BOWS: To Harry Hosey, Pacific International Engineering manager for striving to ensure his firm's study of flood control possibilities for Lewis County paid by public funds doesn't duplicate what the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, also publicly funded, is doing related to flood control here.
Avoiding duplication of effort by various federal, state and local governmental agencies and any consultants like PIE they may hire should be of major concern to taxpayers. It has happened all too often because of lack of coordination and cooperation or because of incompetence.
Lewis County is the lead agency in a partnership of five local governments currently seeking an additional $1.1 million in public funds to continue the Chehalis River Basin flood-control study.
At the same time, the Corps is looking to secure at least $1 million in federal funding from Congress this year for a feasibility study based on preliminary work on the proposed flood control projects by PIE. The Corps at some point is likely to become lead agency on whatever course of action is agreed to.
Hosey meets regularly with the Corps to coordinate work going on now by the two entities to ensure it doesn't overlap and waste taxpayer money And to ensure maximum efficiency and that progress is made toward achieving the ultimate goal of substantial, long-needed flood control in the Twin Cities area.
BOWS: To Lewis County Commissioner Richard Graham for what appear will be successful efforts, due in large measure to his birddogging, close attention and growing savvy, to obtain additional funding for the critical Chehalis River Basin flood-control study now under way. The study was delayed recently when money ran out but due to lobbying by Graham and others, additional money from the state may be forthcoming.
One intriguing and heartening result of the expenditures for the study may be a much more precise computer model that can predict effects of rainfall and fill in the flood plain to an accuracy of 2 to 3 inches in terms of flood levels.
As county consultant Harry Hosey of Pacific International Engineering (doing the study) points out, "That kind of accuracy can make millions of dollars of difference." The return on the investment of the study dollars could indeed be great in terms of future benefits in reduced flooding that far outweigh the cost of whatever flood-control measures are taken.
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