2013-08-12 Regular City Council Session

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2. Council Liaison Reports on Boards and Commissions Mr. Kraft attended the Lewis Park public meeting which had a large turnout. Attendees voiced their opinions as to what they wanted or did not want in Lewis Park He noted there will be a follow-up meeting on August 13 Mr. Kraft noted that planners like a good turnout in order to find out what is liked or disliked and so far looked like a positive process. 3 . Boards, Commissions and Task Force Minutes 4. Other Discussions/Business  Ms. Carr discussed the flooding and some potential solutions. She stated Ms. Fried was right as there are always competing demands. Ms. Carr said unfortunately in the third ward the river is not a river. She stated there are box sides, revetments, it flows very quickly in areas, was a complete facility rather than a strict river, and then it comes into Ward 2 and it backs up into people homes. She had sent pictures for people to see. Ms. Carr noted she was not the only one that’s out there walking around in the flood waters; Mayor Welsch and Mr. Walker were out there walking too. Ms. Carr stated that they have not lived it but it happened in the houses of her constituents. She stated people came to her to listen to their problems concerning the flooding long before she decided to run for Council. Ms. Carr showed a document found by Mr. Price on the internet produced by University City, called the “History of the River des Peres”. She noted she has done a lot of research and has walked the River des Peres and knows what all of the sections looked like. Ms. Carr noted the report said the US Army Corp Of Engineer reviewed previous plans for the River des Peres and found that it would it induce flooding down-stream. They made a recommendation to Congress that 148 properties in the five year flood plain be bought up at an estimated 23 million dollars in market value. The report said that concrete line channels would quickly move water, but would flood-out the people downstream, those in the Mona area in particular Glenside, Groby, Shaftsbury and what used to be the houses along Wilson. A retention basin was considered but no land large enough was available and to elevate structures were almost as expensive as a buy-out and they would still be living in a flood prone structure. Ms. Carr said for this buy-out plan realistically would take a minimum of three years. She talked with Councilwomen Hazel Erby and was told that she spokek with US Congressman Clay’s staff, Mr. Englehardt and he said with the sequester, there is no money, no foreseeable anything for a buyout. On the other hand one of Mr. Crow’s constituents came to him about the idea of structural elevation, something the Army Corp of Engineer had dismissed. Ms. Carr said her meeting with Mr. Matyiko consisted of a discussion about the technical aspect of the structural elevation, what the building would look like, how long it would take, what it would cost and where would the money come from. Mr. Crow’s constituent put her in touch with a project manager, who had managed and applied for grants for this kind of project. Ms. Carr noted that if the structures are elevated, the City maintains their neighborhood, and value is added to the houses. She noted the cost would be just as expensive as a buy-out but there was grant money available for this and was told that FEMA opened up a series of grants two weeks ago. 6