Joint council meeting keeps flooding in forefront

OTTAWA - The Findlay City Council and the Ottawa Village Council conducted a joint meeting Monday afternoon and were briefed on the progress of efforts to prevent future flooding.

"It was good to show the solidarity of the two councils and two administrations and how they continue to be involved in making this all happen," Tony Iriti said following the meeting.

During the meeting at the Putnam County Educational Service Center in Ottawa, Iriti, the president of the Northwest Ohio Flood Mitigation Partnership, gave an update on the progress of studies on how to prevent future flooding.

"We're a year ahead of time in the studies and design work being done," Iriti said.

Part of this is happening because many of the studies are being conducted concurrently. This includes a study for Ottawa, a Findlay study and a general investigation study for the remainder of the Blanchard River watershed area.

Iriti said they eventually hope to roll these three studies into one before going to the U.S. Congress to ask for the federal government to share some of the costs. If a Blanchard River Watershed Conservancy District is formed, it would become the local sponsor for the project.

Alternatives being considered to solve the flooding include diversion channels, existing channel improvements, floodwalls and earthen levels, detention/retention basins and wetlands.

Iriti said there are 54 bridges in the Blanchard River Watershed and 45 of these bridges have raised bed approaches.

"This is an area we have been told needs to be addressed," he said.

He said the hardest part is convincing some people and communities that this is not just Ottawa and Findlay's problem.

"They have to understand that all of the Blanchard River watershed area contributes to the problems of flooding along the river," Iriti said. "They do not feel they should have to pay for it if they are outside these two communities."

Ottawa Municipal Director Jack Williams asked if the Conservancy District would address legislation for other communities regarding runoff from businesses and industry.

"This is part of the Hydraulics and Hydrology study being done," Iriti said. "The Army Corps of Engineers know it is important to control those things.

Iriti said they hope to be able to petition for the Blanchard River Watershed Conservancy District by this fall. They also hope to have alternative solutions to the flooding evaluated by this fall. Hancock County has placed a sale tax issue on the November ballot that would include a 0.25 percent sales tax toward the flood project.

Other avenues of possible funding for the project for the local share could income tax, property assessments, grants and corporate contributions.

"We're a year ahead of the normal time periods for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to do studies," Iriti said. "If this continues I would hope we could begin construction in 2012.