Cambridge City’s town council voted Monday, Oct. 12, to join an Indiana Department of Homeland Security program that will send specialist teams to reassess about 200 structures damaged in August flooding.
Teams from Tetra Tech, the state’s contractor, and its partner EGIS could begin work as soon as Wednesday, Oct. 14. Officials said they expect to finish in less than two weeks.
Some residents questioned the determinations in the town’s initial damage assessment letters. The reassessments will determine whether structures in the floodplain are “substantially damaged,” which under federal rules means repair costs equal 50% or more of the building’s pre-flood market value. Substantially damaged structures face stricter requirements for rebuilding.
Christina Armour, senior resilience planner with Tetra Tech, told council that the initial notices, based on guidance from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, looked mainly at floodwater depth and did not distinguish between things like crawl-space and slab-on-grade construction. That means some damage estimates could be too high.
“We heard from our residents, and we listened,” said Jim McLane, town council president, in a news release. “Our citizens are obviously concerned about their homes, and the town wants to help. We have brought in specialists who do this work every day, so every property owner gets a careful and accurate result.”
Teams will assess 12 attributes of each home and seven of each business, following federal best practices, Armour said. They will not enter buildings, but owners can tell them about interior damage. Assessments take about 15 minutes for a home and 30 to 45 minutes for a business, and there is no charge to the owner. Teams carry a letter from the town and may work weekends.
Any structure estimated at 50% or more will get a quality review. When assessments are final, owners will receive a letter with the result and appeal instructions.
Tetra Tech is paid by the state, and the town will be billed later. With expected federal and state contributions, officials said the town will only pay about 6.25% of the actual service cost.
The town will decide how to establish pre-flood values, using assessed value with a multiplier, a formal appraisal or a cash-value analysis based on rebuild cost per square foot. Officials said a cash-value analysis may be preferable if assessed values are low.
McLane said in Monday’s meeting that existing permitted work can largely continue, and he does not expect the town to issue any stop-work orders as a result of the reassessment. Officials said floodway properties, which need both a state and a local permit, would be prioritized.
Residents with questions can contact Joe Webb, public works and floodplain administrator, at 765-478-5611, or the state’s call center at 833-495-9888.
