The City of Fairbury to Host Community Meetings to Discuss Flood Buyouts with Proposed Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP)
On Tuesday, November 26, 2019, the City of Fairbury will host two community meetings to discuss the acquisition (purchase) of at-risk properties located in flood-prone areas. The meetings will take place in the Council Chambers at the Fairbury City Hall at 3:00 PM and 5:30 PM, respectively. This Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) opportunity is partially funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The goal of the HMGP is to acquire and permanently remove all at-risk structures from flood-prone properties. Representatives from FEMA and the Southeast Nebraska Development District (SENDD) will co-host the informational meetings with the City of Fairbury and will be available to answer any questions following the presentation.
The HMGP will mitigate flood-prone properties through any of the following methods. One example of a mitigation project involves the acquisition of the property and the subsequent relocation of residents or renters prior to the demolition of the existing structures. Another method is to acquire the property and relocate the existing structures to another property that is not included in an existing floodplain. Finally, any empty lots in the prospective project area will simply be acquired by the City of Fairbury; no relocation of persons or structures will be necessary.
This proposed program is completely voluntary; property owners are not required to apply, however, any individual or business owner that meets the HMGP buyout project requirements may apply. There will be no cost to potential applicants. FEMA and the City of Fairbury will be providing funds to secure the buyouts and implement this program.
For more information, please call Laura Bedlan, City of Fairbury Development Services Director at (402) 729-5261, or Tom Bliss, SENDD Executive Director, at (402) 475-2560.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW MAP OF ELIGIBLE PROPERTIES