Council To Discuss Levee Certification Process Thursday Night
Engineers who are in the midst of certifying Osawatomie’s levee system will talk with city council members Thursday night about that process and the city’s proposed storm water utility that would help pay for it.
Osawatomie voters will decide the fate of the proposed utility which would generate funds to help pay for the levee certification process, as well as excavating storm water holding ponds, repairing curbs and gutters and other improvements.
The federally mandated levee certification is necessary because, without it, FEMA’s flood map would be drawn to show no levees existed. That would mean many homeowners in Osawatomie would fall within the flood plain and would have to pay a premium for flood insurance.
Osawatomie and other communities affected by the 2007 flood are going through the certification process.
Osawatomie’s cost is estimated to exceed $400,000.
City Manager Bret Glendening said the first priority for funds generated by the proposed storm water utility would be to help pay for that certification process. Rates for the utility have not been set, but council members have discussed charging $2 per month for residential users and $3 per month for commercial users. At those rates, the utility would generate around $60,000 per year.
Glendening said the utility’s funds also could be used as leverage to apply for matching grant dollars, which would in effect double the city’s funds to put toward storm water projects.
Some communities already have storm water utilities. Osawatomie tried to establish the utility in 2008, but a protest petition gathered enough signatures to put the proposed utility before voters last year, and it was defeated. But unlike 2008, the charter ordinance the council and Mayor Philip Dudley adopted last month on a 7-2 vote sends the issue straight to the November 2010 general election ballot.
Council members agreed they needed to do a better job of educating the public about the proposed storm water utility this time around. The council has discussed putting together a flyer and perhaps scheduling some informational meetings to provide voters with as much information as possible so they can make an informed decision when they head to the polls Nov. 2.
Watch the Osawatomie Journal for updates about the storm water utility, including future dates for any public discussions about the proposal.
Council members have acknowledged that the $60,000 annual fund would not generate enough dollars to pay for the levee certification and upgrades to shore up the city’s storm water protection. But some council members agree establishing the fund would be a better alternative than having to boost property taxes and take money from other city funds to pay the entire tab.
Council member Tamara Maichel, whose Ward was hard hit by the 2007 flood, said even if the funds helped save one house this time around, it would be worth it.
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Posted by Doug
on Sep 8 2010. Filed under News and Updates.
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