To view the original notice, click here. To: All interested Agencies Groups and Individuals Date of publication: March 28th, 2025  This is to give notice that the Texas General Land Office (GLO) will conduct an evaluation as required by Executive Order 11990 and Executive Order 11988, in accordance with HUD regulations at 24 CFR 55.20 in Subpart C Procedures for Making Determinations on Floodplain Management and Protection of Wetlands to determine the potential effect that Hays County single family disaster recovery Homeowner Reimbursement Program (HRP) and Homeowner Assistance Program (HAP) actions in wetlands and surrounding Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS) floodplains will have on the human environment. The GLO was allocated HUD funding to help address unmet housing needs as a result of the 2024 Texas severe storms and flooding, including Hurricane Beryl (Beryl). On May 15, 2024, a request was declared for a major disaster due to severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding beginning on April 26, 2024, and continued for several weeks. From July 5 to July 9, 2024, Beryl caused extensive wind damage, flooding, and power outages across multiple regions, particularly along the Texas Gulf Coast and inland communities. Wind gusts exceeding 90 mph and rainfall totals surpassing 15 inches in some areas led to significant damage to homes, infrastructure, and businesses. The State of Texas Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) will fund two residential housing programs for eligible county residents whose homes sustained damage from the 2024 disasters. The HAP provides funding primarily for low-to-moderate-income homeowners with direct construction support for storm-impacted owner-occupied single-family residential housing. The activities covered by this program include demolition, rehabilitation, reconstruction, manufactured house replacement, or new construction and their associated elevation, mitigation, utility, site improvements, and relocation assistance, as needed. The HRP provides funding for low to moderate-income owner-occupied single-family housing (including manufactured housing). It allows homeowners to be reimbursed for certain out-of-pocket expenses including Small Business Administration disaster home loans, incurred for repairs to their dwelling including elevation, wells and septic needs, reconstruction, rehabilitation, manufactured house replacement, and mitigation. The size of the proposed site, proposed number of units, and project footprint are not currently known, however, as specific sites are identified, they will be assessed for potential impacts related to land use, floodplains, and wetlands. Mitigation measures will be applied as necessary to minimize adverse effects. Within Hays County, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) effective maps include 26,763 acres (6.2%) in the 100-year floodplain Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) Zones A/AE/AO, 11,808 acres (2.7%) in the regulatory floodway, and 0 acres (0%) within the Coastal High Hazard Areas Zone V/VE. Zone X encompasses 5,689 acres (1.3%) of Hays County within the 500-year floodplain and 388,631 acres (89.9%) of Hays County outside all SFHA-designated floodplains. Approximately 7,052 acres (1.6%) within Hays County are designated as wetlands. This includes freshwater emergent wetlands, freshwater forested/shrub wetlands, freshwater ponds, lakes, and riverine wetlands. The extent of the FFRMS floodplain will be determined at a site-specific level using the 0.2 percent flood approach (0.2PFA) or the freeboard value approach (FVA) when appropriate. In addition, siting within the Limit of Moderate Wave Action (LiMWA)/Coastal A Zone will be determined at the site-specific level. Activities within the LiMWA will carry the same mitigation and protection strategy as siting within a coastal high-hazard area (Zone V/VE). The floodplains and wetlands within Hays County serve important environmental functions that contribute to the county’s ecological health and community resilience. These areas provide floodwater storage and conveyance, helping to absorb and slow floodwaters, which reduces downstream flooding and protects nearby properties and infrastructure. Additionally, they support groundwater recharge and discharge, maintaining local water supplies and sustaining the base flow of rivers and streams. The natural vegetation within these floodplains and wetlands also plays a key role in erosion control, stabilizing soils, and preventing sedimentation in waterways. Furthermore, these areas contribute to water quality maintenance by filtering