Representatives of the Turner Lake and Clay Water Project District asked the Clay County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday to review and potentially sign a letter supporting the district’s appeal of a denied FEMA application for flood and dike damage.

"We came up with close to $2,000,000 worth of damage," said Larry, a consultant representing the Turner Lake and Clay Water Project District, summarizing the assessment of 186 damaged sites along the river and levee system. He told commissioners the district filed a FEMA application that was denied on the grounds the damaged infrastructure was on private land.

Larry said he compiled lat/long pins and cost estimates for debris removal and dike repairs and filed an appeal. He told the board that FEMA’s denial leaned on a state's attorney’s letter and that a supporting letter from the county could strengthen a second appeal.

Clay County’s attorney, Michael, told the board he could provide legal analysis and guidance but said he did not have authority to draft or sign a letter on behalf of the county for a separate political subdivision. "I will not write the letter," Michael said, but he offered to review a draft and provide legal notes to the commission.

Commissioners agreed to put a draft support letter in the packet for the next meeting. Larry asked to have a letter ready by Nov. 25; commissioners set an internal timetable for review and asked him to submit an updated draft by Nov. 19 with commissioner comments due Nov. 18 so the county attorney could review it before the Nov. 20 meeting.

The district also described a parallel application to the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s emergency watershed program: one site north of the Tabernacle Bridge was approved for riprap work contingent on coordination with the county highway department.

The board took no immediate formal action to sign a letter; instead it directed staff to place the draft in the next meeting packet, allow commissioners to provide edits individually, and ask the county attorney to review the draft before any county signature.

What’s next: Larry will submit a revised draft by Nov. 19; commissioners will submit comments by Nov. 18 and the county attorney will provide legal guidance ahead of the Nov. 20 meeting when the commission may decide whether to sign a support letter.