Letter to the Editor
January 27, 2021
Dear Editor,
So, now, according to an article on the front page of Barry County Advertiser, the city of Cassville wants to look into the wonderful benefits of getting flood insurance through the FEMA? Does that sound familiar, or what?
Two times, in the not too distant past, we had to fight off the idea of entering a flood program, simply because doing so takes so much control away from you as a property owner. Previously, when this insurance was offered, we learned that the cost of insurance would totally be unaffordable. Next we were informed that if you were in this program, and your property flooded, you would be required to elevate your structure to a high enough elevation that it would no longer be in the flood pain.
But reading a bit further into the article reveals what’s really behind this idea. From the article: “If Cassville chooses to rejoin NFIP, the city will be eligible for federal funds to assist with prospective flood management projects.”
There you have it! This is exactly why this idea is being pushed. You may be thinking that “funding for flood management” might just be a good idea. Well, let’s take a closer look at how well the city has done with some of their previous commitments when it comes to “funding”. Several years ago, the city claimed to be losing money due to water and sewer rates being too low. It is a fact that the city is losing 30%-35% of the water pumped from city wells due to water main leaks. This has been going on for the better part of 40 years. I actually got on board with the suggestion of a rate increase, as it was obvious that something had to be done to our compromised water sewer lines. At the same time, I was told that a portion of this rate increase would be used to address aging utility lines. Well, the rates went up, a plan was put in the works, and here we are 10 years later with not a single water main or sewer main replaced. But the elevated rates continue and we are still losing 30%-35% due to leaks.
Then there was a bright idea that the city pass a sales tax for the purpose of re-paving all the city streets with hot mix asphalt. Once again, the voters fell for it and the tax was passed. Calculating the amount that the tax would generate, council members were saying that ALL the streets in the city limits should be repaved within 7 years. I can show you several dates where the council mentioned this specifically.
Now, take a look around. That seven years has came and gone, yet not even 10% of the streets have been repaved.
YOU ARE BEING MISLED!
This is nothing more than another attempt by Walensky to get his hands on more spending money for his toy collection by requiring you, the property owner, to conform with FEMA requirements. Just like the water rate increase is not being used to upgrade water lines, just like the sales tax is not being used to pave streets, the funding this plan may generate will not be used for it’s intended purposes.
If the city council cared at all about the flooding issue, they would have addressed it decades ago, instead of waiting until Fasco threatened to leave town before taking any action.
Gail A. Purves
Cassville, Missouri
Dear Editor,
So, now, according to an article on the front page of Barry County Advertiser, the city of Cassville wants to look into the wonderful benefits of getting flood insurance through the FEMA? Does that sound familiar, or what?
Two times, in the not too distant past, we had to fight off the idea of entering a flood program, simply because doing so takes so much control away from you as a property owner. Previously, when this insurance was offered, we learned that the cost of insurance would totally be unaffordable. Next we were informed that if you were in this program, and your property flooded, you would be required to elevate your structure to a high enough elevation that it would no longer be in the flood pain.
But reading a bit further into the article reveals what’s really behind this idea. From the article: “If Cassville chooses to rejoin NFIP, the city will be eligible for federal funds to assist with prospective flood management projects.”
There you have it! This is exactly why this idea is being pushed. You may be thinking that “funding for flood management” might just be a good idea. Well, let’s take a closer look at how well the city has done with some of their previous commitments when it comes to “funding”. Several years ago, the city claimed to be losing money due to water and sewer rates being too low. It is a fact that the city is losing 30%-35% of the water pumped from city wells due to water main leaks. This has been going on for the better part of 40 years. I actually got on board with the suggestion of a rate increase, as it was obvious that something had to be done to our compromised water sewer lines. At the same time, I was told that a portion of this rate increase would be used to address aging utility lines. Well, the rates went up, a plan was put in the works, and here we are 10 years later with not a single water main or sewer main replaced. But the elevated rates continue and we are still losing 30%-35% due to leaks.
Then there was a bright idea that the city pass a sales tax for the purpose of re-paving all the city streets with hot mix asphalt. Once again, the voters fell for it and the tax was passed. Calculating the amount that the tax would generate, council members were saying that ALL the streets in the city limits should be repaved within 7 years. I can show you several dates where the council mentioned this specifically.
Now, take a look around. That seven years has came and gone, yet not even 10% of the streets have been repaved.
YOU ARE BEING MISLED!
This is nothing more than another attempt by Walensky to get his hands on more spending money for his toy collection by requiring you, the property owner, to conform with FEMA requirements. Just like the water rate increase is not being used to upgrade water lines, just like the sales tax is not being used to pave streets, the funding this plan may generate will not be used for it’s intended purposes.
If the city council cared at all about the flooding issue, they would have addressed it decades ago, instead of waiting until Fasco threatened to leave town before taking any action.
Gail A. Purves
Cassville, Missouri