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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNewsletter City_September 2014Mayor’s Message M AR K YO U R C AL E N D AR S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 4 City Council Meeting September 3 & 24 @ 7pm in the council chambers Fall Recreation Sign Ups started August 30 River Rock Youth Triathlon September 6, 2014 Chronic Disease Class September 10 September 15 October 7 The Cube Cyclocross October 25, 2014 Farmers Market Every Friday 4-8pm City offices will be closed September 1st for Labor Day We formed a Task Force. We did it in response to the incredible storm events that have plagued much of Southeastern Idaho. It seems that there have been incredible storm events taking place all across the nation. Long Island New York had nineteen inches of rainfall in less than a day. The Black Rock Desert in Northern Nevada was inundated with rain. This totally arid region is the home of the Burning Man Festival which takes place each summer in that specific location because there is never rain there in the summer. The Black Rock desert is a massive dry lake bed. This summer it was a wet lake bed with thou- sands of people caught in a quagmire. Twin Falls and Blackfoot had unprecedented flooding. Pocatello had flooding incidents just two weeks apart. I feel for the farmers who can’t get their grain crops in. Some of it is sprouting in the head. Much is lodged and flat on the ground. Some is infected with black mold. Many fields of potatoes will have diminished harvests. It seems as if all have been adversely af- fected. BYU Idaho sustained major damage. Roofs on some of the buildings failed in taking away storm water fast enough, which contributed flooding and the destruction of equipment and flooring as well as damage to dry-wall. Those roofs are over designed or engineered to take care of incredible amounts of precipitation. The storm was so overwhelming and extraordinary that there were multiple failures. Apartments were flooded and great damage was done to the lower levels. I believe that the most heart wrenching damages were endured in Hidden Valley and the Mill Hollow areas and others where sewer water backed up into basements destroying family belongings. Luckily there was no loss of life or seri- ous injuries. The task force made up of Rexburg City Staff, the City Council, concerned citizens and an invited outside engineer have formulated plans that address the shortcomings and failures that exist. We have created a doable plan which addresses problems within the City of Rexburg. Will they insure that flooding will not happen again? No! Only our Creator can make those kind of promises. The City Public Works group and all Rexburg Staff are continuing to make repairs and plans for the future. Could it happen again? Yes! What can we do as citizens? There are insurance plans available for a nomi- nal fee. We can also take other steps as well. I myself had some flooding at my home. I have changed or altered some of my down spouts to better take away the runoff and keep it from pooling at and in my window wells. Sometimes we alter our landscaping which effects drainage. Sometimes it naturally oc- curs with windblown dust and dirt that builds up over the years and alters storm water drain paths. We might have to raise window wells to insure against flooding. We might have to reconsider our landscap- ing. We at the City of Rexburg will do all that we possibly can to rectify existing problems and get out in front of any potential events. We hold ourselves to “over designing” for the “One Hundred Year event”. Our Public Works Director John Millar and his staff discovered that this storm far exceeded any storm that occurred in over one hundred years of Rexburg history. I as your Mayor, I commiserate with those of you who have been so affected. You have my pledge and that of our City Council to do all that we can. -Richard S. Woodland 35 N 1st E Rexburg, Idaho 83440 208.359.3020 / fax 208.359.3022 customerservices@rexburg.org Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Household Hazardous Waste September 2nd & 3rd Madison County Transfer Station 7:30-5:30pm Contact DeeDee with questions 372-2337 Every Friday through October 7 4-8pm College Ave Fall Recreation Sign Ups Start August 30 www.rexburg.org/pages/