Levee certification drowning

Susan Wagoner

The Salina Town meeting was an impromptu mini town hall forum on the certification debate regarding the Salina levee.

Time is running out for Grand River Dam Authority, who owns the levee, to have it certified by engineers. The certification requirement comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, who is enforcing new policies put in place following the devastation of levees in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

New flood insurance maps are in their final stages. The cost of the certification could run around $300,000, a high price for GRDA. However, if it is not obtained, the new maps will show much of Salina in a flood zone, forcing affected residents and businesses to buy flood insurance if their loan is backed federally.

Less than 90 days remain before the absolute deadline on map alterations. If certification of the levee is completed after the deadline, GRDA will still have to pay the engineering costs, but the Town of Salina, or those affected by the new map boundaries, will be charged a steep penalty fee to have the classification changed by FEMA.

Mike Brown, President of Lakeside Bank of Salina, addressed the board.

He voiced his concerns about the delay and mentioned the cost of flood insurance for affected residences and businesses would run between $325,000 and $385,000 per year collectively.

“A lot of people in this town are only working every other week,” Brown said, adding that this could potentially

bankrupt many people. “Do you know that the schools would not be allowed to build again, because you can’t bring fill into a flood zone?”

Brown also voiced his disappointment in the behavior of some of the state legislators when he called them regarding this issue.

“Tom Coburn’s office pretty much blew me off,” he said. Brown also

contacted Senator Mary Easley. Her son, former Senator Kevin Easley, is now the chief executive officer of GRDA.

“She basically told me that she doesn’t interfere in how her son runs his business,” Brown said.

Senator Easley spoke by phone about the issue.

“I believe they (GRDA) can get it done in the time allowed,” she said. “My main concern is these young families who have FHA loans. To my knowledge, Tom Coburn’s office is working on a delay from FEMA.”

Easley said that GRDA had been talking to

various engineering firms.

“It’s my understanding they are going to work it out,” Easley said. “Salina has been good friends of mine. I want to help them any way I can.”

Brown tried to contact Kevin Easley to request being placed on the GRDA board meeting’s agenda.

“Apparently Kevin Easley told his secretary that I could not be on the agenda,” Brown said. He later said FEMA would very likely enter into an extension if GRDA were in contact with an engineer.

Lemuel Vance, who owns apartments at the levee’s edge, spoke up.

“We’ve got 90 days. Have you ever seen a

government agency do anything in 90 days?” he said. “I’m telling you

people, we need to get on the ball.”

Brown presented a

letter he wrote for the board and the city attorney to review. It was addressed to GRDA, specifically Kevin Easley, Anthony Due, Jim Frailey and Justin Alberty.

“We know that money is not the issue for GRDA since they had the money to rent an office in Oklahoma City, above Hooter’s at the cost of $90,000,” it read in part. “It is my understanding that the purpose of the office was for lobbying

the legislators. I thought GRDA was a state entity.”

Brown left the board with a final thought.

“They’re a state entity when they want to be, and not when they don’t want to be,” he said. “I want something done and I don’t care who does it.”

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