By Adam Allington, KWMU
Pacific, MO – The mayor of Pacific says a federal property buyout is a realistic option for coping with the city's ongoing flood problems.
Pacific's board of aldermen will meet on Tuesday to discuss the possibility of applying for a federal property buyout.
Located on the Meramec River, Pacific has experienced repeated and ongoing problems with flooding. Now, some residents think the federal government should step in to help residents move out of the flood plain.
Pacific Mayor Herb Adams says all options are on the table, including the possibility of building a flood levee.
However, Adams says local opinion seems to heavily favor the buyout option.
"I haven't come across anybody that says 'no way Jose', but everyone that I've talked to say they want out," says Adams.
Whatever avenue the city pursues, levee or buyout, state officials say every dollar in flood mitigation needs to save two dollars in future flood damage.
Still, the city can't force residents to take a buyout and Alderman Jerry Eversmeyer says that moving some homes but not others won't work either.
"If you leave homes scattered about, that's not good for the city. There is still a lot of questions that need to be answered," says Eversmeyer.
The area in question is in the southern part of town, comprising about 180 homes and 30 businesses.
Sheila Huddleston is a state Hazard Mitigation Officer; she said even if Pacific applies for a buyout, participation is still optional.
"They cannot use their power of eminent domain to take the property. We've seen it time and time again, there'll be one person left out in the middle of a field. That's the chance that that particular property owner decides to take."
The Federal Emergency Management Agency would provide 75 percent of the funding, with 25 percent from local or state sources. FEMA has helped purchase over 4,700 flood-prone properties since the early 1990's.