[StBernard] Council: Rebuild before program kicks in

[Westley Annis]

Council: Rebuild before program kicks in
St. Bernard to adopt FEMA elevation rules 
Sunday, July 16, 2006
By Karen Turni Bazile

St. Bernard Parish council members told property owners who think their
homes are more than 50 percent damaged from Hurricane Katrina to start
rebuilding within the next few weeks if they don't want to be forced to
elevate their houses at least 3 feet off the ground. 

About 150 people packed a town meeting at the St. Bernard Parish Council
office Saturday where state and federal officials encouraged residents to
build to the new elevation advisories when possible. 

However, Paul Rainwater of the Louisiana Recovery Authority said the agency
would still make rebuilding grants available to owners who start repairs
before Louisiana's Road Home program officially begins, no matter what the
elevation of their structure is. The program awards home construction and
buyout grants of up to $150,000 minus insurance proceeds. 

 
"We're not going to penalize pioneers who wanted to get started early
because they wanted to move back," said Rainwater, who is the director of
LRA's intergovernmental affairs and the hazard mitigation program. 

St. Bernard Parish Councilman Craig Taffaro said the council objects to the
elevations being recommended by the Federal Emergency Management Agency that
require owners of substantially damaged structures to build to current flood
elevation levels plus an additional 3 feet if they want to get LRA grants. 

However, possibly within the next few weeks, the LRA will force the parish
to adopt those elevation requirements for new homes or substantially damaged
ones. 

"Get it started," Taffaro told the crowd. "Once you have started you are in
compliance. If you sell, that compliance (that allows you to get flood
insurance) stays with the property unless it gets substantially damaged in
the future." 

To be certain of compliance, Mike Hunnicutt, the parish director of
community development, said residents should file for a permit with his
office to be able to prove they have started work. 

Hunnicutt said just putting on a new roof and cleaning the property won't
count as starting repairs in the eyes of federal officials monitoring
construction for flood insurance elevation issues. 

State and federal officials encouraged residents to build safer and smarter.


"When the Road Home program officially starts, applicants who qualify as
having more than 50 percent damage will be required to follow the (new
elevations) to get the grant," Rainwater said. 

Of 90,000 applicants statewide, about 13,500 are from St. Bernard. 

The parish is being forced to adopt the FEMA guidelines because residents
who don't comply once the program starts wouldn't be eligible for grants and
the parish would lose up to $11.3 million in hazard mitigation grants,
Rainwater said. 

Rainwater said owners who can fix their structurally sound but
hurricane-damaged homes for less than 50 percent of the pre-Katrina value
won't be forced to raise their homes. 

For information about the Road Home program, call (888) 762-3252 or visit
www.louisianarebuilds.org. 

. . . . . . . 

Karen Turni Bazile can be reached at kturni at timespicayune.com or (504)
826-3335.