The flooding got so bad one year that Stony Point resident Ramiro Alonzo had to carry his grandmother from her home while the water rushed up like a river. His home, and many others, sits in a floodplain on the edge of Bastrop County in an area neighbors say has been long neglected.

What started as a meeting of 15 people soon turned into an organizing effort involving upwards of 100. The effort culminated in a public assembly held at San Juan Diego Catholic Church. Bastrop Interfaith leaders like Alonzo and Lydia Bautista, in right photo above, organized the effort to challenge Bastrop public officials including Sheriff Maurice Cook, County Judge Paul Pape and Commissioner Mark Meuth to work with the community. Leaders called attention to the sewage that backs up into people's homes after heavy rains, the arrival of ambulances long after calls are made and stray dogs making evening walks in the neighborhood near impossible.

Officials promised to collaborate on the neutering of pets, urged residents to report to the County any ambulance arrivals that exceed 19 minutes from the call (for violation of contract), and promised to explore potential sources of funding to cover the cost of sewage installation. In response to the young man concerned about his grandmother's safety, County Commissioner Mark Meuth promised the completion of a hydraulic study of the neighborhood for potential remedies.

Bastrop Interfaith is an expansion project of Austin Interfaith.

Faith Leaders Draw Attention to Crime, Sewage, Darkness in Stony Point, Austin American Statesman