Saturday, February 10, 2007

Public speaks out about flooding

Community expressed concerns with flood damage prevention

Evelyn Cronce El Defensor Chieftain Reporter

Of the three ordinances before the Socorro County Commission for approval, the flood damage prevention ordinance drew the greatest number of public comments. Some of the people attending the public hearings expressed their frustrations with the past year's flooding throughout the county.

Luis Lopez area resident Joe Lopez said he had been asking for help from the county for the past 30 years and nothing happened.

Commissioner Charles Gallegos said the current commission has no idea why the commissioners in 1986 decided against joining the Federal Emergency Management Act.

"We've been playing catch up with legal requirements," he said.

"We're talking a lot of lot of money to slow the water coming down these arroyos," said Commissioner Jay Santillanes. "We have to form committees to get the money."

"There has to be an engineering study. You can't just move dirt around in one area where it impacts another area," said Gallegos.

"Our frustration is that we don't know what's going on," said Linda Lopez Montaño. "We've started a neighborhood association (in the Luis Lopez area). We would like to have a voice in these proceedings."

Gallegos responded with a request that the association send a representative to the next flood management meeting involving the city of Socorro and the county.

Many residents expressed their concerns that the ordinance would restrict them from moving dirt on their own property.

"We'd like to know that we can keep the water our of our house. If there is a flood and I move enough dirt to protect my house, I'd have to have an engineering study," said Ray Calkins.

"Permits are for new construction not existing houses," said Santillanes.

The commissioners assured residents that the ordinance is for new areas and new construction and that there would be no problem for residents protecting their homes and property during an emergency.

"We want realtors to tell prospective buyers about flood damage," said Lopez.

The ordinance states in the statement of purpose that is will "insure that potential buyers are notified that property is in a flood area."

County Attorney Adren Nance said the FEMA floodplain maps are due to be completed in early 2008.

"We'll have to work through this ordinance until the system is in place," he said.

New to the county is the ordinance's designation of a floodplain administrator. The administrator will be the county manager or his or her designee.

"The main purpose of is this ordinance is to allow residents to get federally funded flood insurance at federally established rates," said Santillanes. "This ordinance meets the minimum requirements established by FEMA."

The commissioners unanimously approved the ordinance as presented.

Two other ordinances were discussed in public hearings.

The commissioners voted to approve the subdivision claim of exempt ordinance. It will be mandatory for someone dividing their property and claiming an exemption from the subdivision laws to file papers proving their claim of exemption. Prior to this, proof of exemption had been optional.

The subdivision ordinance amendment died for lack of a second on the motion to accept it. Jerry Armijo, the attorney representing New Mexico Land and Ranches, and Highland Springs as well as the developers themselves spoke in opposition to the ordinance, as did the commissioners. There were no supporters. All agreed the current subdivision ordinance is stringent and complicated and should be scrapped and rewritten.

In other business: