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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-07-10 Correspondence:~;sv~ ?~ir r -~~®~~ CITY O F IOWA CITY ~' ~~ 1 V t RAN ~u ~~~o Date: July 10, 2008 To: City Council From: Jeff Davidson, Director of Planning and Community Development Re: FEMA Buyout Program questions and answers In the course of our discussion of FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) you asked for aquestion-answer summary of the information that we have reviewed. The following information provides a summary of what we know to date. 1. Q: What is the purpose of the FEMA Buyout Program? A: The FEMA Buyout Program is intended to permanently reduce a community's vulnerability to flooding by moving people out of harm's way. When a community purchases flood-prone property as part of aFEMA-sponsored buyout, it acquires title to the land, clears any structures from the property, and preserves property forever as open space. Buyouts are intended to permanently reduce local government costs for emergency rescue, infrastructure repair, debris removal, and emergency shelters. Future disaster payments are prohibited at the purchased site. 2. Q: What is the timeline for the buyout program? A: At a meeting on July 7 in Schueyville, John Wageman of the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division said: Step 1. The City must submit the Notice of Intent (NOI) by September 12, 2008. Step 2. The State will review NOI. Step 3. The State will ask communities to submit formal applications about mid- October. Step 4. The City will be given a minimum of two (2) months to submit a formal application. Step 5. The State will send the application to FEMA. FEMA will take two (2) or three (3) months to award the grant. Step 6. The City will sign a grant agreement with the State. Step 7. The buyouts may begin. July 10, 2008 Page 2 3. Q: What uses can be made of purchased property? A: Purchased property becomes public open space that can be used to create parks, wildlife refuges, ball fields, etc. but cannot be developed or sold to private individuals or entities. Levies, flood walls and other flood mitigation appurtenances cannot be constructed on property purchased with FEMA funds. It is intended that areas purchased be allowed to be inundated during flood events. 4. Q: Can homeowners be forced to sell their property? A: Acquisition projects are strictly voluntary and homeowners are never forced to sell their property. All sales must involve willing sellers. Prospective sellers must be informed in writing that the program is voluntary and that the City will not use its eminent domain authority to acquire their property for the project purposes should negotiations fail. 5. Q: Who makes the decision to submit damaged property to the HMGP for buyout? A: The decision to submit damaged property for buyout is made by the local government, not the state or federal government. The state and federal government will make the ultimate determination of which properties receive buyout funds. 6. Q: How are purchase prices arrived of for properties submitted for buyout? A: The purchase price for properties and buildings must be at their pre-flood fair market value. For purposes of the NOI, the State has told us to use 110% of the assessed value. -For purposes of the offer to the homeowners, the written guidance provides that property value must be derived from a methodolgy that results in a reasonable determination of market value. This may be based on an appraisal and/or an adjustment to assessed value. If an appraisal or recent sale is not available, comparisons of recent actual sales to assessed value provided by the City Assessor, suggest that 113% of assessed value for the Parkview Terrace neighborhood and 100% of assessed value for Idyllwild would be representative of market value. 7. Q: Who pays for the buyouts? A: The HMGP calls for costs to be shared on a 75% federal, and 25% non-federal. Of the non-federal costs, the state will contribute10% (anticipated), and 15% will be local or individual basis. 8. Q: Can individuals apply for HMGP buyouts? A: No; the City is the applicant. July 10, 2008 Page 3 9. Q: Do specific properties have to be identified when the NOI is submitted? A: Yes, specific properties must be identified and property data sheets completed for each property. A copy of the property data sheet is attached. µ~u ~ ~ ~-~~ a ~~ ~-~ 10. Q: How will FEMA and Iowa Homeland Security conduct evaluation of flood-damaged properties for buyout? A: They will conduct abenefit/cost analysis of each property. They will assess the vulnerability of each property for flooding. It can be expected that properties in the floodway will receive higher priority than properties in the 100-year flood plain; properties in the 100-year flood plain will receive higher property than properties in the 500-year flood plain. In addition, the state has told us that it will rank properties in the following prioritized order: 1. Owner occupied homes substantially damaged or condemned. 