2009-02-13 - Laserfiche WebLink

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To: Honorable Mayor Adams and Council From: Julie Feier, City Manager Date: February 13, 2009 Subject: Weekly Update The US Army Corps of Engineers’ draft flood mitigation study recommends that home buyouts and flood proofing are the only viable alternatives to eliminating flood hazards in the future. The Corp’s 1988 study included the area from Purdue Avenue to Kempland. The current Corp’s study covers the area only from Purdue (Heman Park) to Olive Blvd (Royal Bank). The plan has changed substantially since its inception twenty- one years ago due to improvements to the channel north of Olive and the existing structure east of Purdue. The Corps is no longer recommending channel improvements as it did in its 1988 study for flood mitigation. The recommended plan will be submitted this year and will require up to a year for the Corp’s internal review process to be approved. If reauthorization of the recommended plan is required, the Corp’s review could take longer and would require Congressional approval. The Corp will provide a 65% grant match to proceed with the buyout of properties identified in the floodway once the plan is approved. They are recommending buyouts of 148 homes in the 5-year floodplain and additional home buyouts in the 10- year floodplain. MSD is working on a plan to assist with funding the required 35% local match for future grants by using past federal funding allocations up to $6 million dollars. The MSD match would only be available for federal grants through the Corp in the study area. Ongoing assessments will be made as each property is removed from the flood plain. The major goals of the project are to improve public safety and to reduce the future risk of damage to structures due to flooding throughout the basin. flood remediation process The letters regarding next steps in the went out this week. The SEMA grant focuses on the 26 remaining homes on the east side of Wilson, which have been the priority area of concern in the Corps’ report. The Corp’s study found that the River des Peres reach from Midland to Shaftesbury (Wilson Avenue) had the greatest number of structures within the 5-year-floodplain. We have been fielding some calls from residents on the east side of Wilson regarding the SEMA buyouts. However, most of the calls received thus far, have been from residents from the other side of Wilson, Glenside, Groby, and Mona indicating their interest in also being bought out. There have also been concerns raised from residents outside the study area on streets such as Yale and Belrue.