Nov 9, 2007
Flooding Fix? Board develops regulations
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As the Flood Erosion & Control Board, the Environmental Protection Commission is charged with the responsibility to get a hold on the flooding problem that ravaged the town this year. And while it’s only one piece of the puzzle, the flood board is taking its first step towards finding a fix by developing flood and erosion regulations.
Peter Hillman, flood board chairman, told The Darien Times on Tuesday that his board has been working earnestly on developing the regulations over the past few months. The Times obtained a copy of the draft regulations this week. The flood board will be holding a series of public hearings on the regulations. The first one is next Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 7:30 p.m. in Town Hall.
Many of the regulations involve taxing districts or properties in town that may be a cause, or could be a solution, to controlling the flooding problem.
According to the draft document, the town may defray costs of developing a “flood or erosion control system” by special assessment, which “may include a proportionate share of any expenses incidental to the completion of such flood or erosion control system...”
The town is also “authorized to enter upon and to take and hold, by purchase, condemnation or otherwise, any real property or interest therein which it determines is necessary for use in connection with the flood or erosion control system.”
While these two excerpts of the regulations might seem alarming to residents, Hillman said his board already had that authority under state law. The sections were copied verbatim from a state statute.
“Taxing residents is something that is already in the books, but what we’re doing is bringing it home and spelling it out in local regulations,” Hillman said. “We said we wouldn’t do this unless we had it in our own regulations. And we would only do it as a last resort.”
He also said the board hopes the public hearings will clear up some of the misinformation, and he expects to hear a lot of good ideas from residents.
Despite establishing considerable amount of power for the flood board, Hillman was hoping to include a significant enforcement measure for properties with plugged waterways.
“We wanted a process where it would escalate,” he said. “First a letter, then a warning and eventually the town would make the repairs and bill the property-owner.”
But the town, via the Department of Public Works, only has the authority to inspect, it can’t enforce it. “There’s no teeth there,” Hillman said. “It’s giving us the authority to go on the property and inspect, but we can’t actually do anything.”
But he said they aren’t giving up. He encouraged residents to help in the cause. “Help us write our representatives and lobby for that power,” he said.
An amount of money that it would cost to fix the flooding problem has been floated around town recently, anywhere from $10 million to more than $20 million. Hillman said money is obviously a key part of getting something substantive done, and he’s hoping to get a big chunk from the state.
He said “within the last year,” the state has set up a fund for about $5 million that would go to towns specifically for flood mitigation procedures. He said it could be as much as $1 million or $2 million. But in order to apply, the town needs a flood plan, and that’s what the flood board will be concentrating on next.
“We want to show Hartford that we’re on the cutting edge of trying to get our house in order,” Hillman said.
Hillman called the regulations “one piece of the puzzle” that will be added to develop a town-wide master drainage plan. And it’s just the beginning.
“This is just a starting point,” he said. “Nothing is set in stone, but we told the town we would get on this and this is the first step.
“Once these regulations have the force and effect of the law, then we’ll be looking at problematic areas in town and we’ll start getting something done.”
Residents and businesses alike count on the three town fire departments to be there to help when the town does flood. And while their contributions can’t be discounted, they are getting some extra assistance for securing the latest equipment to combat flooding.
Jeff Valente, Darien Fire Commission chairman, announced this week that $3,000 will be appropriated from the Fire Alarm Ordinance Account to purchase additional life jackets, tether lines, rescue harnesses and other water-related equipment. The money will be divided evenly among the three departments.
E-mail Darien Times reporter Austin Amoroso at aamoroso@darientimes.com.
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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