2. Occupied rental properties substantially damaged or condemned. 3. Secondary residences or recreational properties substantially damaged or condemned. 4. Commercial properties substantially damaged or condemned. 11. Q: Are cosbbenefit criteria used to target those who need help the most? A: Yes; the State Mitigation Plan takes need into consideration. Cost-effectiveness is important in evaluating who to buy out, and the cost per unit for lower income properties is less. For example, buyout of a single $1 million home with two people in it is not as cost-effective as buying out ten $100,000 homes with 40 people in them. The second scenario reduces much more flood vulnerability. A goal of the buyout program is to permanently reduce local government costs for emergency rescue, infrastructure repair, debris removal and emergency shelters, and lower income folks require more of these services. 12. Q: What are the potential local match options? A: The State has told us that FEMA and the State do not care how we provide our local match, they only care that it is provided. Besides City bonding capacity or cash, other possible options for local match include special CDBG funding that may be allowed to be used for local match, the homeowner providing all or part of the local match, or a~special County open-space levy. 13. Q: Do buyouts apply to commercial property? A: Yes; but they are a lower priority than residential properties. July 10, 2008 Page 4 14. Q: Can the local match be provided, in whole or part, by the homeowner? A: Yes. Buyouts can be structured such that the homeowner donates a percentage of the value of the home. The donated value is allowable as a third party in-kind contribution of the local match. 15. Q: Are General Obligation Bonds used for the City's local match share in a FEMA buyout considered "essential corporate purpose" or "general corporate purchase", thereby requiring a referendum? A: Because it falls into the category of nuisance abatement and demolition of dangerous or dilapidated buildings, use of General Obligation Bonds for the City's share of a FEMA buyout of homeowners would be considered an "essential corporate purpose" and would not require referendum. 16. Q: What other City-related incidental costs are associated with the FEMA Buyout Program? A: Loss of property tax revenue, park construction expense; and cost to perpetually maintain land as parkland open space. The City will also have to pay to demolish the house, but FEMA assistance may be available. 17. Q: What would be the estimated hit fo the City's tax base in the event of a buyout? A: This cannot be determined for certain until the number of units to be bought out is known. Once the specific number of units is known, the decrease in property tax revenue can be calculated by taking the number of units bought out multiplied by the annual property tax rate, multiplied by the residential rollback, times the City's share of the total property tax bill. 18. Q: Will the fact that the City does not have an approved hazard mitigation plan impact access to the buyout program? A: There are many flood-impacted communities in Iowa that have not completed approved hazard mitigation plans. No governmental entity in Johnson County has an approved hazard mitigation plan. We have received funding from the State for conducting our hazard mitigation planning process and will be conducting that process jointly with other entities in Johnson County. This process will take at least nine months. We anticipate that granting of buyout funds would be contingent on completing this plan within 12 months of receiving the grant. 19. Q: Between Parkview Terrace, Taft Speedway, and Idyllwild, how many properties are in the floodway, 100-year flood plain, and 500-year flood plain? A: Floodway:1 100-year flood plain: 122 500-year flood plain: 126 4 July 10, 2008 Page 5 20. Q: Whaf about the buyout of the Thatcher and Baculis Mobile Home Parks? A: The Thatcher and Baculis Mobile Home Parks do not include individual building lots; they are single parcels of property including multiple rental spaces. We have not heard from the property owners of either mobile home park in terms of interest in a buyout. A buyout of the parks with federal funds would require relocation benefits to be paid to the tenants and owners of the mobile homes under the Uniform Relocation Act. 21. Q: What can property owners who wish to be boughf out be doing at Phis time? A: Getting damage estimates for their property. Homeowners will need to get building professionals for making damage estimates; Damage estimates should be provided in writing, if possible. 