City Council Approves Resolution That Would Free Up Money for Flooding Issues Throughout University City

A potentially positive development for University City residents whose homes were flooded by the River Des Peres in 2008 and are not included  in the Wilson Avenue Buyout.

At its meeting Monday night, the city council voted to approve a revised resolution that allocates $461,000 dollars from the City's reserve fund to be used for any costs and expenses associated with flooding throughout U City. The original resolution had called for using the funds for costs solely associated with Wilson Avenue.

The $461,000 dollars is the result of a disaster fund grant that the City was awarded in mid-March. The City had previously committed $1,000,000 for the Wilson buyout, but with the new grant money, the City only needs $539,000 from reserves, freeing up the$ 461,000 for other projects.

It was Councilmember Lynn Ricci who asked City Manager Lehman Walker to make the resolution more broader. She worried the initial one was too narrow, with its focus only on Wilson Avenue.

The resolution directs that the $461,000 be set aside into a separate account to be used in association with flooding costs in U City; including studies related to flooding in the City; cost of cleanup from any future flood disasters and funding for potential future buyouts of flood prone properties.

Walker told University City Patch that the revised resolution allows the City to do more to help those homeowners who are not among the 26 on Wilson Avenue that the City is buying out. "This provides additional opportunities if we can obtain matching funds to do that," he said.

Nadine Jones, who lives on Glenside Lane and wants the City to buy her out, said Monday night's development was great news.

"We know that's us. We will be phase two. Wilson was phase one and we're considered phase two."