Notes from Flood Forum II

Photo left: Dan Bigalow: Wahkiakum County Prosecuting Attorney explains methods for forming districts.

Guests present: Dan Bigalow, Wahkiakum  County Prosecuting Attorney, Pete Ringen, Wahkiakum County Public Works Director, Stewart Moonen, local landowner.  9 members from the community.   

Lecturer’s Program:    Regular meeting was given over to Flood Forum II

Kitty Speranza moderated, introduced Dan Bigalow, and opened the forum, introducing the issue of looking at the diking district with a view to expanding. 

Dan:  question I was brought to answer:  how to we expand the distict?  People are thinking that district does not extend enough upstream. 

I can tell you 3 ways to expand:

One: no election.  Figure out where legal boundaries are, township, ranges, etc..

Once borders are figured:  If more than 50% of acreage owners are in favor, can petition County Commissioners.  This avoids a vote. Petition must include purpose, boundaries, ideally also cost. 

If ten landowners get together, they can move for a vote,. 

Perhaps another kind of district would be better for our purposes,

Another kind of district can be established by election.,

Issue:  Only ‘a’ properties in the diking district are taxed, ‘b’ properties are not.

Panel is empowered by commissioners to distribute the costs of an improvement over the members of the district.  Must be approved by county commissioners.

A new improvement district could change the way the costs are distributed.

Cynda Webb and Kay Chamberlain looked at a map of the district, noting existing members of district, and wondered why so many people in the valley are not a part of the district.

Frank:  Should people who benefit pay the whole bill? (rather than entities upstream who contribute to the problems sharing the costs of mitigation)

Dan:  Costs are broken up between the people who receive the benefit.  These laws were passed in 1917. 

Stuart::  If we join the diking district, what kind of master plan, and how many dollars without knowing what bang to get for our buck?

Cynda:  I worked on the Conservation District, for some years.  Some of the runoff issues are being addressed, but tide gates need attention, and if dredging was maintained, all would benefit. 

Pete Ringen:  My impressions are that the most important thing is repairing the dikes.  Size of tide gates are inadequate.,  Storm drains are also an issue, a small one.

Cynda: How may tide gates in district 5?

Pete: Don’t know that number.

Per Kay:  Tim Schmitz has been putting in hundreds of hours the last few weeks.  Seems that FEMA will not help with local tide gate issues.  They refer back to county.  If county cannot help, go back to FEMA

Tracy Snow:  Flood plain ordinance should be read by all. 

Pete:  We can’t pay if there is another Federal agency that is responsible.  In this case, it would be the Corp. of Engineers.  In the past commissioners have thrown up their hands.  We may not get federal assistance, but this issue is not going away.,  We may seek some State assistance.

Kay:  Tim indicated that it would be good to find out the ramifications of expanding the district.

Dan:  Look at districts, maybe a drainage district.  First you need to decide what to do, that starts the process.  At that point people will decide to sign on, or not.  First establish what is wanted, then how to go about getting it.  Once that is figured, then a legal entity can be formed to address the plan. 

Stewart:  Who is responsible for the ditches? 

Cynda: the landowners are responsible, but not responsible for damages from not maintaining them. 

Pete:  State has discouraged some maintenance. 

Comment from the floor: In ’96, some individuals obtained assistance from FEMA, raised their houses, and these houses did not flood this time.

Pete:  What FEMA is saying that if another Federal agency is responsible, that FEMA cannot help.  If no help is obtained, then FEMA can be approached again.

Pete:  The diking district is the front line for this process.  Local emergency management people want to get the help  here.  Emergency management people have looked at the Fairgrounds and seen the damage there.  At the moment, ‘we’ county people and diking district people are still attempting to get Federal agency help.

Cynda:  Corp. says cost/benefit ratio does not allow Corp. to address clogged tributaries all along the river.  Will not address, as per the ferry channel, 

Stewart:  not enough money here to have the clout.

Tracy Snow:  Ordinance says that no new building should be allowed in the flood plain.  This is not happening,.  County is not holding up their end of their ordinance.   Recently revised 2006.   

Tracy strongly recommended that county residents read the ordinance.

Comment:  Where has the money from the diking districts gone?

Cynda:  The money has gone over the years for  minor maintenance.  One tide gate had major work after ’96. 

Kay:  What would real work cost?  Can the districts get it on their own?

Dan:  Districts can ask for money for a project.  Project goes to commissioners.  Commissioners appoint a 3 person panel to address how to asses costs,

Stewart chimed in on funding.  Projects must go to a vote. 

Photo: Stewart Moonen commenting on diking district expansion.

Tracy:  County owns property.  Why not taxed?

Stewart:  County property tax exempt,

Cynda: Grays River went to an Enhancement District to get grant money.  Should we do the same?  Maybe an Enhancement District would allow broader powers to address the ditch problem for instance,  Salmon enhancement as part of flood control. 

Pete:  For people here from the Grange:  Must pursue SBA help first, then be expelled from it, then FEMA can help.  Per Chuck SBA will talk to you when all other sources say no.  Alex Contreras is the name of the SBA agent who attended the last Grange Pomona meeting. 

Kitty:  We should have a meeting with the diking commissioners. 

Pete:  Should go to the big ocean of federal help before approaching the State.  Feds may appropriate more than usual this year for local assistance. 

Frank:  We must keep pushing these agencies for help. 

Tim: via phone conversation with Stewart:    The only things FEMA is considering is repair to dikes.  Will be looking tomorrow morning. 

Pete:  Wed and Thurs, field visits. 

Stewart:  For those who have not been involved with an annexation, this takes months, or years to get information from all the property owners.  Doesn’t know at this point what an expanded diking district would do to help.

Kitty:  Should we look at another meeting with diking district commissioners,.

Kay:  They will meet in late February. We should go to their meeting.    They usually meet at the Fire Hall. 

Meeting adjourned at 8:25p

Respectfully Submitted,

Kathleen Morgain,

Secretary

Photo right:  discussion during flood forum