22. Q: What impact does conventional homeowner insurance or flood insurance have on a property requesting assistance from the FEMA buyout program? A: Eligible insurance proceeds are used first before FEMA buyout funds are applied to any property. FEMA mitigation grant program funding is supplemental to other benefits and must be reduced by amounts reasonably available (even if not sought or received) to the property owner, including insurance payments and FEMA housing needs assistance. The purchase offer made to the owner must be reduced by the amount of any duplicating benefits Deductions are not taken, however, for amounts the owner can verify with receipts were expended to repair or cleanup the home. 23. Q: In evaluating properties for buyout, is there a distinction made as to whether or not a property is in the 100-year flood plain or a structure in the 100-year flood plain? A: The City is currently evaluating flood-impacted structures according to federal guidelines for damage to structures in the 100-year flood plain. Structures in the 100- year flood plain damaged beyond 50% of their value must be reconstructed one foot above the 100-year flood plain. The State has informed us that this is not the same as FEMA's criteria for buyouts. FEMA asks about whether or not properties, not structures, are in the 100-year flood plain. A property in the 100-year flood plain that includes a structure elevated above the 100-year flood plain is still considered by FEMA to have an obstruction to flood waters. Therefore, the appropriate distinction for the FEMA buyout program is whether or not a property is in the 100-year flood plain, not an individual structure. PPDDIRWIEMOS\FEMABuyOutProgram.doc ~ O ~ n W = ~ N ~ < °' ~ v ~ fA 3 o a' = ~ ~ <D O °' ~ ~ `C 'i ~ ~ pl ~» o 3 O ~• S O ~ m dl O ~ m ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ "~ 3 .~ O1 <D T O T N ~ -' O D a rn w w < ~ ~ F CEO ~ IV ~ (D ~ K _, N N h 0 O o O 0 0 Q. 'D O N -• l~ d7 O ,~ w ~ ~ N CO O ~ N Op -~ N o N ~ O N ~ OC ~ w ~ oo v m m a. ' rn w w ~ o ~ c N - a ~ ~ 0o w l~ ao ~ cn ~ ~ ° 0 0 -~ w °" 3 o 0 0 0 ~ ~ N Oo A O p ~ W W ~ ~ ° < N ~ o V 0 o v m m c- o ~ cn ? O ~ ~ ~ ~ CO N Q 3 p O O ~ N N ~ D T Op w ~ N OD A ~ U1 fD 00 i U v N OD ao ~ (D ~ O t0 O W W ~I U1 ~ ~ 0) N C7 W W J~ fJi O V ~ 3 ~p N - ~ h O O O O O" `~ 0 0 o O O E C O -~ W N ~ ~ y fD CJi o W ~I W w W N rn ~. ~ - ~ 3 ~ rn w ~ v ~ ~ ~ w o ~ ~ ~' J ' ' m ° ° o a c n c n °~ ~ rn ao 0 0 ao ~ o ~ ~m CT N O O W t0 N ~ ~ X ~I V7 O W OD ~ N `~ N tD CJ~ CO O O W •• r N ~ ~ O CO -~ O O n ~ ~I ~ W ~ ~ -a v Ui 00 ~1 00 d) OD N ? ~ c ~ ~ ~ N ~ v (D W n CO (O Ut CTi L1 OD 00 r 00 ? ca n (p -~ -~ U1 O N ~ ~ W W .... 0 ~ ~ ~ Ji C U1 0 0 N o ~ r 0 N W ~ ~ ~ Jl l i U ( 0 D O 0 O n C7 00 Ul ~ Ul W W 3 ZI v 3 D O 2 Z O -~ :i {~~ I ` nn~ R~+ \ `~ V J,s~, INTER-DEPARTMENT MEMO TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Chief Sam Hargadine RE: Animal Shelter -Update DATE: July 9, 2008 °~: -.:y .r'. 'w: ~ ~..~ .\r_.: rri U ~' '` D ~~m~ ~ ~~.a ~~~ ~:;,~ ,,~_ ~o ;o N 0 w A temporary Animal Shelter has been found located at 4852 Sand Road. This leased space is 7200 square feet with three separate sections and an outdoor dog run area. There is finished space for an office and warehouse space for the dog kennels. The one year lease started July 9, 2008 with the annual rent of $42,000. Clean up of the Kirkwood facility has started. Americlean, based out of Cedar Rapids has been hired to clean the Animal Shelter facility, and they have been working on the site since Monday, July 7`h. The estimate was $49,382.48, and it should take about a week to complete. Salvageable items such as cages and tubs are being cleaned and relocated to the facility at 4852 Sand Road. Immediate equipment purchases are being made, including a refrigerator, freezer, and washer-dryer. Stanley Consultants, an environmental engineering and construction company has done a preliminary assessment of the damage done to the Shelter (see attached). The disinfecting and cleaning that is being done by Americlean does not include repairs and reconstruction. Major costs for repairs include abandoning the HVAC system. The unit was located in the subfloor system beneath the concrete slab and completely flooded with contaminated water. There are differences in opinion as to whether this can safely be sealed off or whether the unit should be removed entirely requiring demolition of the 12" floor. ~_ Finding a site and relocation for the Shelter has consumed staff time so formal discussions on repairs and construction costs have not occurred. It is anticipated that these discussions will occur in the next few weeks. Stanley Consultants ~~~• A Stanley Group Company Engineering Erwiraunental and Cantrunion Services -Worldwide .Tune 25, 2008 Komi Moxxis - City of Iowa City 410 East Washington St Iowa City, IA 52240 ~i~~~ ;~'M~ !'