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<br />Development Administration had provided monies to the regional planning agencies to hire a profes- <br />sional to help communities coordinate flood mitigation ~fforts. A state interagency team was formed of <br />many of the same agencies and staff who had previously met with Darlington, so everyone was very <br />familiar with our goals. Nevertheless, we embarked on what has become a very energetic, challenging, <br />and complicated mix of projects that were to have been completed at the end of 1997, but will be ongo- <br />ing due to regulatory requirements for contamination and limitations in funding. Estimating the costs <br />of the many required studies, regulatory changes, and code requirements such as those of the American <br />Disability Act or the acquisition/relocation laws, is virtually impossible. <br />Next I will outline our complex mix of projects using funding from the numerous sources and list- <br />ing our successes and remaining challenges. <br />RESIDENTIAL FLOOD PROOFING Accomplished through a Community Development Block Grant <br />through the Wisconsin Department of Administration in the amount of $431,000. Four homes were <br />elevated and basements filled; others mitigated with flood walls, <br />sump pumps, back-flow valve installation, utilities and entrances <br />raised, or land excavating improvements for proper drainage. The <br />cost of mitigating 52 houses/properties ranged from $200 to $33,000 <br />each. In most instances, residents put additional funding into their <br />projects thus improving the value of their property and quality of their lives and neighborhoods. Low <br />income, elderly, and large families were given priority and the project has been a complete success! <br />FLOODPROOFING OF HISTORIC DOWNTOWN AND BUSINESS COMMUNITY FEMA's 404 <br />program funding of $1,500,414, inclusive of matches by WDEG and DOD/CDBG, and the Department of <br />Development providing $355,500 for architectural and engineering fees. This was the original estimate for <br />wet floodproofing 38 buildings (\\ having historical status), raising utilities and floors, and installing sump <br />and generator systems. The National Trust had previously furnished 10 desiccant-type dehumidifiers and a <br />sump pump to dry out the foundations and infrastructure of the buildings. The project became complicated <br />by several factors. First, the regulatory requirements of dry floodproofing, filling basements, and raising <br />floors two feet above the BFE escalated the cost by Y, to J\ the original estimate of $40,000 per building. <br />Second, there was the need to simultaneously deal with five major issues: (1) flood mitigation and <br />remodeling had to maintain the historic integrity of the buildings; (2) the need to maintain an economi- <br />cally viable downtown business district throughout the process; (3) implementation of a temporary <br />relocation plan allowing businesses to move temporary facilities maintaining the business activities <br />and income; (4) meeting ADA compliance by installing shared ramps in the rear of the buildings; and <br />(5) the installation of a central sump and generator system and flood gates. <br />We have completed eight buildings, have three in progress, and two ready to begin. Benefits of <br />this project are reduced economic and structural loss, quicker recovery after flooding, preservation of <br /> <br /> <br />Success Stories 3 <br />