| Any News on Flood Protection? |
|
Yes, there is! Thankfully, the rivers stayed in their boundaries this winter, and while that was happening, progress was being made on a number of fronts for flood protection. I'll give you the highlights and then the link if you want to learn more.
- Project for Puyallup River Basin
On May 17, 2010, Sumner City Council authorized the Mayor to enter an agreement with Pierce County obligating up to $73,290 from the City to help fund a $6 million study to develop a plan for long-term flood damage reduction. This is an investment in the long-haul, but it's something Sumner has to do as flood walls and sandbags have only limited scope. This effort also gets Sumner at the table with people like the Corps of Engineers who hold so much of the control over what can and can't be done in and around the river (like scalping and dredging).
- Flood District
On May 4, 2010, Pierce County Council passed legislation establishing a new taxing district within the entire county for flood protection. The law got signed in on May 26 and went into effect on June 5. This law just establishes the District and sets the Pierce County Council as the District's Board of Supervisors. This does not establish a new tax itself, so likely, the conversation will continue about whether or not the District should add a tax to the entire County that would go toward flood protection measures.
- Puyallup River Executive Task Force
Pierce County formed this group of cities, county and others to assist with finding and funding a regional solution for the entire Puyallup River Watershed. Pierce County formed this group to ensure local agencies understand the problem and support finding a solution; work closely with affected agencies to develop alternatives and select an alternative; cooperatively seek funding and construct and maintain the selected alternative. I am the active participant in this committee, and the meetings feature public comment sections. It's very powerful for all jurisdictions to hear from the citizens of Sumner who are directly affected by the Puyallup River. More information about these meetings.
- County Flood Hazard Management Committee
This committee is updating the Pierce County Rivers Flood Hazard Management Plan, which will recommend regional policies, programs, and projects. Sumner continues to participate to help our citizens.
We've also worked with the citizens in that area for short-term solutions like sandbags and medium-term like the idea to build a flood wall. Our shops guys even built their own sandbag machine at a fraction of the cost to buy one!
This information and more is now always available to you on our website, so you don't have to wait for a flood protection update newsletter or a Community Connection. The webpage also links you to the hydrographs that show the current river levels and the predicted levels in the near future. So, if we get more heavy rains (which I hope is not the case), you can go there and see if the Puyallup River is reaching near flood warning levels.
Again, this is just an overview. There are other efforts ongoing as well. Let me know if you have any questions about Sumner's ongoing efforts to reduce the risk of flooding.
Mayor Dave Enslow, 253-299-5790
|
Ever see a yellow Notice sign around town and not get the chance to read it fully? Public notices are also posted online, which may be an easier (and drier) option for keeping up to date on the latest public notices.
