Flood victims gather to share concerns with Corbett

More than a 100 people turned out last night at a west-side union hall to tell the city's new mayor about problems with the city's flood recovery.

One after another, flood victims took turns at the microphone as Mayor-elect Ron Corbett, dressed in suit and tie, sat in the front of the room listening. Each point made was added to the list on large note pads. Greg Eyerly, the city's flood-recovery director, was making notes as well.

Council members Monica Vernon and Chuck Wieneke and council member-elect Chuck Swore were on hand as was state Sen. Rob Hogg.

The complaints and requests were many: Restore debris pickup where homeowners continue to renovate their homes. Find answers for homeowners who had been selling homes on contract at the time of the flood. Why are the dates for many buyouts being pushed back? When is the city going to start spending its local-option sales tax revenue on the recovery? Does the city pay for demolition once a home is bought out?

One speaker asked why those in the crowd weren't upset about the sales tax money.

“We are,” one person said. “That's why we got a new mayor,” another said.

If there was a common strain through many of the comments it was that the city isn't moving fast enough and isn't communicating very clearly on a case-by-case basis.

One owner noted that some homes that the city will buy out can be rehabilitated, and he wondered if the city had a plan to do that for homes that didn't need to be demolished. Another asked for the city to rethink the boundaries of the proposed levee construction zone and study area so more people can rehabilitate houses there.

Peter Teahen, a disaster expert with the American Red Cross, facilitated the input session.

Corbett, who takes office Jan. 4, told the crowd at the start of the event that he couldn't pretend to know what they have gone through with the flood and the recovery from it. But as mayor he said his priority is “to help people out.” “That's why we elect people,” he said.

He said he would hold a similar public forum in January to report back what the city intends to do to answer some of their questions. He said he hoped the forums give people some encouragement.