? -~ Fri 2~ 03 IVY. ~.,w.~ni `~, ~ , ~~4YYP1 Subject: Environmental Assessment Iowa City Animal Services Licensing and Adoption Centex Dean Ms Morris: In accordance with ouz• agz•eement we are providing this report summarizing our observations and recommendations z•egar•ding the recent flood damage to the Iowa City Animal Sezvices Licensing and Adoption Center located at 111 Kirkwood Avenue.. Oux activities included a visual evaluation of'the facility, conducted on ,Tune 20, 2008, and an . evaluation of'the 1988 design documents for the facility., the intent of'the evaluation was to identify site contamination, moisture, mold, mildew, oz othez~ envizonmental zelated issues resulting from the recent flooding of the structure,. and recommend potential responses to those issues.. Site Observations At the time of our' visit the flood water had receded so that the building was accessible on foot.. A sandbag wall was obsezved azound the facility, but that wall had clearly been oveztopped during the peak of'the flooding.. Based on residue on the building walls and contents the depth of'water in the stzuctuze was approximately two to thzee feet dozing the peak of'the flooding.. The deepest appeared to be in the gazage.. The building is a single stony structure with an upper mechanical level no basement.. Building floors ar•e concrete, coveted in some locations by file and/oz• vinyl.. The building was apparently constructed in phases with portions having painted concrete masonry unit {CMU) walls, and others having stud walls with sheet z~ock.. the heating system foz• the building is forced air in some portions and in the flooz in others.. the mechanical systems for the HVAC are floor mounted in the older poztions of'the building and overhead in the director's office and reception azea.~ 2658 Crosspark Road • Suite 100 • Coralville. IA 52241 • phone 319 626 3990 • fax 319 626 3993 Internet; vawwstanleygroup.com The director's office and z~eception azea have a sub-floor heat stozage system supplied by a duct in the second level mechanical room above the director's oflce,. the duct is located in the southeasterly coiner of the director's office and repoztedly includes a provision for bypassing.. This system includes a pezimetez plenum under the floor, a diffusion system to distribute heated air evenly beneath the floor, and a number of slot diffusers along the pezimetez of'the reception area floor„ Details showing the construction of'this system are shown on the building plans sheets A-3, A-5, and Supplemental Sheet 1.. Copies of~details from the plan sheets showing the probable construction of'the sub-floor plenum system are attached. the building contents below the high water level in the building were damaged extensively„ Iheze is a layez~ of'mud on the floors throughout the building, and on the walls.. Mud was observed in the sub-flooz heat stozage system as well.. Photographs, taken by Scott Byram of Stanley Consultants showing the general condition of'the building on .Lune 20, 2008 are attached.. Recommendations Base on ouz obsezvations of'the facility we have the following recommendations., In general any porous materials that have come in contact with flood waters should be removed and disposed.. Ihese would include carpet, drywall, insulation, trim, furniture and mechanical equipment that can not be reliably cleaned and other materials capable of absorbing water,. Any the or~ vinyl that has been loosened by the flood water should also be removed.. Drywall should be removed to at least one foot above the maximum water level., It may be advisable to plan on removing the lower four feet of drywall throughout the structure both as a precaution and to facilitate replacement with new drywall after cleaning is completed.. Any areas with visible mold or mildew should be removed to at least one foot above the visible contamination„ Wall studs do not necessazily have to be removed if they can be dried after removal of the drywall., Ihis decision should be made in the field as the cleanup work progresses.. Water heaters, HVAC system equipment and ductwork, and othez• equipment that was flooded should be removed and disposed unless they can be reliably disinfected and repaired.. The CMU walls in the building appeared to be in good condition and not in need of ry replacement as they were not submerged for• vezy long.. Cleaning of these is O recommended as described below„ ' ~? ._ '"31 , -~~, Scrape the mud from the floors as much as possible. The walls and floors thz~ougl~~ the ~, -~ l°° entire building should be cleaned by power washing with a suitable detergent, and<z~nsed..