Could flood-related electrical damage at Ellis Harbor been avoided?

CEDAR RAPIDS — Ellis Harbor tenants say they are as frustrated as anyone by major costs from flooding for the second time in eight years, especially when they and city officials pushed for steps that could have mitigated the electrical damages.

Cedar Rapids officials estimate 20 city-owned towers containing electric meters may need replacing at a cost of about $15,000 each — or $300,000 total — and unless federal aid kicks in, local taxpayers would be on the hook. Power to the harbor remains shut off, and could be for a while.

'We just want to make sure it doesn't happen again,' said Jeff McLaud, 53, who has had a place at the harbor since 1996. 'We are just as concerned about the costs as anyone else.'

See also: Cedar Rapids man denied access to save sinking houseboat during flood

After the 2008 flood, changes were made to better protect the harbor from flood damage, including the addition of a cable tethering houseboats to land as a fail-safe and also industrial flotation devices as opposed to barrel floats for new houseboats or new owners.

Also, the electric meters and towers were moved from the side to the top of a slope, gaining about five feet of elevation.

But it wasn't high enough. When the Cedar River crested at nearly 22 feet on Sept. 27, several of the meters, which hang between knee and eye level on the towers, were submerged.

'They showed us a plan, and we said, 'Those are going to be too low. They are going to get wet,' ' said Carl Cortez, 71, who has leased a slip at the harbor since 1970. 'But, (Alliant) said, it was for safety reasons.'

Cortez said concerns were raised at meetings between the Riverfront Improvement Commission, Alliant Energy — which provides the power — and city officials after the 2008 flood.

'If they listened after 2008, it wouldn't cost a dime,' Cortez said. 'There wouldn't be a single meter in the water.'

Cedar Rapids owns the infrastructure, but placement of meters is regulated by utility companies and the National Electrical Code, which requires meters to be no higher than 4 to 6 feet above ground level to allow safe manual meter reading, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Sven Leff, the city parks and recreation director, who did not work for the city in 2008 but was briefed by staff, said the city 'encouraged' Alliant to elevate the meters more after 2008, but the energy company declined to deviate from its standards.

'What I've been told by staff is between OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) requirements and Alliant design standards, they weren't allowed to be placed higher so meter readers could read the meters from standing positions,' Leff said.

Alliant Energy officials did not dispute this or elaborate.

'I am assuming what everyone was looking at — as when citing all new installations — was the code,' said Don Finn, senior manager of customer operation, noting he was not in the same role in 2008.

City officials met with Alliant last Monday to discuss options for repairing the electrical infrastructure at Ellis Harbor this time around. City officials also briefed members on the Ellis Harbor Association during its most recent meeting.

From the city's perspective, restoring electrical is the priority, as well as identifying a flood-proof design and installing temporary towers in the meantime, Leff said. Temporary towers could be up within three weeks, and a permanent solution is intended to be in place by the start of boating season next spring, he said.

The city and Alliant are discussing possible solutions to avoid the same damage in the future, including placing the meters higher and having a remote reader accessible at ground level or from a vehicle, which is available for some newer structures, Leff said. One factor is the cost difference between retrofitting the existing set up versus building new, Leff said.

Finn, with Alliant, said elevated platforms — such that a reader could take stairs up to a landing to read the meters — and a mainline that users plug into individually also are under consideration.

'We are working through it at this time,' Finn said. 'What does this need to look like? What will minimize the cost for everyone and still be able to provide power?'

The city and Alliant plan to schedule another meeting in two to three weeks, but nothing has been set on the calendar yet, Leff said.

The harbor has 272 slips and 134 structures, typically houseboats. Lease rates are $400 to $600 per year. The harbor generally operates at a loss, with $96,000 in revenue compared to $155,000 in expenses, such as standard maintenance, repairs and management staff, Leff said. Leff said the city remains committed to the harbor, which he called 'a property with such tradition,' but is looking at how to improve it and make it more efficient to operate.