Despite some calls to ease the standard for building in a floodway in Jefferson County, the County Council has not made any changes, at least not yet.
Councilwoman Tracey Perry (District 5, Festus) recently put forth a proposal that would have reversed a July 2019 action that calls for builders to prove their projects in floodways would not affect flood levels by more than 1 inch.
The federal mandate calls for a maximum of 1 foot of water displacement, and officials said every other county in Missouri, except Jefferson County, adheres to that less restrictive standard.
After contentious debates about Perry’s proposal at the council’s Dec. 13 and Dec. 27 meetings, the members voted 3-3 Jan. 10, which means the legislation did not advance to a final vote.
However, the council then voted 5-1 to place the ordinance on its Jan. 24 meeting for “an amendment that would be a possible compromise,” Perry said.
On Dec. 13, Perry said she was seeking the change because residents of the River Hills subdivision in unincorporated Festus asked for it.
While the subdivision itself is on high ground, its sole access is by VFW Drive, which has a bridge over the Plattin Creek near its confluence with the Mississippi River, and that bridge often is impassible during flooding.
“As it reads now, (the 1-inch require-ment) is too restrictive,” said Jim Swyers, who lives in the subdivision. “There’s absolutely no tolerance for the county to assist us in our efforts to manage our current flood situation. Our goal in the county is to make sure we have ingress and egress into our homes. Our children should not have to take a boat to get to their bus stops. It’s just a matter of time before someone gets hurt.”
Johnathan Vilbert, another River Hills resident, said in 2019, he and his wife had to ferry their 2-week-old child over the Plattin Creek.
“Do they make personal flotation devices for 2-week-olds? They don’t,” he said, addressing Councilwoman Renee Reuter (District 2, Imperial), who championed the 2019 change that took the level from 1 foot to 1 inch. “While I understand that the present bill protects people in your basin, it doesn’t protect everybody. A compromise on this bill would benefit everybody.”
Civil engineer Gene Fribis of Hennegan and Associates in Arnold said it would cost the county roughly double the expense to replace bridges in floodways if the 1-inch standard remains in place because the roadbeds would have to be longer.
Paula Arbuthnot of the Citizens Committee for Flood Relief, a group that advocates for flood controls in
De Soto, on the other hand, wants to see the standard remain at 1 inch.
She said the 1-foot standard encourages bridge engineers to build the bridge bed closer to the creek or river, forcing floodwater to pass under a smaller opening under the span, increasing the velocity of the flow, and presenting more danger to property owners downstream.
“We welcome the builders,” she said. “Just build responsibly. And build the bridges to be passable during a high-water event for the health, safety and welfare of all the residents of Jefferson County.”
Reuter said she promoted the change from 1 foot to 1 inch in 2019 after seeing the devastation of flooding in her district along the Meramec River and its tributaries.
“There have been serious, serious problems with flooding,” she said. “A lot of the members of this council didn’t have the opportunity to sit through meetings with (the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which provides flood insurance) officials and flood victims. You didn’t sit through meetings with all the different organizations that went together to study this and what causes these floods to happen.”
Reuter cited a study that says Jefferson County has had more presidential declarations of flood emergencies than any other county in Missouri since 1975.
“That’s what sets us apart,” she said.
On Jan. 10, Reuter emphasized she would not vote to change from the 1-inch standard.
“In my opinion, this bill puts people in my district in danger of further flooding,” she said. “I’m telling you what I have seen with my own eyes and heard with my own ears from the people who have been flooded and their homes weren’t flooded when they first moved here.”
Perry told Reuter they aren’t working at cross purposes.
“I appreciate your passion, and I agree with you,” she said. “We have experienced some devastation in my district. I hope we can move forward and make more of an impact than just this one issue.”
Reuter said she understands Perry is trying to take care of the residents in her district.
“I hope you agree that I’m trying to take care of the people in my district as well,” she added.
“Absolutely,” Perry said. “We need to take care of everybody, for sure. We need further discussion so we can make sure everyone’s taken care of.”
Although Reuter voted against putting the legislation back on the Jan. 24 agenda, on Dec. 13 she said she believed a compromise might be possible.
“We may be able to come up with something that works for everyone,” she said at the time. “This particular bill (Perry’s proposal) will be a sledgehammer when it needs a surgeon’s knife.”
Perry and council members Brian Haskins (District 1, High Ridge) and Vicky James (District 7, Cedar Hill) voted in favor while Reuter and council members Phil Hendrickson (District 3, Arnold) and Dan Stallman (District 6,
De Soto) cast dissenting votes.
Stallman, who had voted in favor of the bill on Dec. 13, said he was looking for a compromise.
“I think it should be between 1 inch and 12 inches,” he said. “I think 6 inches is probably where it should be. I’ve been talking with a lot of people in the county. I’ve had more phone calls on this subject than anything else.”
Councilman Charles Groeteke (District 4, Barnhart) was absent.