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PDR asking for levee help

Posted May 21, 2016 11:00 pm

By Pete Spitler Staff Writer

Although floodwaters from the Flood of '15 have long since receded, Prairie du Rocher is now facing a much bigger problem.

Stephen Gonzalez, levee commissioner of the Prairie du Rocher and Modoc Levee/Drainage District, spoke to the Randolph County Board on Friday about the PDR community's struggle to raise enough money to federally recertify its levee system.

"Without recertification, flood insurance rates will be unaffordable and the town will slowly die," Gonzalez was stated as saying in a May 18 letter from Amy Barbeau, president of the Prairie du Rocher Chamber of Commerce. "The DRA (Delta Regional Authority) has been a valuable granting source for us to acquire many hundreds of thousands of dollars for gravity drain slip lining in the district and other improvements and for this we are very thankful.

"However, for every DRA project, the levee district has to provide a 10 percent match."

Gonzalez distributed copies of the letter to media at Friday's meeting and added that the DRA has pledged to finish the recertification process as required from USACE, but federal funds received from grants obtained through the agency cannot be used to pay other federal agencies.

"We all realize that all the money and years of effort will be for nothing if we do not get certification," Gonzalez said in the letter.

The levee district has paid two $41,000 installments to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for recertification work, but is in need of an additional $62,000 to complete the process.

"Despite the fact that our levee held in the 500-year Flood of 1993 and all the other floods, FEMA is demanding recertification," Gonzalez said in the letter.

Gonzalez noted that in a December meeting with FEMA officials, the levee district was given 12 to 18 months, from July 1, to be reaccredited as a 100-year levee.

The district was last accredited in May 2004 after a reported 20 years of effort and $3.1 million in improvement costs.

"We've got a good working relationship with the Corps right now," he said Friday. "FEMA are the ones, for some reason, not wanting people to live in the floodplain.

"The new rules are very stringent."

Gonzalez noted that earlier last year, FEMA allowed the USACE to recertify the levee district and the district entered into an agreement with the agency to complete the work.

But the USACE is wanting the $62,000 up front, which has caused the levee district to seek alternative funding sources as FEMA set a rapidly approaching deadline to complete payment on the cost of recertification work.

"We're kinda in a bind to secure this $62,000 in a couple months," Gonzalez said.

During the meeting, Gonzalez said flood insurance is currently $300 per household, but that number would balloon to between $1,500 and $2,000 per household without certification.

For tax deductible donations, interested people can send a check to:

Community Foundation of Randolph County

1 Taylor St.

Room 106

Chester, IL 62233

People can also donate online through a GoFundMe account established at www.gofundme.com/savepdrlevees.

Also during public comment, the commissioners heard from Les Amis du Fort de Chartres, a support group dedicated toward helping sustain and grow special events at the fort.

The group spoke specifically about the upcoming Rendezvous, which is scheduled for June 4-5.

"The state has decided not to support special events this year," said Jennifer Duensing, who attended the meeting with Carol Kuntz and Don Martin of Courier du Bois.

Duensing noted that the Rendezvous brings in about half of the fort's special events visitors each year, with an estimate of 15,000 for last year's event.

Duensing said the group was notified at the end of March that the state would not be paying for the events.

"This situation is most likely not getting better," she said.

Duensing added that the state paid $25,000 for the fort's special events last year, including porta-potties, firewood and ambulance service.

"We're only taking care of the essential items," Duensing said. "Another agency has stepped up to pay for the entertainment."

Duensing added that the group is halfway toward its crowdfunding goal of $10,000 and about a third of the way toward its $15,000 corporate goal.

"Both are doing well and we have a long way to go," she said.

Duensing also thanked both Randolph County Tourism and Randolph County Progress Committee for their donations to the effort.

"It's a bad situation for us, but it could be a good situation moving forward," she said. "It's the understanding that we're all in this together."

Roundup

• General assistance for the period was $1,477.94 with administrative costs at $1,464.66.

• The Randolph County Care Center was reported to have 68 residents.

• The commissioners heard an update on Senate Bill 2237, which would allow telecommunication companies to lay fiber optic cable along right-of-ways without getting an easement.

Charlie Schupbach, with the Randolph County Farm Bureau, said his agency is advising people to call their local political representatives and tell them to vote "no."

"It's an attack on private property rights," he said.

• The commissioners signed a proclamation declaring the summer driving season "Drive to Stay Alive" in Randolph County.

• The board appointed Ed Braun as Randolph County code enforcer and appointed Sparta District 140 Superintendent Larry Beattie to the Sparta Community Airport Authority.

Beattie is filling the unexpired term of Chester Razer - who was announced to be moving out of the county during the board's previous meeting - until May 31, 2017.

"We thank Larry for his interest," said Board Chairman Marc Kiehna.

• An agenda item to discuss the costs of March's primary election was tabled as County Clerk Pat Laramore could not attend the meeting due a family matter.

• The commissioners approved an ordinance adopting a revised code of ordinances that Kiehna noted took several months to complete.

"It's been many years since this was updated and I think we should be proud of it," Kiehna said.

• The board's quarterly meeting dates of July 1, 15 and 29; Aug. 12 and 26 and Sept. 9 and 23 were approved.

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