By Marcia Love
Councillors were updated on the costs incurred by the town from the June 18 flood at the regular council meeting on July 27.
About $30,000 was spent on the clean up process, which included contractor work, vacuum truck services and the use of sand, gravel and other equipment.
“So far, the flood costs are actually a little less than expected, but it’s by no means the final sum,” explained Mark Caswell, town administrator. “There’s going to be some bigger bills coming in because we’re going to have to clean up the landfill and we had some damage done to the west lift station that will require a little more involved repair.”
The Provincial Disaster Assistance Program (PDAP) will cover a portion of the costs to the town. That amount is yet to be determined.
PDAP adjusters are in Maple Creek today and tomorrow to meet with residents who have questions about the program’s coverage.
“People can make appointments to talk to them,” said Mayor Barry Rudd. “Our biggest issue right now is people calling and asking about PDAP and their concerns.”
Social services completed a residents’ needs assessment and reported 11 families own homes, but need temporary housing while their homes receive repairs. Another five families require long-term housing and four require short-term housing.
“Eleven families own (their home) and nine were renting,” explained Rudd. “Of the 11 that own, seven of their homes are condemned. Some of those are from the mobile park.”
Health inspectors are investigating homes being rented in the area to ensure displaced residents are living in safe homes.
“Some of the places that are being rented shouldn’t be,” said Rudd, referring to homes considered to have unfit living conditions. “So we’re working with the health inspectors on that.”
Council would like to see the condemned trailers removed from Willowbend Trailer Court as soon as possible.
“The sooner we can get those mobile homes out of that park the sooner we can get new ones put in,” Rudd said.
Council continues to look into the purchase of temporary housing units for displaced residents to rent.
Rudd hopes to hear a report from social services next week on the number of temporary units required. Locations for the units to be placed in town will then be decided.
The Town of Maple Creek remains in a state of emergency until July 30. Council is meeting today to discuss extending the state of emergency status for about seven days.
While under a state of emergency, the town is able to make requests to the province for assistance in a more timely manner.
Rudd said the town will be making a request to the province for a study into future flood prevention.
“We would like to see a flood plain study and some sort of a resolution,” he said. “We don’t want to wait three to five years. There’s no reason why we couldn’t have something started by this winter.”