Sinegal: Home help slow, but coming
Published 2:05 pm Friday, November 9, 2018
By Ken Stickney
Federal help for Hurricane Harvey-affected homeowners might not arrive until the spring, Jefferson County District 3 Commissioner Michael Sinegal said Thursday. That’s a few months slower than some state and local officials have projected, but it will be welcome nonetheless.
Sinegal discussed that and other issues during a 30-minute interview on The Port Arthur News’ weekly newsmaker show, which is livestreamed weekly at 4:30 p.m. Thursday on Facebook.
Asked for the most imposing issue facing commissioners, Sinegal, who has served on Port Arthur and county elected boards for a total of two decades, said Harvey continues to be No. 1.
He said federal money — about $51 million, perhaps — has come to Jefferson County for infrastructure, especially drainage and ditches.
“Housing is the next step,” he said. “I’m predicting March before they start. They have to complete a method of distribution for the funding.”
Specifically, he said, 70 percent of federal Housing and Urban Development money that passes through the county and the state General Land Office must go to low- or moderate-income people. HUD may grant some waivers for devastated but higher-income areas like Bevil Oaks, but they would be few.
The commissioner said county leaders have discussed whether homeowners should pursue buyouts, which would give homeowners pre-storm value for their properties, or acquisitions, which would give homeowners post-storm value — which would be less money — for their properties.
The former would benefit homeowners, but it would leave the county with the responsibility of maintaining the property. The latter would enable the county to improve and “flip” the properties and continue to collect property tax money.
Sinegal said not many homeowners in his district are seeking buyouts.
District 3, which largely includes Hamshire and rural parts of the county down to Sabine Pass and the coast, also includes many of the county’s industrial areas, including the refineries — as well as distant treasures like McFaddin Beach and Sea Rim State Park.
He said his entire district is ready for future development — “all of it” — including prime residential neighborhoods around Hamshire-Fannett High School.
“We have beautiful neighborhoods being developed,” he said. “We’re not landlocked.”
“I maintain responsibility for unincorporated areas,” he said of his work as commissioner, but has worked with Port Arthur, especially to help with roads and ditches after Hurricane and Tropical Storm Harvey. He said the county’s infrastructure has not suffered as much as the city’s because of the county’s consistent maintenance programs.
“I’ve worked with municipalities and with Port Acres,” he said, at the city’s request. Commissioners’ court approval generally is needed for District 3 to help the city.
“My primary area is rural, though,” he said. “I’m not going to neglect that.”
Sinegal, an unabashed Democrat, said many of his candidates suffered tight losses in Tuesday’s final voting, including Nick Lampson, who sought the county judge seat and would have led the commissioners’ court had he won.
But he said he and County Judge Jeff Branick, who narrowly claimed re-election over Lampton, enjoy a cordial relationship, which he said he expects to continue, even across party lines.
He said he regretted U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s loss Tuesday to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, who retained his Senate seat. He said O’Rourke was quick to travel from his home district in El Paso to Jefferson County after Harvey, and spent a lot of time meeting with affected residents.
