Port Orange FLOODING WORKSHOP SURVIVAL GUIDE

.Newton White via bounce.secureserver.net …. 
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP
6:30 P.M. – LAKESIDE COMMUNITY CENTER
1999 CITY CENTER CIRCLE
NOVEMBER 19, 2014 ….

FLOODING WORKSHOP SURVIVAL GUIDE …. 

First thing this is a workshop no motion will be made no vote taken. Their is no direct action of council at this meeting, a direction to staff to bring items to council at a later date is all that can occur.

The meeting will be started by presentation of drainage problems on the large scale. Reading the materials we will hear about the B-23 canal and Nova canal, their history, misuse, diversion and why they are not doing what we need. Some of these presentations will be given by the very people who helped create the failures, don’t expect total disclosure.

The agenda does allow a discussion, citizens like you and I may or may not be given time to explain our valid observations of when and how our homes, streets, yards and neighborhoods flood. I would not take the time if offered to vent my anger over my personal losses, but instead I will talk about the failure to address the prevention and how the direct action of the city has created the situation in the entire basin I live at the epicenter of.

Thoughts to consider,

The drainage projects since the 2004 hurricanes and 5 days in May of 2009 have been high dollar, work creating, profit making jobs. They have been funded by FEMA, federal and state grants with some city matching, but the lions share of the loot came from outside the city budget.

Without a direction, instruction given to the manager and staff to address the specific issues in the Herbert street areas, Riverside drive, Sleepy Hollow/ Dunlawton Square, White Acres basin and others, our neighborhoods will go again without concern until another rain event brings disaster.

Council is rightly reluctant to spend money. More so to spend it without a clear plan and cost. This is kinda like asking which came first the chicken or the egg. In this case the egg being spending and the chicken being drainage and safe homes. I can tell you, you do not get chickens unless you have eggs.

To address that the city council has authorized five civil engineering firms and their are others big and small that could design and oversee solutions for the small jobs and problems in various areas of the city.

Please if you speak at the meeting or call or write council ask for action to be taken it must be put in the upcoming budget for Fiscal Year 2016. There is plenty of money still leftover from FY14 to get the process started we CANNOT allow this to be forgotten again.

Last

While it is a valid concern and suspicion of changes in the Dunlawton plan, the removal of the berm, the destination of the dirt that would have built the berm, the settlement price of that dirt and more. Let’s not forget that it is far more important to look forward and prevent future flooding and closed evacuation routes. The past will be there to investigate and place blame, we do not know when the next rain event or hurricane will hit.

Hope to see you at the meeting.

Newton White