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Turner Lake and Clay Water District asks Clay County to back FEMA appeal after river flooding
Summary
A Turner Lake and Clay Water Project District representative told the Clay County Commission he documented roughly 186 dike/levee damage sites and estimated about $2 million in repairs; county counsel said he will review a draft but will not draft or sign a support letter on behalf of the county, and commissioners agreed to consider the letter at their next meeting.
Larry, representing the Turner Lake and Clay Water Project District, asked the Clay County Commission on Nov. 5 to formally back a second appeal to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for repairs to dikes and levees damaged in recent floods. He said the district identified roughly 186 damaged sites along the river and has estimated about $2,000,000 in debris removal and repair costs.
"We came up with, close to $2,000,000 worth of damage," Larry said during his presentation, and he urged the commission to consider a letter of support that his group would include in its FEMA appeal packet.
County state's attorney Mike told the commission he would not draft or sign the requested letter. He explained that political subdivisions such as water or dike districts are separate legal entities and that his role is limited to providing legal advice to the county, not to drafting or signing documents on behalf of another governmental subdivision. "I do not have the authority to write the letter that's being requested," he said, but he offered to review any draft the visitor provided and to advise whether the county's involvement would be supported by law.
Commissioners and the visitor discussed technical and organizational points, including how some dike associations have transferred taxing authority to the Turner Lake and Clay Water Project District to fund maintenance. Larry said several associations have now formally organized and asked the county to confirm in writing that the district had responsibility for the dikes, a point he said was central to FEMA's initial denial.
The board agreed to include the visitor's draft letter in the next meeting packet for review. Commissioners asked Larry to provide an updated draft by the 19th and requested that members send comments to county staff by the 18th so the county attorney could review the material before the meeting. The matter was scheduled for formal consideration at the next regular commission meeting.
