Preliminary damage estimates for Grand Traverse County from April floods have now reached $21.2 million, according to County Emergency Management Coordinator Gregg Bird. The county is working with state and federal officials on reviewing damaged sites and seeking FEMA disaster funding to assist in recovery. The Ticker looks today at restoration efforts underway, including the latest from the Grand Traverse County Road Commission to address major damaged sites like Beitner and Brown Bridge roads. Stay tuned tomorrow (Friday) for part two, a look at environmental and recreational impacts from the flooding – including what’s ahead for the busy summer tourist season.

Bird and County Assistant Emergency Management Coordinator Brandon Perry presented a recent update to county commissioners on flooding damages. Following severe statewide flooding in April that caused a state of emergency to be declared in 43 counties – the most that have ever been under such a declaration at one time, Bird said – state and FEMA officials visited Traverse City last week to assist in assessing damaged sites.

Prior to those visits, damages were estimated at $15.4 million and included over $5 million in impacts to private properties (a FEMA category called individual assistance, or IA) and over $10 million to public infrastructure like roads, bridges, buildings, utilities, and parks (a category called public assistance, or PA). Bird cautioned commissioners that damage estimates were “going to grow,” since assessments were only about 20 percent complete at the time of his report.

Initially, 102 sites were submitted for IA damages through self-reporting from owners and “windshield” or observational assessments, Bird said. That figure came down after duplicate reports were eliminated and some undamaged or ineligible properties were eliminated, he said. Officials visited 69 properties, 10 of which either had no damage or no one available to speak to assessors. Of the remaining 59 properties, 30 were considered affected, 14 minor, and 15 major. Bird told commissioners that if water stays below electrical outlets, it’s considered minor damage; if it rises above outlets, the damage is major.

Outbuildings, open areas, and rental properties – including short-term rentals – don’t “count toward IA in FEMA’s eyes,” Bird told The Ticker. Secondary residences are also ineligible for FEMA funding. For rental property owners, the Small Business Administration may be able to offer resources since FEMA can’t under the law, he noted. Following the most recent surveys, the county’s estimated damage under FEMA guidelines has now risen to $21.2 million, Bird said. State and FEMA officials are expected to be back on the ground again this week for PA assessments, so that figure could continue to grow.

Grand Traverse County is one of dozens of counties whose damage totals will collectively go toward a request from Michigan for a federal major disaster declaration and FEMA funding support. Bird warned commissioners that the political environment could impact whether and how much funding is provided, with uncertainty still remaining around FEMA relief.

Garfield Township is hoping that funding comes through, as township officials recently agreed to take on up to $200,000 in clean-up costs for the flooded South YMCA. As the property owner, Garfield Township submitted an insurance claim but was denied because of the site’s location in a floodplain, Township Supervisor Joe McManus said. McManus said that under the lease terms, the township’s only recourse was either to fix the site or cancel the YMCA’s lease. McManus said it was hard to justify the township shouldering the repair expenses since the YMCA essentially uses the property for free (under a $1/year lease), providing no way for the township to recoup those costs.

However, McManus and other township officials acknowledged the YMCA provides a significant community benefit, including hosting summer camp for hundreds of kids. The two entities agreed on a compromise in which Garfield Township will pay the roughly $200,000 remediation cost to get the site ready for June camp. The township, which is the eligible entity to apply for FEMA relief, will do so with the goal of getting its costs reimbursed. Should FEMA funding be denied, the YMCA has agreed to pay the township back for repairs. “We want to make sure the taxpayers in Grand Traverse are whole,” said YMCA Board Chair Kevin Klein. “That’s what our goal is.”

Roads are another major category of local damages. The Grand Traverse County Road Commission (GTCRC) held a special meeting Tuesday to discuss recovery projects, with preliminary road damage estimates now at $9.3 million. Two of the most significant projects are repairing the Beitner Road bridge – the culverts of which collapsed into the Boardman River, making that key corridor impassable – and the Brown Bridge Road bridge, which has been closed for several weeks over concerns about its structural integrity after voids and sinkholes were identified.

Neighboring residents to Brown Bridge packed the GTCRC room pleading to get the crossing reopened. The detour has added at least 20 minutes to their commutes, they said. Neighbors also said they could no longer receive deliveries, and worried about ambulances and fire trucks being able to reach them in emergencies.

GTCRC Manager Dan Watkins said the county narrowly avoided losing the Brown Bridge structure entirely and made several attempts to fix the site, which were unsuccessful. Though the culverts are in good condition, materials around them have washed out, he said. Road commissioners approved a $109,400 contract with Molon Excavating Tuesday for more significant repairs, which will include removing the road surface, identifying and filling all voids, and resurfacing the crossing. Work is expected to start next week, with Brown Bridge targeted for a mid-June reopening. Road commissioners agreed longer term to look at the multiple sites that use culverts for Boardman crossings in the area and potentially create a plan to replace those with span bridges over time.

Road commissioners also approved a $100,000 Molon contract to clean out the collapsed Beitner crossing. That could take two to three weeks to complete, Watkins said, adding that crews will stage equipment on the riverbank and not in the Boardman itself to pull the collapsed culverts out. GTCRC is continuing to work on the larger Beitner bridge replacement project, including accelerating the final design – which is now in review – and has already secured permits from Michigan’s Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE). Watkins told The Ticker the project could go out to bid in June or July, with construction starting soon after. The hope is to finish before the end of the year and get the new pavement down before snow sets in, but the completion date will ultimately hinge on when work starts, Watkins said.

In the meantime, a detour for Beitner traffic remains in place using Cass and South Airport roads. While a temporary traffic light has already been installed at the Cass/Hartman intersection, crews started work this week on installing another signal at the Hartman/US-31 intersection. Its activation will be on contigent on when electrical work can be completed; Watkins said by this weekend is possible. In total, GTCRC identified approximately 200 sites that sustained damage during the flooding. Crews continue to work on smaller projects like ditch/shoulder repairs and culvert cleaning, but – with the exception of Beitner and Brown Bridge – all roads have reopened, including Marsh Road as of Thursday.

Pictured: Aerial photo of Boardman River flooding near River Road from a U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City survey