By Jason Arndt
Staff Writer
Representatives from the communities of the three counties affected by the July flooding are encouraged to attend a Long-Term Recovery Group meeting 6 p.m. Monday at the Kenosha County Center on highways 45 and 50.
The meeting at the Kenosha County Center was announced at the second meeting of the Tri-County Recovery Program held in the Burlington High School auditorium Saturday morning.
Project Leader Tim Sheaffer of the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster said community-based organizations, like churches, non-profits and representatives from a wide array of specialties are encouraged to check in Monday.
“It is for any agencies, or individuals, who would like to participate on the committees,” he said, adding those with expertise in case management, construction management, finance, volunteer organizations in the areas of emotional and spiritual support can pitch in.
Along with Sheaffer, emergency management directors from Walworth, Racine and Kenosha counties were in attendance.
Racine County Emergency Management Director David Maack said the point of focus for Saturday’s meeting is to gauge insight from about two-dozen community representatives from the three counties.
“The premise of today’s meeting was to see if we could get additional stakeholders to the table,” Maack said. “When we start forming the long-term recovery committee, we can address the needs of those that have been affected by the flooding.”
“We are looking for a broad based community approach,” said Maack.
Walworth County Emergency Management Director, Lt. John Ennis agreed, adding it takes several stakeholders from a variety of industries to help rebuild the three counties.
“This is about the community coming together and helping those who had damages,” Ennis said.
Meanwhile, according to Kenosha County Emergency Management Director Lt. Horace Staples, officials hope to see community organizations like the United Way, Boys and Girls Club and Rotary Club and Lions Club to step in and offer some assistance.
“We are also talking about faith-based organizations like the churches and synagogues,” Staples said.
Also, to ensure community representation, residents are encouraged to attend to help identify the unmet needs within their respective communities.
While flood damages mainly occurred in the Village of Salem Lakes and Town of Wheatland in Kenosha County, the two other counties saw similar damages, including the Town of Lyons in Walworth County and City of Burlington in Racine.
Ennis noted the city of Elkhorn also experienced flood damage.
“The most structural damage was probably in the Town of Lyons and then the City of Elkhorn had a lot of people that had flood damage and sewer backups,” Ennis said. “They were a lot of unreported stuff that I am hearing now, through the grapevine, we did have 12 people displaced from an apartment complex because of the flooding.”
In Racine County, the city of Burlington reportedly had $1.6 million in flood damages, and like the other two counties, infrastructure suffered the most damage.
“In Racine County, there were over 800 people that reported to 211 that they experienced damage,” he said. “It is varying degrees of damage from a couple of inches of water in the basement to houses where the foundation has been destroyed.”
As the three counties come together, representatives from each of the affected communities are crucial to aiding long-term recovery efforts, according to Sharing Center Executive Director Sharon Pomaville.
“People are ready to get into the nuts and bolts of this effort,” Pomaville said. “I think it would be very helpful for people in the community to know that their community is represented.”
If you go…
What: Southeast Long-term Recovery Committee planning meeting
When: 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 28
Where: Kenosha County Center, highways 45 and 50, Bristol
The goal: Emergency management officials are looking for community leaders to step forward and assist in the planning for the committee, which will be tasked with developing and matching resources with area residents affected by the flooding of mid-July.
The following is a partial list of each committee, and what tasks they serve, according to Saturday’s presentation:
Ingredients for a successful long term recovery group
– Commitment to a common goal of responding to unmet needs of individuals and families in the community
– Commitment to participate in shared decision-making
– Willingness to share information, resources and tasks
– Professional sense of respect for individual team members
Disaster Case Management functions
– Qualify clients for long-term recovery resources
– Completes duplication of benefits checks
– Assists clients with development of a personal recovery plan
– Refers/advocates clients to appropriate community service agencies to fulfill other unmet needs.
Funders Table Goals
– Review cases presented
– Determine ability to fulfill unmet needs
– Resource the unmet needs of the client
Emotional and Spiritual
– Assists individuals with emotional needs
– Identify available emotional and spiritual care resources
– Refers clients to identified emotional and spiritual care resources
– Coordinates community resilience events (anniversaries)
Finance and Donations
– Responsible for Long Term Recovery financial planning
– Seeks in-kind, cash donations and grants
– Coordinates with funders
– Manages donated goods/materials
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