Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Flood Buyouts topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Franklin County OKs up to $300,000 to pursue NRCS voluntary buyouts for flood-damaged homes
Summary
The fiscal court approved participation in an NRCS Emergency Watershed Protection buyout program and a reimbursable contract amendment with ERSIS to manage applications; buyouts are voluntary, federally funded at 75% with the county committed to up to an estimated $300,000 local exposure to cover administrative costs.
Frankfort — Franklin County Fiscal Court voted to authorize the county’s participation in a voluntary buyout program offered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, approving a not-to-exceed local commitment of $300,000 to cover county administrative shares.
The program — described by Erin McCauley of ER Assist and Logan Stevens, district conservationist for NRCS — would allow the county to acquire flood-damaged properties and place permanent deed restrictions so land is kept as open space, buffers or parks. Stevens said the buyout approach can be a practical alternative to large-scale river engineering and is the “best best option we have” in many locations.
Why it matters: NRCS covers roughly 75 percent of the acquisition cost; a typical package described to the court included a pre-flood appraisal plus a $31,000 comparable-housing allowance for primary residences. The remaining local administrative share of title searches, appraisals, environmental reviews, asbestos surveys and demolition is expected to be largely covered by a separate state grant, leaving an estimated 5 percent net local administrative cost — roughly under $10,000 per property in the county’s planning estimate. County staff said about 14 owners have signed up so far and they projected up to 30 interested parcels.
What the court approved: The fiscal court (motion recorded in the voting session) also approved an increase to ERSIS’s task order by $300,000 so that ERSIS can manage the NRCS application process and case management; those management invoices will be submitted to NRCS for monthly reimbursement, staff said.
Next steps and caveats: Staff emphasized the program is voluntary and subject to federal and state approvals. Several magistrates noted remaining uncertainties — especially whether the state-level grant for a portion of the local share will be awarded — and asked that officials host a town-hall meeting for potentially eligible property owners to explain appraisal timing, duplication-of-benefits rules and deed restrictions affecting future land use.
The court recorded the authorization to participate and the ERSIS task-order amendment during the voting session and approved both measures by voice vote. The county will return with additional application-level details as the work progresses.
