Not to federal $1 m marker yet

BY NANCY KELLY

Kings County Register

Greenwood residents who experience damage from widespread flooding around the Annapolis River in mid-February were presented with a good news/ bad news scenario at a public meeting March 27.

About 80 people attended the meeting, moderated by Kings West MLA Leo Glavine, who is urging all levels of government to work together to find a long-term solution for the local flooding problem which has occurred several times in the past few years.

Representatives of the departments of Natural Resources, Environment and Fisheries attended the meeting, but it was provincial EMO official Vern Fraser who discussed details of potential compensation - the issue the majority of people had come to learn about.

“The good news is that there is a program, but the bad news is it hasn’t kicked in,” said Fraser, explaining the minimum threshold of $1 million in flood-related damages has not been met to his knowledge. In order for any claim to be considered, proper documentation is critical.

“You need to have photographs and video evidence of damage and estimates or receipts for repair work.”

Glavine said local residents need to take documentation to the Greenwood village office, which has started a file. Commission chairman Roland Joly confirmed some people have dropped of their material, but urged more residents to do so.

Provincial officials are still assessing flood-related damage to roads and infrastructure, and Glavine is hopeful those tallies will go towards meeting the federal million-dollar damage threshold.

Kings County Councillor Diana Brothers, whose Fales River subdivision home was flooded on this occasion and at other times since 2003, said the county is at the same stage in gauging damage to its property.

“The once-in-a-lifetime flood has now happened three times and it’s time for the government to look at ways to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” said Brothers. She announced a decision by Kings County to study ways to control the water course of the Fales and Annapolis rivers, a $20,000 study Brothers says is already in the planning stages.

Frustrated homeowners complained any study will take too long to complete and will leave residents at the mercy of more flooding in the meantime.

“We don’t have enough expertise locally to remediate this problem,” countered Brothers, adding “Kings County is very sensitive to the loss of value to (our) homes and will work as quickly as possible to seek answers.”

Several homeowners expressed anger over paying taxes on assessments that are no longer relevant, given the fact that their homes are located in an area that has been damaged by flooding at least three times since 2003.

“Paying taxes that are too high is like pouring salt like on the wound,” said one Fales River resident, who has seen the value of his house drop considerably.

Glavine plans to request a re-assessment of home values in the area to rectify that situation.

Several residents of nearby Annapolis County attended the meeting and shared their concerns about repeated flooding of the Annapolis River.