~ $~j ~ ~~ N ~ ~ lJ The building should then be sterilized with a bleach solution and allowed to dry.. Drying can be facilitated by opening windows and doors to encourage maximum ventilation.. Power ventilation is also advisable,. After drying a second sterilization and drying as necessary is recommended.. the building water supply system should be flushed and after flushing tested for bacteria, All ofthe faucets and fixtures should be flushed and sterilized prior to use. The main concern is the sub-floor heat storage system beneath the director's office and reception areas.. After looking at the physical layout of'the system and reviewing the plans it appears that reliable cleaning of the sub-floor system will not be possible without removing the floor in those areas. The details shown in the building plans indicate the sub-floor system includes sand, wood, rigid insulation, and tyvek sheeting among other materials. These materials would be difficult or impossible to clean under most conditions.. the thickness of'the sub-floor system beneath the concrete slab is approximately 12 inches.. Accordingly we recommend that the heat storage system be abandoned in place, This would be accomplished by filling the sub-floor plenum beneath the slot diffusers and supply duct with flowable fill (grout), disconnecting the ductwork supplying the sub-floor system in the du•ector's office, and putting the system in bypass mode on a pezmanent basis.. It may be necessary to add some ductwork to distribute heat to the reception area as well„ The intent of'abandoning the system in place is to isolate the sub-floor system from the building interior to prevent migration of mold spores and bacteria into the building interior without incurring the cost and delay associated with a complete system replacement.. It is important to obtain a good seal at each of'the floor diffusers and the supply duct openings.. . If' you have any questions or require additional information, please feel free to call me at 319-62b-5302.. Sincerely, Stanley Consultants, Inc.. I hereby certify that this plan, specification, or report was prepared by me or under my direct personal supervision and that I am a duly licensed professional engineer in the State o#'Iowa.. Engineer: ow •d Scott Byram, P..E„ License Number: 10454 O ~-•, `'" Signature: ---- State: Iowa = ~ .~~ ~= r- i'0 Date: ` ~ `.` ~ ""' License Renewal Date: 12/31/09 ~'' `~' '~' l.~ ~~3i i-rr -a ~~ ~~ N ?~ p ~... F~ ,~„~ , _ ~..~ t ~~ `j... R v 1 .~ ,,. ., ~- ... i . ~~ ~'• ~~. ~.' :: ,, .1 Os ~ 1 ~, ~ I!ll.i~ ~ ,~ a~ N; N ~~ a d. ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ -~ Q Q ~ _ z U ~ ~ ~ ~ r w N i it ~! ~. w w ,~` ~~ i #~ ~ ~~~ '~ ~"®'~~ City Council Meeting Schedule and CITY OF IOWA CITY Work Session Agendas July 8, 2008 www.icgov.org • THURSDAY, JULY 10 Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:30a Special Formal Council Meeting • Separate Agenda Posted Special Work Session -Flood matters including discussion on the following: • Flood Mitigation Plan • River Corridor Update • Update on Lobbying Strategy • Animal Shelter Update • Future Meeting Schedule Items • MONDAY, JULY 14 Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:30p Regular Work Session • Future Meeting Schedule • Flood Discussion • TUESDAY, JULY 15 Emma J. Harvat Hall 5:30p Special Work Session -Flood matters including discussion on the following: • Flood Mitigation Plan • Future Meeting Schedule Items 7:OOp Regular Formal Council Meeting • TUESDAY, JULY 29 Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:30p Special Work Session -Flood matters • MONDAY, AUGUST 11 Emma J. Harvat Hall 5:30p Special Work Session 7:OOp Special Formal Council Meeting Continue Work Session if necessary • SATURDAY, AUGUST 16 TBD TBD Special Council Work Session/Retreat • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20 Emma J. Harvaf Hall 4:30p Joint Meeting • MONDAY, AUGUST 25 Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:30p Special Work Session • TUESDAY, AUGUST 26 Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:OOp Special Formal Council Meeting • MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 Emma J. Harvat Hall Labor Day -City Offices Closed • MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 Emma J. Harvat Hall 6.30p Special Work Session All meetings are tentative and subject to change.