Justices hear about county’s storm damage
Posted on Friday, March 28, 2008
BENTONVILLE - It was a routine Quorum Court meeting Thursday until a tornado siren sounded and justices of the peace ended the meeting by standing and voting on agenda items in the hallway of the basement of the Benton County Administration Building.
During the meeting, Marshal Watson, director of the Benton County Department of Emergency Management, gave Quorum Court members an update on the county's storm damage.
Watson hopes to receive federal assistance to help pay for damages from recent flooding.
Watson reported during the meeting that a Federal Emergency Management Agency team has been touring county sites that were damaged by the flooding. On Thursday, the team visited the Lake Bella Vista dam, Watson said. The team will continue to seek damages for a few more days, he said.
Watson said the county needs to show $ 477, 000 in damages to receive public assistance from the federal government. If it meets the FEMA threshold, the county would receive 87 percent reimbursement for damages, Watson said.
Watson said the county did not qualify to receive individual assistance from the federal government, but he hopes southern portions of Arkansas will meet the threshold for individuals to receive assistance from FEMA; then Benton County residents would be included with those people.
Benton County Judge Gary Black showed photographs of damage from flooding and tornadoes in February, and also of the recent flooding. Black pointed out in one photograph that a bridge had been moved 8 to 12 inches, and the bridge remains closed.
Watson said the county had spent $ 250, 000 on materials, equipment and labor to make repairs caused by February's tornadoes and flooding. The county will received 35 percent reimbursement because last month's storm was declared a state disaster, Watson said.
Some areas received 6 to 8 inches of rain in February, while areas were drenched with 8 to 11 inches of rain from the recent storms, Watson said.
Watson praised his team, other county employees and first responders for their work in responding to the flooding. Watson said one bridge - Snavely - remains closed, and others are undergoing emergency repairs.
At Thursday's meeting, justices approved the following items • Re-appointing Malcolm Winters to the Benton County Rural Development Authority, with his term to run from March 28 to March 2013 • An ordinance allowing the county judge to apply for a $ 29, 963. 84 grant on behalf of the Gallatin Fire Department • An ordinance for an application for a drug-court grant • An ordinance recognizing and honoring retired Assistant County Administrator Travis Harp • An ordinance allowing the sheriff to give retired and retiring deputies old badges • An ordinance amending the county budget • An ordinance concerning a donation to the Benton County Juvenile Detention Center from Wal-Mart; and • The first reading of an ordinance adopting a revised fee schedule for building inspections and exempting agricultural buildings from building inspections and fees.
The meeting was interrupted by the storm-warning siren during the discussion concerning an amendment to the budget. The justices and others attending the meeting were instructed to go to the basement because a tornado warning had been issued.
The justices ended up discussing and voting on agenda items while standing in a hallway.
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