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DAYTON–Following a public hearing in which no members of the public gave any testimony, Columbia County Commissioners voted unanimously to dissolve the Flood Control Zone District (FZCD) at the work session here Monday, June 26.
In discussion after the hearing was closed by Chairman Ryan Rundell, commissioners Marty Hall and Jack Miller, and Public Works Director Grant Morgan explored the logistics of the future receipt of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant funds. Morgan indicated that the FZCD could be abolished and the funds left in place until closure.
Anticipated funding amounts to $275,000 for the County Road Fund and $110,000 for Current Expense were disclosed, and once FEMA makes the reimbursements, the funds could be transferred back; something that's anticipated in the 2023 budget.
Theoretically, when we get the monies in here, we could transfer that back into Current Expense, and Current Expense could pay the matching funds for the grant...or we could leave it in here," Morgan advised.
Public Works has been in frequent contact with FEMA regarding the reimbursements, Morgan said.
In discussion, Rundell said the FZCD was implemented when he had recently been appointed to the commission and that, in hindsight, perhaps the topic should have been on the ballot as a "two-fer," one measure to approve the formation of the FZCD and another ballot measure to approve funding, rather than forming it and then seeking funding.
Morgan added that having other entities in the county participating in the FZCD would have been nice.
In June, 2019, Commissioners Mike Talbott, Charles Amerein and Rundell unanimously voted to establish an FZCD, in cooperation with the City of Dayton and Town of Starbuck. Commissioners also placed an excess levy (10¢ per $1,000 of assessed valuation) on that year's November ballot, which was rejected by voters 65.5% to 34.5%. It is estimated that $100,000 per year could have been raised for flood mitigation. A second ballot proposition in 2020 was defeated with 60% of voters disapproving.
