Johnson County angry with FEMA over Sutliff Bridge costs

Johnson County has received some relatively minor but still unpleasant news regarding the flood-damaged Sutliff Bridge.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency says it may not pay for debris removal for the historic structure's west approach and its east span, which was swept away by the Cedar River in the 2008 flood.

FEMA puts those expenses at $8,800 and $49,000, respectively, although some of the county's supervisors said Thursday they think the most the county would have to pay is several thousand dollars.

The supervisors voted, 3-2, in April to restore Sutliff Bridge, which is in the northwest corner of the county and opened in 1898.

FEMA said federal and state funds would cover the cost to replace the damaged part of the bridge, estimated at $1.7 million, plus about $440,000 to bring it up to code.

Now FEMA says the county needs to first look to the Sutliff Bridge Authority to pay for the debris removal. The bridge authority is a resident-led nonprofit organization that assumed oversight of the bridge from the county in 1984. After the flood, the county resumed control of the structure.

FEMA says the lease between the bridge authority and the county called on the organization to have a $100,000 performance bond to cover costs should the bridge be damaged. The county has a letter from the authority in 1985 saying liability coverage could not be obtained. It's not clear if the county ever replied to that.

Andy Johnson, executive assistant to the Board of Supervisors, said FEMA has indicated it may still reimburse the county for debris removal should the bridge authority not pay them.

The supervisors discussed the matter at an informal meeting Thursday. They were not happy because FEMA OK'd the work months ago and has even written the county checks for the debris removal. In fact, the work on the west approach is done.

Supervisor Rod Sullivan said it was “reckless” of FEMA to possibly go back on its earlier promise.

“It doesn't give a person much faith in the whole FEMA process,” he said.

Supervisors Sally Stutsman and Pat Harney, who voted against restoring the bridge, said this made them question whether FEMA would later renege on other funding commitments for the project.

“I don't trust FEMA,” Stutsman said.

The supervisors said they weren't as concerned with the $49,000 estimate for the east span. That's the section that fell into the river, and the bridge authority has already paid $19,000 to fish it out, with the debris now on private land.

Supervisor Janelle Rettig said the bridge authority should be able to recoup those expenses because it has salvage rights to the debris.

Johnson said the bridge authority wants to work with the county but paying for debris removal would take away money it has pledged for bridge maintenance.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• April 7 --
• Letter to the editor, April 12 --
• Guest column, Oct. 14, 2009:

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• April 7 -- Supervisors vote to restore Sutliff Bridge
• Letter to the editor, April 12 -- Supervisors misspend our money on bridge
• Guest column, Oct. 14, 2009: Bring back Sutliff Bridge