• FLOODS of '08 VIDEO
As flood victims in Cedar Rapids know, the buyout process here is not going fast. But just two hours north of here there are plans and answers for buyouts in one community.
September 12th -- that's the deadline for flood damaged cities across Iowa to send their "notice of interest" in a buyout plan to the state. Tricia Sandahl, the flood management specialist in Mason City is ready to go, and plans to hand deliver theirs next Thursday.
Mason city is about a quarter the size of Cedar Rapids, and had substantially less damage when the Winnebago River went over its banks. But, began circulating buyout questionnaire’s soon after.
169 homes will be on their September 12th list. Buying out those homes would cost an estimated $14.4 million. The city of Mason City would be responsible for $2.2 million. That price tag doesn't include the cost of demolition or relocation. Still, people feel confident about their city's game plan.
A look at this Mason City neighborhood and you don't see the kind of flood devastation you might see in Cedar Rapids. Still, nearly 200 homes suffered substantial damage. And those families are making the same tough decisions as the ones around here
"Are we going to pour a lot of our resources into just instantly repairing or should we wait to see what the city and state decides to do about FEMA buyouts?" said Susan Armstrong.
FEMA buyouts--
"Within maybe 24 to 48 hours it was on everyone's minds," she said.
At least on the minds about 170 Mason City families, including those in Armstrong’s Oak Park neighborhood.
"We started to meet formally to advocate for this particular neighborhood," she said.
"We want to be unified with them. We want to all get bought out so this can be a green space," said her neighbor, Tom Ballmer.
During the past 2 and a half months the city identified 8 neighborhoods where the damage is concentrated, and therefore, most likely eligible for a buyout--
"We think we're probably second in line," said Armstrong.
But when it comes to a plan of action, it wasn't long ago that Mason City residents thought they were behind the ball --
"I went to one of our first town council meetings after the flood and they quoted that Cedar Rapids was already demolishing houses as a sign that they were getting things done -- and so we looked to Cedar Rapids and were envious of them at that time," Ballmer said.
So what happens if a buyout isn’t in the cards for the Oak Park neighbors? They’ve got a plan for that too.
"Our attention here will probably turn to the levy that's behind our houses -- how can we raise that or improve it or repair it?” Armstrong said.
People in Mason City have been told they’ll know whether or not their homes will be bought out by April or May of next year. Their flood manager says the city is dealing with the disaster – and moving forward.
No word on a month, or even a year, when people in Cedar Rapids will hear about the potential buyouts for their homes.
Buyout Plan in North Iowa Town
