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For immediate release: June 15, 2006
Vehicle identification stickers will be issued from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, June 17 at the South Padre Island Fire Department.
The fire department is located at 104 W. Venus St. The stickers allow residents and business owners to regain access to the Island in the event of a storm.
“Now is the time to obtain hurricane stickers to regain access to South Padre Island after a major storm,” said Assistant City Manager and Fire Chief Clifford Rowell. Rowell also serves as the Town’s Emergency Management Coordinator.
Rowell urges the community to obtain stickers beforehand for adequate processing time.
“It takes time for us to process the information and issue the stickers,” Rowell said. “Rather than wait in long lines or risk the possibility that we can not process you into the computer system so your vehicle will be recorded, I recommend that those who need the stickers take the time to get them now.”
Only those business and home owners with vehicle identification stickers will be allowed onto the Island to check on property after a storm. Still, if Island conditions remain unsafe, no one will be allowed onto the Island.
“The sticker allows for a short–term return, not for a permanent return,” he said.
Residents are entitled to two stickers per family, while business owners may obtain up to four stickers on a limited basis. Proof of residency is required.
There are three check points motorists must pass before they are allowed Island access. They are the intersections of Highway 48 and Highway 100, FM 510 and Highway 100, and Garcia and the entrance of the Queen Isabella Memorial Bridge. If you have a sticker they will be waived through, instead of having to produce various proofs of residency.
Strict requirements are imposed to maintain safety control on the Island after emergencies and disasters.
“This process is in everyone’s best interests, private property owners and business owners alike. We don’t want people coming onto the Island causing problems,” Rowell said.
The stickers may be obtained at no cost from the SPI Fire Department from 8 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. To obtain a sticker, proof of residency is required, such as a utility bill or another document that shows a physical address; a driver’s license; and the license plate numbers of the returning vehicle. Stickers issued in past years remain valid and will be honored this year as long as the address or vehicle has not changed.
Rowell requests that when selling a vehicle, the stickers be removed, and if possible returned to the fire department. Removal of the stickers helps ensure that only those persons with legitimate interests are on the island during an emergency period.
For more information, contact the Town of South Padre Island at (956) 761-6456.
Melissa A. Zamora
Deputy Emergency Management Public Information Officer
Town of South Padre Island
(956) 761-3005
(956) 433-1231 (cell)
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