(Spencer)– Some structures in Spencer heavily damaged in last year’s flood that have been deemed no longer habitable are a step closer to being demolished. The city council Monday evening approved the list of properties being included in a couple of buyout programs. City Manager Kevin Robinson says the first is for four structures included in what’s known as the “Swift Current” buyout program…
“These are properties that will be purchased by the City of Spencer. These are properties located in the one hundred year floodplain, and these are properties that, prior to the flood, carried National Flood Insurance on the properties. We have four of those. Um, those will go in for approval. Where they’re sitting at the federal government right now, the state of Iowa believes anytime will receive notification back that those are approved. Part of the process for the grant in order to receive the monies is that the the City Council needs to determine that these properties have been damaged to the point that they’re no longer habitable. Um, normally you would see this on a one off property where you take action to deem a property past the point of repair. You’re going to condemn the property. This is a similar process in the sense that it’s gone before the city council. You’ve reviewed these addresses. You’re approving that they are not safe to live in.”
13 others that were approved Monday evening by the council are through the 403, or Imminent Threat program…
“These are properties that the owners of the current property retain ownership of. The properties are not safe to inhabit. The federal government will pay to demolish those properties and re-grade the ground, bring backfill in and then when that process is done, those homeowners have the ability then to do with that property what they want. They might choose to sell that lot, they might choose to re-develop the lot, but the lot always remains under their ownership.”
Additional properties that will be included under another program, known as 404, will come before the council next month.
