Corbett takes flood aid case to Congress

Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett made a case Wednesday to a Senate committee for federal flood protection aid and an examination of a benefit vs. cost funding formula he said favors coastal areas with pricier properties over modest Midwestern cities.

Similar cases at the hearing before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works were made for needs in other areas around the nation also dealing with natural disasters, such as ice dams in Wyoming, the failure of Oroville dam in California and river flooding in West Virginia.

'The challenge we have — and it comes back to why we are all here today — is the requirements grossly exceed the amount of money in the federal budget,' said Todd T. Semonite, lieutenant general of the Army Corps of Engineers. 'Just the federal dams alone — $24 billion to buy down the worst ones.'

Issues related to water — either too much or not enough — have been increasing and are stressing the budget. The hearing was intended to air not just needs for money but also loosening regulations to allow local authorities more sway in managing flooding, such as controlling outflows of dams before a flood hits, and other mitigation.

The 90-minute hearing, which included five witnesses before the 21-member committee, made clear Cedar Rapids hardly stands out.

'For coastal states, we are seeing real problems,' said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. 'We have 9 feet of sea level rise projected for this century on Rhode Island's shores. This is not funny along our coasts. This is for real.'

Corbett testified that Cedar Rapids has bounced back after the 2008 and then the 2016 floods. Still, the momentum remains under threat of the Cedar River, which caused some $5 billion in losses in 2008 and $35 million in 2016.

'Our community is vulnerable not just from a life-safety standpoint but from an economic standpoint,' he said.

Federal assistance for the city, once authorized by Congress at $75 million to cover 65 percent of east-side flood protection costs, is critical to stability, he said.

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, a committee member who helped orchestrate the hearing, pressed Semonite on how critical flood protection is for the state, and also on what she sees as an inequitable funding formula.

California has four of the five projects funded in the fiscal 2017 budget, but had similar benefit-cost ratios as Cedar Rapids, she said.

'Can you explain to me why the lives and livelihoods of Californians are worth more than the lives and livelihoods of Iowans?' she asked. 'Particularly since California is a very vast state with large amounts of economic resources.'

Semonite dismissed the notion any parts of the country are more important than others, and said a system is needed to examine risks and decide where to put money for the greatest impact.

'The best thing we can do is continue to work with you to figure out are there other parameters or other solutions we can somehow figure out, how to help the mayor out there,' Semonite said.

Last fall, the Army Corps provided a spreadsheet identifying flood related projects in response to questions from Ernst and Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. Grassley's office provided copies to The Gazette.

The spreadsheet showed 104 projects worth $34 billion on a list of authorized flood projects, and another 30 projects worth $14 billion that have been studied but weren't authorized.

Of the 104 authorized projects, only 68 were scored on the benefit-cost ratio, and of that the Cedar Rapids project tied for the fourth lowest score at 1.2.

In contrast to arguments by Corbett and others, some projects in Midwestern states scored high on ratio, such as the $21 million Topeka Flood Risk Management Project in Kansas with a 13.2.

The Office of Budget and Management prefers a project score at least 3.0, said a Grassley aide.

A 2010 Government Accountability Office report stated the benefit-cost ratio was incorporated in fiscal 2006 as part of a switch to performance-based budgeting. The report acknowledged the model favored projects in areas with higher property values. The more rigorous review provided by the formula was designed to curb a growing number of questionable projects being authorized, the Grassley aide stated.

Corbett, Ernst, Grassley and others have requested a review of the formula. While the Corps could change the policy, it is unlikely to get serious review until a new civilian director is appointed and confirmed.

Late last year, Congress approved a Water Resources Development Act bill that reauthorized funding for Cedar Rapids and included its project among a small group prioritized over other flood projects.

That priority, though, is non-binding.

l Comments: (319) 339-3177; brian.morelli@thegazette.com

Corbett testimony on flood protection (PDF) Corbett testimony on flood protection (Text)