Christian County Commission Under Fire for Buying Out Restaurant

Few people could forget the scenes after Hurricane Katrina. Block after block of homes with only their roofs visible. Flood waters invested with bacteria, diesel fuel, and many other chemicals covering miles of asphalt. Citizens forced to use rowboats instead of their cars. So why would anyone object to the county commission of Christian County, Missouri assisting a flood prone restaurant in taking FEMA's buyout offer?

Christian County Commission is asking the same question. Commissioners are working to gain a FEMA grant to buy out the Riverside Inn. The Riverside Inn is in a flood prone area of Ozark, Missouri. KY3.com reports, "The Christian County Commission voted unanimously on Monday to move forward with a plan to use federal money to buy the historic but often-flooded Riverside Inn and raze it. The commission decided to explore the Federal Emergency Management Agency grant process to buy out the restaurant."

Christian County commission's decision to consider aiding the Riverside Inn in gaining the FEMA grant has drawn mass attention. Monday's Christian County commission meeting was so large, they had to move the meeting into the old courthouse. With all the attention, you would think that the Christian County commission is using emminent domain to take the Riverside Inn. However, this is not the case. News-Leader.com reported, "Last year, Christian County applied for a Federal Emergency Management Agency repetitive flood claims grant on behalf of Riverside Inn owners Lisa and Eric Engel - the only way the grant can be requested."

The Riverside Inn has been a frequent victim of flooding. Ccheadliner.com reported, "The Finley River was still rising at 10:15 a.m. Oct. 30 when Riverside Inn owner Lisa Engel said the restaurant had water in every room, again. It was earlier this month that the historic landmark flooded because of torrential rainfall in the region. And less than a year ago when it sustained extensive flood damage."

There does not seem to be much to fight about. After all, is it smarter for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to keep paying to rebuild flooded buildings or solve the problem by clearing flood prone areas? Like many disputes, this one is based in jurisdictional politics between the city of Ozark and Christian County. KY3.com reported, ""I take exception to the city not being involved. Was the city contacted?" asked Christian County resident Lou Lapaglia. Engel defended the commission, saying he went to the City of Ozark first. "And he said, 'Let the county take the lead,'" said Engel."

The dispute seems to lie in tax money. Citizens living in the city of Ozark, Missouri believe that the city is the one who stands to lose some of its tax base. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) buyout of the Riverside Inn would remove this tax base. Under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant requirements, the only thing that will be able to be put on the property is recreational space, green space, or wetlands. Even with the dispute, Monday's vote by the Christian County Commission provides the necessary requirements to move ahead with the purchase. It is interesting to see how seemingly good things can cause disputes. How is it bad to save American taxpayers the cost of repairing a building that is certain to flood again?

References
County commission opts to take FEMA grant to buy Riverside Inn. November 2009. KY3.com. Retrieved on November 2, 2009 from http://www.ky3.com/news/local/68760972.html
Christian County Commission to get update on grant to buy Riverside Inn. October 2009. News-Leader.com Retrieved on November 2, 2009 from http://ccheadliner.com/articles/2009/11/01/news/doc4aeb0c8209cc0052035454.txt
BREAKING NEWS: Riverside Inn flooded again. October 2009. CCHeadliner.com. Retrieved on November 2, 2009 from http://ccheadliner.com/articles/2009/11/01/news/doc4aeb0c8209cc0052035454.txt