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Gila County outlines FEMA-funded buyout and $2.5M north-bank mitigation plan after purchasing 10 homes
Summary
Gila County officials said they have purchased 10 flood-impacted homes in Roosevelt Estates under a FEMA buyout; nine of 10 required reports are in, abatement and demolition will follow, and county engineers plan additional north-bank mitigation funded at roughly $2.5 million, with public meetings to follow.
Gila County officials told Roosevelt Estates residents on Jan. 13 that the county has purchased all 10 flood-impacted homes covered by a FEMA buyout and that mitigation work tied to the property acquisitions must be completed by the end of June under the grant terms.
Homero Vela, Gila County Public Works Director, reported that nine of the 10 required reports for the acquired properties are complete; once the final report arrives the county will do abatement work and then demolish the structures, after which Mesquite Street could be reopened, Supervisor Humphrey said.
The update matters to residents because the demolitions are intended to reduce obstructions in Campaign Creek that staff say have contributed to repeated flooding of back yards and road crossings. Alex Kendrick, Gila County Engineering, said the county will use allocated funds to pursue mitigation on the north side of the creek, that he will meet with a design team and host two public meetings to keep residents informed, and that "we will have approximately $2.5 million dollars to do the north side project." Homero added that FEMA grant funds can be used only for the purchase of impacted homes, not for the mitigation work itself.
Residents asked several practical questions during the discussion: whether trees around the purchased parcels would be removed, how dredging might affect flooding downstream and whether dredging should extend toward Pinto, and whether the county had prior engineering work to guide design choices. County staff cited an earlier conceptual design from Jeff DeSpain as background and said they will pursue reasonable alternatives to protect remaining homes rather than try to build 100-year flood protection, which Homero said the county cannot afford.
Next steps: county engineers will meet with designers, schedule two public meetings to present mitigation options, and return to the community with a map and a more detailed timeline at the next meeting. The county emphasized deadlines tied to the FEMA grant and urged residents with repeatedly flooded properties to consider buyout options.
