Coconino County flood control leaders outline long-term plan, seek to convert emergency loan into treasurer-managed repayment

Lucinda Andreani, the Flood Control District administrator, told the Coconino County Board of Supervisors the district has shifted from emergency post‑wildfire response to a longer‑term program that includes projects in FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas and continued forest restoration.

The timing matters, Andreani said: “As Andy mentioned, … this is a transition year for the district.” She asked the board to endorse moving from short‑term pipeline flood mitigation work toward a countywide prioritization of capital projects in Sedona, Munns Park, Mountain Del, Fort Valley, Tusayan and other mapped flood hazard areas.

That transition will coincide with a proposed financial restructuring of the general‑fund loan that supported post‑Schultz Fire response in 2022. Andreani and county staff described two prior general‑fund draws totaling $15.5 million (a $5 million draw in July 2022 and $10.5 million in late 2022) and said the treasurer will work with the district to convert that liability into a formal repayment arrangement. County Treasurer Sarah Benatar said she can structure a repayment, but Arizona law limits treasurer loans to five‑year terms: the repayment would therefore be structured as two consecutive five‑year loans to cover the total amount. Benatar described the interest calculation method and said she will compute the backdated interest and repayment schedule for the board and district to review.

Why it matters: the district has used federal and state awards to complete extensive post‑fire projects—work the presenters said amounts to hundreds of millions when federal/state reimbursements and awards are tallied. But Andreani emphasized that the district must now expand its focus to non‑pipeline flood projects and system maintenance in mapped FEMA floodplains. “These are public safety projects,” she said, urging a long‑range prioritization process and a new program structure under the district to manage FEMA special flood hazard projects.

Key details and context

- The district’s beginning fund balance for FY25 was reported as about $12.5 million; Sean Priyama, program manager for the flood control district, said the district and partners estimate more than $133 million in awards and reimbursements associated with relief, mitigation and forest restoration projects.

- Grants and awards discussed included…