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City administrator details flood damage, repair plans and FEMA review
Summary
City Administrator Dale Oltmans told the council July 16 that repair work after the June flood is underway but that several major pieces of equipment were submerged and will need replacement; some repairs may be eligible for FEMA assistance, a process staff said could take many months to complete.
City Administrator Dale Oltmans told the Alton City Council on July 16 that work to repair flood damage from June has begun but that several critical components will need replacement and that federal reimbursement timelines could extend the recovery process.
Oltmans said lift stations are operational but generator starters are not working and that new generators have been ordered and are expected to arrive in several months. He reported that DGR prepared plans and that an executed contract with Cleveringa Excavating is in place to repair a compromised lagoon embankment; repairs were underway with DGR inspection, he said.
The administrator said transformers, switchgear and a gas main stored at low-lying sites were under water during the flood and will require replacement. After seal coating on East 10th Street, staff discovered a sinkhole that will be investigated and repaired. The county is scheduled to inspect the bridge on 3rd Avenue, and DGR is preparing a study on replacing the bridge approach; council members discussed the possibility of using culverts on the Garfield Street bridge.
Oltmans told the council that portions of the recovery work might be reimbursable through FEMA but cautioned that the grant and closeout process can be lengthy: staff noted past flood recoveries with less damage took nearly two years to close out and receive final grant payments. City staff have begun compiling documentation and meeting with FEMA to start the grant process.
No formal vote was required; the update concluded with staff tasked to continue documenting damage, inspect equipment, proceed with contracted repairs and advance FEMA coordination.
