In case you missed Managing Newsletter Editor Joi Louviere’s newsletter on Aug. 31 about the grass fire in Sand Branch, I’ll give you a little refresher. The unincorporated community sits in southern Dallas County and was originally established as a freedmen’s town—these were communities founded by formerly enslaved people after Emancipation. Sand Branch has a long history filled with richness and sorrow, and it experienced even more of the latter during that recent fire.
The issue was made worse by the fact that the community doesn’t have access to running water. Instead, they rely primarily on bottled water. When the blaze engulfed 10 acres in the area, responding firefighters had to cart water in via truck from surrounding towns to put the flames out. In the wake of the incident, residents were left scrambling to find new ways of protecting themselves against further tragedies, and of creating functioning water and sewage systems with little help from Dallas County.
Joi spoke of this issue directly in her newsletter, writing, “The big question resurfaces once more: Why won’t Dallas County invest in Sand Branch, its own land, and its own people? The county said that because of severe flood risk, new homes can’t be built on the land, so the tiny community that’s there isn’t worth the expense required to revitalize the infrastructure that was once there. But there’s got to be another way forward that keeps the people safe. And this fire surfaces a new risk worth considering in this conversation.”
Activists, however, are now trying to remedy that issue by establishing the Ken Wright Infrastructure Bond. Drafted by the Water for Sand Branch Coalition, it’s a combination bond and bill that seeks fiscal assistance from Dallas County. Essentially, Sand Branch is hoping to receive an $8 million rebate through the Texas General Fund to cover the cost of installing those two systems.
Alex Boyer, who co-founded the Water for Sand Branch Coalition and serves as its president, explained the situation to FOX 4. Boyer said, “The bill covers water, sewer and a resident assistance fund — Typically, the excuse from the state and other government entities is that there are not enough rate payers out here. Well, the $4.5 million that’s in the fund that the bond covered will take care of water bills and property tax increases for the next 10 years.”
The Ken Wright Infrastructure Bond proposal has been submitted to sitting members of the Dallas County Commissioner in the hopes that it will receive approval ahead of the November 3 ballot and elections. In the meantime, Sand Branch is looking for help from those who can donate, volunteer, or simply call or email the commissioners directly to vocalize their support for this bill.
How to help the Sand Branch community
If you would like to donate to the Water for Sand Branch Coalition or volunteer with the organization to bring water to residents or provide other means of assistance, please click here. Another way to show your support is by contacting the Dallas County Commissioners directly to spread the word about the importance of approving the Ken Wright Infrastructure Bond for the Sand Branch community.
Danielle Chambless posted a helpful guide on Facebook listing the phone numbers and email addresses for each commissioner, as well as Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins. In the post, Chambless said the main thing to ask on the phone or to copy and paste into an email is: “Will Dallas County ask bond counsel what financing options are available RIGHT NOW to fund the Ken Wright Infrastructure Bond without waiting for another bond election, including Certificates of Obligation or emergency funding?”
Contact information for Jenkins and the commissioners is as follows:
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins: 214-653-7949, dcjudge@dallascounty.org
Commissioner Theresa Daniel, District 1: 214-653-6668, District1@dallascounty.org
Commissioner Andy Sommerman, District 2: 214-653-6100, District2Office@dallascounty.org
Commissioner John Wiley Price, District 3: 214-653-6671, District3@dallascounty.org
Commissioner Elba Garcia, District 4: 214-653-6670, District4@dallascounty.org
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
