Council Says ‘No’ To Flood Group

WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg City Council last week unanimously voted to deny its support of the revitalization of a flood control district that would use taxing powers to help prevent flooding in the Touchet and Coppei rivers.

"If our people don't like raising out water bill $3.50, they're sure not going to like this," said Councilman Orville Branson.

City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe said the city had previously two flood control districts, but both went defunct because of a lack of volunteers. Recently, a group of citizens, Allison Bond, Leroy Cunningham, David Karl, Jim German and Stan Bly, have thrown their hats in the ring with the hope of revitalizing the group to help alleviate flooding.

A letter is being sent to the Walla Walla County Commissioners, who will decide whether to appoint these new volunteers to the board of the flood control district. The city council refused to sign in support of the group's revitalization because the council members said they do not believe the residents want to be taxed to prevent flooding.

"There was a terrible misdirection of our city council," Bond said. "They must have felt that they had no choice, although I wish they had tabled the vote until we could have worked through their concerns. I don't know if we are actually back at square one, or not, but we do hope that the city council will continue to work with us towards our common goal of affordable flood control."

In November's General Election, residents voted down a tax that would have funded flood mitigation on the Coppei River.

If the commissioners do reinstate the flood control district, it would have the ability to tax residents in the district to earn money for flood mitigation projects. Typically after residents are taxed in other ways, there is very little money that can go to junior taxing districts like the flood control district, Hinchliffe said. Because of the small amount of money earned, it is hard to complete useful projects, and Hinchliffe added that previous volunteers lost interest in the board because projects could not be completed.

Hinchliffe also added that the flood control district would likely come to the city for help with completing projects.

But, it may be hard for the flood district to obtain any tax dollars at all. Hinchliffe said the district would need to hold a public meeting and put a levy on the ballot and get it approved and that would be tough in today's poor economy.

One advantage the district would have is the ability to sidestep a lot of red tape to complete projects in the rivers, Hinchliffe said. It would be much easier for the district to complete flood mitigation projects than the city because that is the district's purpose.

"They have authorities beyond what the city can do," Hinchliffe said.

Bond said she is upset by the decision of the council because her group simply wants to prevent locals from having to deal with the effects of flooding.

"We are so disappointed, she said. " Here we are, volunteers, who have been working to get grants, all very promising, and trying to save the people of Waitsburg from having to pay out of pocket, for flood control. We were hoping to save the citizens of Waitsburg from the outrageous flood insurance premiums, that we are all being threatened with, and to avoid a catastrophe by using not only the Core of Engineers input, but also the common sense, and expertise of our neighbors and farmers who live along the Coppei and Touchet, have generations of experience, and whose input is invaluable."

The decision to revitalize the district rests in the hands of the Walla Walla County Commissioners. Hinchliffe said residents for or against the district should contact the commissioners with their opinions.

The commissioners can be reached by phone at 509-524-2505 and by email at wwcocommissioners@ co.walla-walla.wa.us.