to put out to the media is that there’s a curfew from dusk to dawn in our area of West Kemah and our area down in Old Kemah,” Kerber said.
Kerber said Kemah has “piggybacked onto a contract with the City of League City,” and Beck Disaster Recovery has approximately 46 trucks in the area that will make a few trips around before debris pick-up services cease.
Kerber instructed residents to “separate the vegetation from the metals, along with the boards with large bolts and pieces of metal on it.”
“I know everybody put a lot of their loose debris in plastic bags, hoping, trying to do the right thing and we appreciate that, but the grinders will not take the plastic bags,” Kerber said. “First off, they can’t see what’s in it before they put it in the grinder and the plastic bags get in there after a while and will jam up the grinders.”
If any debris misses a round of collection, the trucks will make a few more trips before heading out, Kerber said.
Several residents stood up and thanked and praised the efforts of law enforcement officers, but also expressed concern about insecurity.
“Why aren’t we getting law enforcement to help,” one woman asked. “I see law enforcement helping state troopers in all the other communities, but why aren’t we getting law enforcement help here?”
Kerber said the city’s request through the state for more law enforcement was turned down and he commented that they were probably “commandeered” to Galveston and Houston.
“Houston brought in law enforcement from all over the country,” the woman said. “I don’t understand why we can’t reapply and address this again and give the police department some help. There’s got to be a way to do that. I know the other cities are getting their senators to help them and why aren’t we talking to our senator.”
Kerber responded by saying it is just a process.
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