Councilman calls on Bell to keep promise on dikes

The dike system, built to help prevent flooding, is in need of $1.2 million to $2 million of improvements.

Mayor Mike Bell had offered to spend $760,000 of the city's capital improvement budget on the project this year - plus an undefined sum next year - but now apparently is having second thoughts.

Ms. Webb noticed that a $760,000 earmark she was expecting to find in the mayor's budget plan was missing.

Deputy Mayor of Operations Steve Herwat said the administration is still in favor of raising the height of the dike system, but the mayor is leaving the issue of how to fund it up to council.

"Some questions were raised if it could be assessed, $760,000 was set aside, and we are still waiting to see what the will of council is," Mr. Herwat said. "Councilman Joe McNamara asked me directly if this project could be funded [totally] by assessments and the answer is yes, with some small exception."

Leaving the dikes alone means homeowners would be required to buy flood insurance.

The annual cost for such premiums is at least $700 a year, said Ms. Webb, who represents Point Place and North Toledo.

She said the city had promised to eventually pay up to 85 percent of the improvements, with affected property owners picking up the balance.

The dike system was built by the Army Corps of Engineers in the late 1970s at a cost of more than $14 million to alleviate neighborhood flooding.

Property tax assessments paid some of that.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has told the city, though, that Point Place flood-control system needs to be modernized in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the August, 2005, storm that devastated New Orleans and other parts of the Gulf of Mexico coastline.

Making the improvements would keep Point Place from being designated a flood-prone area, Michael Hanke of FEMA's regional office in Chicago said.

"I think residents are expecting a moderate assessment, but to assess the entire project and not to use [capital improvement program] money, there would be extreme outrage in the community," Ms. Webb said.

Affected property owners also could face higher property taxes if the project hits the $2 million mark, Mr. Herwat said.

"We aren't saying we are not going to use the [capital improvement fund]," he said. "The planning behind the scenes for the project is going ahead full bore."

Ms. Webb may have to persuade at least six other councilmen to fund the project.

Mr. Bell is moving forward with a plan from earlier this year to take $4.7 million away from capital improvement projects and instead use it to balance the city's general fund, which pays for work such as police and fire operations.

The Bell administration identified $1.473 million in projects, including:

•$140,000 for the Swan Creek dike recertification. Similar to Point Place, a smaller area in South Toledo, on Swan Creek south of South Avenue and east of Detroit Avenue, is in need of improvements.

•$225,000 for general park improvements.

•$109,425 for citywide bridge materials.

•$27,000 for a Promenade Park shower.

•$25,000 for Fire Station 6 contract administration.

•$100,000 for the police firing range.

•$200,000 for information and communications technology infrastructure.

•$197,419 for "1 percent for the arts."

•$450,000 for the cost-allocation plan.

An additional $14.5 million of capital improvements budget money is set aside for debt service.

Contact Ignazio Messina at:

imessina@theblade.com

or 419-724-6171.