March 2, 2020
The Pigeon Lake Association board needs your help and input. As you all know, since the flood in the summer of 2018, Mary Hayes and Trish Bantle, PLA board members, have been in communication with representatives from various governmental agencies to request help for the residents of Pigeon Lake affected by the flood in 2018 and the subsequent elevated lake level.
To date the cross-agency team (USFS, WDNR, Bayfield County, Town of Drummond) working with our Board has not been able to find a means to provide any financial assistance to the lake property owners. FEMA continues to be our best bet, both for current losses and funding for potential future losses.
In order for individuals, the town and Bayfield county to access the FEMA funding Wisconsin has received, and to apply for additional FEMA funds, Pigeon Lake must be flood mapped. We have 2 options to get this done.
1. Get it done option: Apply for a WDNR Municipal Flood Control Grant which would allow us to hire an engineering firm to gather the data and do the analysis and modeling required to submit to FEMA. This grant must be submitted by the Town of Drummond (a municipality) and requires they pay 50% of the cost of having this flood mapping completed. The work would be completed no later than 2021 depending on the Town’s funding capabilities. This grant must be post marked by March 16. This grant will not become available again until 2022. Mary Hayes has written the grant for the Town and it is ready to submit. An engineering firm in Superior is providing the flood mapping cost estimate.
2. Wait option: WDNR and FEMA are working to start flood mapping Bayfield County. WDNR has verified with our Board that this is a 3-5 year process. Pigeon Lake is on the list to be studied but completion is somewhere between 2023 and 2025.
Here’s the issue. The initial estimate range for flood mapping came in at $60,000 to $80,000. This means the Town must fund half of that or $30,000 to $40,000. Two weeks ago, the Town of Drummond indicated they could not provide that level of support. Mary recently spoke with town chairman Roy Bloom and asked for further consideration. He has agreed to bring the issue to the board again at the upcoming Town meeting on March 5th. During that discussion Roy and Mary discussed whether Pigeon Lake landowners would be willing to assist with the 50% cost. The grant does allow entities like our lake association to help with the cost. Counties and other state agencies are not allowed to contribute.
The PLA board needs support and advice from our members on this issue.
FIRST: Which Flood Mapping Option do you wish us to pursue? Get it done or Wait?
SECOND: If the group decides to Get it Done, we are asking the following of the Pigeon Lake land owners:
A) Attend the Town of Drummond Board meeting this Thursday, March 5 at 6:30pm at the Drummond Civic Center. At this meeting the town board will revisit whether they are willing to financially support the PLA by taking the first steps needed in order to apply for a Municipal Flood Grant. Your PLA Board members will be presenting the arguments for submitting and supporting the grant.
B) Pledge $250 per property to be used to offset the 50% cost of the flood mapping. If all owners pledged this amount, we’d be able to provide $10,000. This shows the Town and the WDNR we are serious about this work and willing to help. Our buy in may be enough to persuade them to move forward. We understand that not all are able to contribute that amount. Each of the four board members has agreed to pledge $250. In addition, the Association does have approximately a $1400 bank balance.The board supports using $1000 of the balance to help pay the 50% match.
The money pledged will only be used if the town board agrees to move ahead with applying for the grant AND the town is awarded the grant.
Please let us know your feelings on this proposal. We do need a quick response on this since the town board meeting is this Thursday. We ask that you respond to the email below no later than Thursday, March 5 at noon.We will respond to questions as best we can and will take into consideration suggestions and opinions on what further actions should be taken.
PLA Board Member Email:
B) Pledge $250 per property to be used to offset the 50% cost of the flood mapping. If all owners pledged this amount, we’d be able to provide $10,000. This shows the Town and the WDNR we are serious about this work and willing to help. Our buy in may be enough to persuade them to move forward. We understand that not all are able to contribute that amount. Each of the four board members has agreed to pledge $250. In addition, the Association does have approximately a $1400 bank balance.The board supports using $1000 of the balance to help pay the 50% match.
The money pledged will only be used if the town board agrees to move ahead with applying for the grant AND the town is awarded the grant.
Please let us know your feelings on this proposal. We do need a quick response on this since the town board meeting is this Thursday. We ask that you respond to the email below no later than Thursday, March 5 at noon.We will respond to questions as best we can and will take into consideration suggestions and opinions on what further actions should be taken.
PLA Board Member Email:
Very Sincerely Yours,
Pigeon Lake Association Board Members
Trish Bantle, President
Linda Auchue, Vice President
Mary Hayes, Secretary
Susan Ritchie, Treasurer
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