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Sioux Rapids council endorses CDBG-DR buyout for flood-damaged home at 314 1st Street
Summary
The Sioux Rapids City Council voted unanimously among present members to endorse a CDBG-DR buyout and demolition application for a property inundated in the 2024 flood and requested $39,619 in CDBG-DR funds as part of a $155,475 eligible project cost; the council also adopted related planning documents and HMGP-DR administrative steps.
Sioux Rapids — The Sioux Rapids City Council on Wednesday endorsed a federal disaster-recovery grant application to buy out and demolish a flood-damaged home at 314 1st Street and adopted related planning documents and administrative authorizations.
Mayor Mike Katschman opened a public hearing at 6:38 p.m. and read the city’s announcement describing the need and funding plan for the proposed buyout. "The City has a long history of negative impacts from flooding on the Little Sioux River including a significant flood in 2024," Katschman said while reading the notice. The city described an estimated $155,475 in CDBG-eligible costs for acquisition, demolition, abatement and project delivery; FEMA Public Assistance would cover $115,856 and the city is requesting $39,619 in CDBG-DR funds.
The notice identified the property as substantially damaged during the 2024 flood and said the project would remove the structure and leave the parcel as natural open space to reduce future flood risk. The city announced it would submit the CDBG-DR application to the Iowa Economic Development Authority by June 1, 2026, at midnight and stated that displaced owners may be eligible for Replacement Housing Benefits.
After a short staff discussion of application process details, the council voted to adjourn the hearing and approved Resolution No. 941 endorsing and authorizing submittal of the CDBG-DR application. Councilmembers Mike Gunderson, Susan Pierce and Kevin Thompson voted aye; Lacy Garberding and Christy Wernimont were recorded absent. The council also approved authorization for Mayor Katschman and City Clerk Amanda Caraway to sign the HMGP-DR property acquisition subaward agreement for review and adopted the HMGP-DR administrative plan.
Why it matters: The move advances a buyout approach that the council and staff say will remove a residential structure from a repeatedly flooded area, convert the parcel to open space and reduce future public and private costs from recurring floods. The action also commits the city to a coordinated grant-financing approach that depends on FEMA project funding and a CDBG-DR award.
Votes at a glance: Resolution No. 941 (Endorse/Authorize CDBG-DR submittal) — mover: Susan Pierce; second: Mike Gunderson; Ayes: Gunderson, Pierce, Thompson; Absent: Garberding, Wernimont. Resolution No. 938 (Adopt Long-Term Maintenance Plan) — Ayes: Gunderson, Pierce, Thompson. Resolution No. 939 (Adopt Community Development and Housing Needs Assessment) — Ayes: Gunderson, Pierce, Thompson. Resolution No. 940 (Support buyout/restoration to open space) — Ayes: Gunderson, Pierce, Thompson.
What’s next: The city indicated it will file the application with the Iowa Economic Development Authority by June 1, 2026. Further implementation — including acquisition, demolition, and any relocation assistance — will depend on award of CDBG-DR funds and coordination with FEMA HMGP-DR requirements.
