Folks:
You won't believe what we have uncovered. We have uncovered a City of Austin Watershed Protection Department employee behaving badly. He's a very naughty boy. His name is Kevin Shunk!
Most people should keep quiet when they act like idiots, but if you're Kevin Shunk, you go out there and broadcast your stupidity to the public at large! Kevin Shunk's so bad he may actually place Austinites and his fellow city employees in danger. Let's tell you why! Contractors and fellow related professionals, listen up! You can use this information in a court of law or arbitration if the city of Austin starts harassing you for work that isn't your fault!
Let's compare Mr. Shunk's media appearances, shall we?
When Stubb's Restaurant built their structures without a permit, he decided to get a flood plain variance. He told KEYE-TV reporter Katherine Stolp on February 3:
"Our code enforcement doesn't necessarily have a proactive approach to enforcement, " Shunk said. City Code Enforcement workers told us they don't usually investigate certification for all buildings on the Waller Creek flood plain, unless there's a formal complaint, because they, "just don't have the manpower."
"The structural certification is very important, " said Shunk. "Having debris in the flood plain floating downstream is a significant public safety hazard."
"If a variance is granted, that would mean those buildings and structures would not have to comply with the code, because the city granted a variance, " Shunk explained.
The Austin City Council decided in a 7-0 vote to grant Stubb's a variance to allow structures to be built in a flood plain. Kevin Shunk did nothing about the situation after the vote was approved.
This is a complete 180 degree turn from Kevin's stance that he demonstrated five days ago on January 29, on KVUE-TV news with Steve Alberts. Look what Kevin did to Capital City Auto Parts owner Rob Ormand. From KVUE-TV:
Rob Ormand, owner of Capital City Auto Parts, said he was fed up with transients living on his South Austin property. He says they were stealing from him. So he cleared the trees to keep the homeless out.
He's now in trouble with the city for not having a required permit. City officials say Ormand also violated the city's land development code for building in the floodplain and for working without erosion and sedimentation controls.
When development occurs and debris and fill material are placed in the floodplain it then redirects flow and reduces the capacity to redirect water, said Kevin Shunk with the City of Austin.
Therefore the water may be pushed into other parts of the creek or onto a road.
The city has issued a stop work order for the illegal removal of trees and for building in the floodplain. A citation for working without an approved site plan also has been filed in municipal court.
As he reported to YNN's Alana Rocha on May 25:
"Austin is in the middle of what's called Flash Flood Alley, " he said. "We don't have a lot of soil on top of the bed rock that we have here. There are not many places for the water to go. So typically once it does fall to the ground it gets to the creeks quickly and flash flooding occurs very fast."
May we make a good point? What good is a Flood Early Warning System if you don't use the primitive technology of sight? Don't get us wrong it's a great idea, but technology doesn't solve everything.
We have another question: Why is Shunk allowing Stubb's to endanger the public and the AWU & APD headquarters building upstream from Stubb's then? Those are essential facilities.
Kevin Shunk has a little problem himself. His residence is home to the engineering firm Shunk Engineering LLC. Could this be why he took such a lax attitude with Stubb's while taking a tough stance on Capital City Auto Parts? So he'd have work at his business in the future?
Shunk failed to notify FEMA of these issues. If a flood situation arises like it did 30 years ago, FEMA can decide not to pay the city of Austin for flood damage.
After all, this may not entirely be Shunk's fault. He work for the city of Austin, a municipality that performs really bad actions such as unlawful incarceration of city employees who request pay stubs for their life saving medications, retaliation for reporting life-safety issues as required by law, blacklisting of former employees for doing their jobs, assisting citizens with stealing city property, and even stealing artwork from 3-year-old little girls. Yes, Mr. Shunk works for an employer this despicable and this unethical. Even when he breaks rules, he has job security at the City of Austin, which means he will just about do anything for cash!
Check out the new commercial for the City of Austin. It's great! What do you think?
At the City of Austin, Shunk's ready.
Shunk's ready to screw you well in advance.
His most important job is to keep you and your family unsafe. That's what he does day by day. He's constantly thinking up ways to rip off their taxpayers with the schemes he is developing. Destruction of private property due to floods can happen quickly. And in any season, that's what he focuses on most!
Kevin Shunk of the city of Austin.
He's ready.
He's ready. He's ready to screw you.
That's flood plain stupidity you can count on!
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