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Spencer City Council Updated On Flood Recovery Efforts

July 16, 2024 Steve Schwaller

(Spencer)– The Spencer City Council Monday evening was updated on flood clean-up and recovery efforts. Deputy City Manager Kevin Robinson reported a contractor hired by the state to pickup flood debris from public right-of-way, will begin winding down its operations next week…

“The 22nd (July) is the first day that they start the final pass, so that’s going to take roughly seven to eight days, I would guess, and then that won’t be the end of their contract, that will be the end of right-of-way clean up.”

Robinson says following that, the city will likely need to take over those operations…

“We meaning city of Spencer, not necessarily as an entity but as a community, we’re going to be in the damaged personal property removal business for quite some time. So there will be decisions that this council will have to make as far as guidance to staff and possible funding of how we make sure we still take care of residents who have these flood needs moving forward past the scope of this contract.”

Robinson says that same state contractor plans to have a debris pile at the fairgrounds removed by August 15th.

He says the city has also contracted with a financial consultant on a part-time basis to assist in looking at gap financing with public assistance needs until costs are reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA.

Robinson also gave an update on temporary housing units that will soon be arriving in Spencer to assist those who have been left homeless. He says FEMA and the state of Iowa have established some eligibility criteria…

“And it’s based on the data collected by FEMA when people register as, by they call them survivors, so disaster survivors. The state has some other criteria that they have not disclosed. But the key is to apply and then you’re either accepted or rejected in this program. So here, too, I would anticipate we’ll probably have a little bit of a shortfall of people who get accepted into here, into this program. Hopefully not, but it is possible that we still might have a little bit of a gap that we want to consider as community leaders to make sure everybody is taken care of.”

Robinson says final details are being worked out as to where the temporary housing units will be located in Spencer.

He added that based on a recommendation from a consultant, the city of Spencer will likely be looking at adding at least a one and three-quarter full time equivalent member to its staff for the next three to four years to oversee the public assistance recovery process.

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