pollutants and sediments, ultimately improving both human and ecological health. In inland counties, they help regulate watershed health, agricultural water retention, and riparian connectivity, ensuring the stability of local water systems and ecosystems. Beyond their ecological significance, these floodplains and wetlands hold intrinsic values that benefit the community. They provide recreational opportunities such as hiking, fishing, birdwatching, and kayaking, contributing to tourism and outdoor enjoyment. These areas also serve as educational and scientific resources, offering opportunities for research and environmental education on hydrology, ecology, and resilience. There are three primary purposes for this notice. First, people who may be affected by activities in the FFRMS floodplain and wetland and those who have an interest in the protection of the natural environment should be given an opportunity to express their concerns and provide information about these areas. Commenters are encouraged to offer alternative sites outside of the FFRMS floodplain and wetland, alternative methods to serve the same project purpose, and methods to minimize and mitigate project impacts on the FFRMS floodplain and wetland. Second, an adequate public notice program can be an important public educational tool. The dissemination of information and request for public comment about the FFRMS floodplain and wetland can facilitate and enhance Federal efforts to reduce the risks and impacts associated with the occupancy and modification of these special areas. Third, as a matter of fairness, when the Federal government determines it will participate in actions taking place in the FFRMS floodplain and wetland, it must inform those who may be put at greater or continued risk. Written comments must be received by GLO at the following address on or before April 14th, 2025: Texas General Land Office ATTN: David Camarena, Director Community Development & Revitalization (CDR) Division PO Box 12873, Austin TX 78711-2873 A full description of the project may also be reviewed from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M on weekdays at the address above. Comments may also be submitted via email at env.reviews@recovery.texas.gov.

To view the original Notice of Meeting, click here . This Notice is posted according to the Texas Open Meetings Act. (VERNONS TEXAS CODES ANN. GOV. CODE CH.551). The Hays County Sheriff’s Office Civil Service Commission will hold a meeting at 10 am on the 20 th day of March 2025 , in the Hays County Sheriff’s Office Public Safety Building, 1 st floor, Media Room located at 810 South Stagecoach Trail, San Marcos, Texas 78666. An Open Meeting will be held concerning the following subjects: 1. Call the meeting to order 2. Roll Call 3. Public Comments, if any 4. Approval of February 18, 2025, minutes 5. Discussion and possible action regarding the creation of a County email for Commission members to utilize for commission business (Keller) 6. Discussion and possible action regarding adoption of drafted discipline hearing procedures (Keller/Asst CDA Young) 7. Discussion and possible action regarding amendment to Section 3.07.1- Employee Eligibility List (Keller/Chief Deputy Bailey) 8. Discussion and possible action regarding Chapter 8 Promotions and Eligibility and other related processes that fall under the Commission's purview. (Kresta) 9. Adjournment Executive Sessions The Civil Service Commission will announce that it will go into Executive Session, if necessary, pursuant to Chapter 551 of the Texas Government Code, to receive advice from Legal Counsel to discuss matters of litigation and personnel matters as specifically listed on this agenda. The Civil Service Commission may also announce it will go into Executive Session, if necessary, to receive advice from Legal Counsel regarding any other item on this agenda. ADA Compliance Hays County encourages compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the conduct of all public meetings. To that end, persons with disabilities who plan to attend this meeting and who may need auxiliary aids such as an interpreter for a person who is hearing impaired are requested to contact the Director of the Civil Service Commission at (512) 393-7838 or via e-mail at Sandra.Galvan@hayscountytx.gov as soon as the meeting is posted (72 hours before the meeting) or as soon as practical so that appropriate arrangements can be made. While it would be helpful to receive as much advance notice as possible, Hays County will make every reasonable effort to accommodate any valid request regardless of when it is received. Braille is not available.

