'sin' Of Youth

Allstate Foundation Donates To Junior Achievement

By LANE FILLER lfiller@leader.net
 Thursday, February 10, 2005 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 3A 





WILKES-BARRE - The rain and flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane
Ivan cost the city about $1.3 million dollars. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Pennsylvania and federal emergency management agencies will pick up
nearly the entire tab, according to John Koval, the city's finance director. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The first check came in Jan. 28, and the second arrived in the mail this
week. Koval expects checks to keep coming for some time. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The toughest part is getting the first check," Koval said. "Once the money
starts coming in and the process is under way, there aren't any problems." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The damage came Sept. 18, when heavy rains here and to the north swelled
creeks. The Susquehanna River crested at just over 35 feet. The creeks and the
river caused damage in the city. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 FEMA will pay 75 percent of the cost, and PEMA will kick in the remaining
25 percent. As of this week, most of the city's damage claims have been
approved. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "There are a few really small projects still pending, but really, the
process is complete," Koval said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The city will not be reimbursed for $61,651, part of the cost of cleaning
debris from the creeks. Planning and Development Director Butch Frati said an
agreement was reached between the city and the agencies on how much of the
mess was caused by the flood and how much of the debris had been an issue
prior to the rains. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Frati said the city is still discussing repairs of the Solomon Creek walls
with the agencies, but believes the Army Corps of Engineers will likely be the
organization that renders the fixes. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Koval has been with the city since 1996, in his current post since 2001. He
said the city's handling of this disaster differs dramatically from the way
such events were handled in the past. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "When I became finance director in 2001, we were still dealing with
documentation and paperwork from the flooding in 1996. Now, four months after
(Ivan), everything has been taken care of." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Council approved $250,000 for emergency spending three days after Ivan
struck, then approved numerous contracts to repair storm damages. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 So far, the city has paid about $850,000 from the general fund, with about
$450,000 in bills still to be paid as cash from the state and federal
governments flows in. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The process has gone very well, and looking to the future, FEMA and PEMA
know we need to keep addressing the issues to prevent future problems," said
Mayor Tom Leighton. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Council is expected to approve the replacement of the South Franklin Street
bridge over Solomon Creek tonight, and plans for the replacement of the
Waller, Regent and Barney Street bridges are moving forward. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

W-b Getting Cash For Flood Fixes