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Assembly directs staff to pursue NRCS buyout pathway for View Drive and draft up-to-$558,000 ordinance
Summary
After extensive public comment from flooded residents, the Juneau assembly voted to enter an NRCS buyout agreement and asked staff to draft an appropriation ordinance up to $558,000 for appraisals and project cost estimating to inform homeowner decisions.
The Juneau City and Borough Assembly voted March 9 to let staff pursue a formal buyout path through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and to draft an appropriation ordinance up to $558,000 to pay for appraisals and demolition/cost estimates. Advocates for View Drive homeowners and staff said the step is intended to give owners firm numbers before they decide whether to participate.
“Once we had all of that data, we would be prepared to negotiate that real estate transaction,” public works staff member Mr. Bar told the assembly during a detailed presentation on the NRCS buyout process. He said the NRCS program could fund up to 75% of eligible project costs but that the 25% local share cannot be federal dollars and that some technical and permanent costs would not be eligible for NRCS cost-share.
The manager’s memo and Mr. Bar’s presentation proposed an initial package of work — appraisals at pre‑2024 GLO levels and demolition/cost estimating — that would let homeowners compare offers and opt in or out. The assembly amended the staff request to allow the appropriation ordinance to be drafted with flexibility about whether the local match would come from general funds or the emergency reserve; that amendment passed 7–2. The amended motion to enter the NRCS agreement and direct staff to prepare the ordinance was then approved.
The assembly and staff repeatedly noted there are off‑ramps: if homeowners decline to participate, cost obligations for the city would be limited; staff said the up‑to $558,000 figure assumes broad homeowner participation and will likely be lower if fewer parcels request appraisals. City staff also said any demolition, permanent flood‑mitigation construction and non‑eligible costs would require separate funding decisions.
Why it matters: View Drive residents described repeated seasonal flooding, property loss and displacement in public comment, and many told the assembly they want clear buyout terms rather than prolonged study. The NRCS option gives the city a formal mechanism to obtain property valuations and realistic cost estimates so homeowners can decide whether to sell to the program. The next step is staff drafting the appropriation ordinance for a future assembly meeting.