Residents residing in Hays County are invited to water well screenings and results meeting WIMBERLEY, Texas — The Texas Well Owner Network (TWON) is hosting an upcoming event in Hays County on April 7-8, allowing residents to have their well water screened. Joel Pigg, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program specialist in College Station, said the Texas Well Owner Network program is for Texas residents who depend on household wells for their water needs. “The TWON program was established to help well owners become familiar with Texas groundwater resources, septic system maintenance, well maintenance and construction and water quality and treatment,” Pigg said. “It allows them to learn more about how to improve and protect their community water resources.” Water samples will be screened for contaminants, including total coliform bacteria, E. coli, nitrate-nitrogen and salinity. Water Sampling and Meeting Information On April 7, water samples can be dropped off at the following times and locations: from 8:30-10:30 a.m. at the Hays County AgriLife Extension office, 200 Stillwater Road, Wimberley; 8:30- 11:30 a.m. at the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District office, 1124 Regal Row, Austin; 8:30-10:30 a.m. at the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District office, 14101 Highway 290 West, Building 100, Suite 212, Austin. On April 8, a follow-up meeting to discuss the screening results will take place from 11:00 a.m. to noon at the Wimberley Village Library, located at 400 FM 2325, Wimberley. Sampling Instructions Pigg said area residents wanting to have their well water screened should pick up a sample bag, a bottle and instructions from the local AgriLife Extension office or Groundwater Conservation District office before April 7. There will be a $15 per sample cost for the screening, and residents may submit as many samples as they like. “It is very important that only sampling bags and bottles be used, and all instructions for proper sampling are followed to ensure accurate results,” he said. “Private water wells should be tested annually, he said. The samples will be screened for contaminants, including total coliform bacteria, E. coli, nitrate-nitrogen and salinity.” Pigg said it is essential for those submitting samples to attend the follow-up meeting to receive results, learn corrective measures for identified problems and improve their understanding of private well management. Well-Water Contaminants Concerns According to Pigg, research indicates that the presence of E. coli bacteria in water suggests that waste from humans or warm-blooded animals may have contaminated the water. Water contaminated with E. coli is also more likely to contain pathogens that can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea or other symptoms. The presence of nitrate-nitrogen in well water is also a concern, and water with nitrate-nitrogen at levels of 10 parts per million is considered unsafe for human consumption. “These nitrate levels above 10 parts per million can disrupt the ability of blood to carry oxygen throughout the body, resulting in a condition called methemoglobinemia,” Pigg said. “Infants younger than 6 months of age are most susceptible to this.” Salinity, as measured by total dissolved solids, will also be determined for each sample, he said. Water with high levels may leave deposits and have a salty taste. Using water with high levels for irrigation may damage soil or plants. The screenings are presented by AgriLife Extension and Texas Water Resources Institute, TWRI, in partnership with the Hays County AgriLife Extension office, Barton Spring Edwards Aquifer Conservation District and the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District. Funding for TWON is through a Clean Water Act Section 319(h) nonpoint source grant provided by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The project is managed by TWRI, part of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, AgriLife Extension and the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. To learn more about the programs offered through the network or to access additional publications and resources, visit https://twon.tamu.edu. For more information on the water screening, contact Joel Pigg at 979-321-5946 or j-pigg@tamu.edu

SAN MARCOS , Texas - Hays County Criminal District Attorney Kelly Higgins announced today that 23-year-old Cory Grado of San Marcos was sentenced to 17 years in prison on March 20, 2025. On March 20, 2025, a jury found Cory Grado guilty of sexual assault and invasive visual recording. The evidence at trial showed that Cory Grado recorded himself sexually assaulting the victim. When officers with the San Marcos Police Department searched the defendant’s phone for evidence, they found numerous images and videos depicting the sexual assault in graphic detail, as well as close-up photos of the victim’s intimate areas. After the jury found the defendant guilty of sexual assault and invasive visual recording, the punishment phase of the trial began. The jurors heard additional testimony from the victim, the victim’s boyfriend and the mother of the victim, detailing the traumatic effect the crimes had on the victim and explaining how much she has suffered as a result. The jury ultimately returned a sentence of 17 years in prison for the sexual assault conviction and a maximum sentence of two years state jail for invasive visual recording. This case was investigated by the San Marcos Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Miranda Ebersole and Elizabeth Schmidt. "We asked the jury to send a message that these crimes are not tolerated in our community, and that is what they have done with their verdict,” Schmidt said. “We want to thank the jurors for their service, especially since they had to review very disturbing evidence. We also want to thank the victim in this case for her bravery and for having the strength to face the defendant in court.”  District Attorney Kelly Higgins thanked the investigators, prosecutors and jurors for bringing Grado to justice.