By Staff
July 26th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte
Ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte has put together a notice to her resident on where things stand in terms of getting financial support.
Not much good news – but kudos to Stolte for being consistent in reaching out to the people in her ward.
From her notice:
Please find below the current application process for Flooding Relief Grants:
• Residents must contact 311 to report indoor flooding
• Halton Region Public Works staff will attend the home to investigate the cause of the flooding and determine if the homeowner qualifies for a Halton Region Ex-Gratia Grant
o If yes, homeowner will receive an application for the Halton Region Ex-Gratia Grant to submit to Halton. Payments will be issued within 4-6 weeks.
o If no, as long as there is some indication of indoor flooding having occurred, the Public Works Technician will give the homeowner the New City of Burlington Ex-Gratia Grant application to submit to the City of Burlington. If eligible, payments will be issued within 4-6 weeks.
Four to six weeks? The 407ETR people were on site with funds for residents the day after the rain stopped.
o Note: Legal is still finalizing the City’s application form and eligibility criteria. Once ready, they will share with Halton Public Works who will hand out to impacted residents upon inspection. Residents who are receiving an inspection today or who have already received an inspection will be directed to contact Service Burlington for assistance. We are maintaining a list during the interim and sharing with legal who will contact these folks once the application is available.
Still finalizing? For those people still sorting through what is salvageable from their flooded basements “still finalizing” just isn’t good enough. Genuine service would be – no one goes home until these documents are done and ready to be sent out.
Information on the grants and flood prevention is available on our website @ Burlington.ca/flood however direction on the application process is not.
Yes, people should have adequate insurance, especially if they decide to buy in a flood zone. Having spent many winters in Palm Springs I became acutely aware about flash floods but more so how P.S has a top notch flood management program worth emulating. As well of note is the amount of permeable driveways in P.S. And yes roads get washed out in the water capture areas that double as golf courses. All of this is to question are Halton and COB taking the right steps that are under their control given we can expect more of these water events? Given the volumes of water we can expect in the future sump pumps and back preventers valves are a must but realistically are a stop gap measures. Maybe a trip to P.S instead of Japan is in order. Having interacted with their Mayor on an issue I can attest that they are responsive.
Joe is right, I, ‘ve spent plenty of time in the U.S. and am happy to see how they manage their environment according to location, well except for California, New York et al. Mentioning “Climate Change” seems to be a big-picture answer that is used by leaders who preach that we all must suffer until they have defeated the Gods of disaster, to question or even suggest remedial solutions in the meantime will label you a climate blasphemer.
Vote’s ?
To answer the question of assistance in funding of a fire vs a flood I think that one would have to look at the cause.
If I left a pot on a stove which resulted in a fire that destroyed my home it is definitely my responsibility. I caused the fire.
When it comes to the current flooding of homes and the cause is an “alleged” failure of the city to keep the culverts clear of dead branches, leaves, not mulching tree limbs etc. this is a different situation.
I have been led to believe that if a claim had been previously made for a flood in their homes the insurance companies will not allow this property to be insured for floods again.
This was avoidable, especially since these areas had experienced this before and while the city had made some constructional changes it seems that the maintenance of these areas was lax and created “a perfect storm”.
As someone who was in the insurance profession for 47 years I would suggest that denying or declining flood coverage because you have a previous loss would not be the first step. Using your analogy would you expect the insurance company to deny fire coverage if you had previously had a fire, whether your fault or not? Likely, the insurance company would impose some stricter terms such as a mandatory backup preventer valve, sump pump, high deductible or coinsurance percentage, inspection of property’s grading, installation of a catch basin drain connected to the city system, mandatory property maintenance to ensure no blocked drains or culverts.
Also there is a difference between being a Cavendish type property where the flood arose at least in part due to poor culvert maintenance by the City or Highway owner and a property in a flood plain (i.e. adjacent to a body of water).
I’m just wondering should I have a fire here at my home and it be destroyed would the city step in to give me assistance and funding? I doubt it. So why do those who suffer damage through the recent floods get monies from the city? I certainly have a great deal of sympathy for those who suffered damage through the recent flood. But the question I ask is why did they not have adequate flood insurance? Flood insurance is available to all and the cost is really quite reasonable bearing in mind the considerable risk of loss.
Strange comment. If your house burned down as a result of City action/inaction, you would certainly have a claim. And if your insurance company said they would refuse all coverage in the future (while advising other companies to do the same) you might be upset.
Not all the flood damage by any means arose due to blocked culverts or drains. Certainly the homes on Cavendish did. Much of the damage was caused simply by the immense volume of rainfall – 70+mm (a month’s worth) in one day, which the drains could not handle and the ground could not absorb
Insurance companies cannot act as you describe. It is anticompetitive and illegal.
HWY 407 vs Halton
Another example of Public vs Private Sector