Flood mitigation project price tag almost $98M

The estimated cost of flood mitigation projects in Hancock County has increased by about $25 million since 2019, prompting local officials to delay construction and seek federal help to meet a funding shortfall. The price tag is now nearly $98 million. In a joint press release issued late Friday, local officials said they will ask Findlay City Council to rush through legislation at its regular meeting Tuesday to allow the city to apply for the grant. Council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Findlay Municipal Building, 318 Dorney Plaza. All council meetings are open to the public and are live-streamed on the city's YouTube page: Findlay Ohio. The press release was issued jointly by the Findlay Mayor's Office, the Hancock County Board of Commissioners and the Maumee Watershed Conservancy District, Defiance. Legislation permitting city officials to seek a $20 million federal grant is expected to be introduced to council on Tuesday. Council will be asked to waive its three-reading rule and pass the legislation as an emergency to meet a Feb. 22 application deadline. Council will also be asked to adopt a resolution in support of the effort. The Flood Mitigation Assistance grant is being offered through the Federal Emergency Management Association. According to the release, the estimated cost of the Eagle Creek flood basin has increased by $15 million since 2019, and is now expected to cost $75 million to construct. The cost of the Norfolk Southern Railroad bridge project has nearly doubled since 2019, increasing from $8.9 million to $16.7 million. The second phase of river benching has increased from $4 million to $6 million. Construction on all three projects was set to begin this year. The flood basin, which is expected to range in size from 600 to 800 acres, will be dry most of the time. However, during a flood, the basin could hold enough stormwater to drop floodwater 1.5 feet on Findlay's Main Street during a 100-year storm, like the flood of August 2007. Once complete, the basin is expected to lift nearly 2,000 parcels out of the Blanchard River's floodplain. Over its 100-year lifespan, the basin will cost the city about $5 million to maintain. The state of Ohio has awarded $60 million to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for the construction of the basin. A grant for $7.1 million was awarded to the conservancy district in 2021 by the Federal Rail Administration for the railroad bridge. It was expected to cover 80% of the cost, then estimated at $8.8 million. The current bridge, which is over 100 years old, straddles the Blanchard River just west of Cory Street and Findlay's downtown. Supports for the bridge are a "pinch point" in the river and act as a dam during floods. The 150-foot span of the bridge will be replaced by a new bridge, with a span of 300 feet, removing the obstruction from the river. According to Friday's press release, Norfolk Southern Railroad has been asked to close any remaining funding gap. In 2009, Hancock County voters approved a 10-year, 0.25% additional sales tax to pay for flood mitigation. Plans to bench a second leg of the Blanchard River will now exhaust those funds. In all, the additional sales tax generated about $32 million over 10 years. The benches, meant to increase the river's capacity, will be built along the north side of the river, from the Main Street bridge to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway overpass at East Main Cross Street. Construction of the second set of benches is expected to begin soon. The first project, which cost $6.1 million, cut benches into the north riverbank for about 3,500 feet between the Norfolk Southern railroad bridge and Broad Avenue. In 2023, Findlay Council also agreed to earmark $2.5 million in capital funding to be utilized for flood mitigation. The city's fund for flood mitigation expenses had been "zeroed out" since 2012, according to city Auditor Jim Staschiak. At that time, the city transferred $1.8 million to the Hancock County Board of Commissioners for flood control efforts and paid $50,000 to install gauges in the Blanchard River to monitor the river's height. Local, state and federal dollars have also been used to clear the floodplain of structures and to make roadway improvements meant to ensure clear routes for emergency vehicles during a flood. According to Friday's statement, applying for the grant will not bind the city to "any specific funding agreement for flood mitigation efforts moving forward," and money already spent on flood control, along with the state grant, will count towards local matching dollar requirements.