Address your understanding of the current levee and flood control situation and how do you expect to insure adequate flood protection for the city?
Jim Cahill
Email: jim@jimcahill.org
Website: www.jimcahill.org
Phone: (916) 531-6264
Until such time as we are certain our levees are secure, responsible leaders should not encourage rapid housing development in our City.
The re-certification process is only just beginning, and the results are uncertain. While I have confidence that the Reclamation District, the State of California and FEMA all are professional in their approach, they are ultimately not responsible to the citizens of West Sacramento the way an elected local leader is.
Responsibility for Flood Control rests first with the City Council and involves more than just supporting the actions of other agencies. Fast-tracking new home construction prior to levee re-certification may not appear responsible in hindsight, should certification fail.
Rather than overseeing new housing starts in the shadow of the levee, public works crews should be adding their resources to those already at work inspecting and repairing the levees. While much work has been done, it remains a massive, expensive engineering task.
Public safety is the number one priority for elected officials. Our citizens expect a serious, hands-on certification process that is led by the City. We can not afford to sit back and merely react to what other agencies find, but rather must make a total commitment of our resources to insuring our levees are secure.
We must also insure that, in the event of levee failure, citizens have a practical evacuation route. For those residing in southern West Sacramento, the current route involves the levee road itself,
No clearer argument for a southern bridge can be made.