“Our collective thoughts and prayers are never far from the 43 who died that day,” said Snohomish County Executive John Lovick. “I hope this opportunity provides some relief for the families and property owners affected by the slide.”
FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is a matching grant, said Heather Kelly, county emergency program manager. Washington state and Snohomish County each are adding about $834,000 to FEMA’s $5 million. The state’s share is coming from the general-fund budget, said Mark Stewart, a state spokesman. The county’s is coming from a Housing and Urban Development grant, Kelly said.
The program will affect up to 128 parcels — a mix of developed, damaged and undeveloped land, Kelly said. Property owners who choose to participate will be offered the pre-slide tax assessed value for their property, Kelly said.
Once the property gets in the hands of the county, it will be open space for flood mitigation, Kelly said.
Typically, the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is a competitive process, but this time, the state decided to give all available funds to Snohomish County for an acquisition project “because of the devastation,” Stewart said.
The county said it hopes to complete its first transactions with owners in the fall.
Beena Raghavendran: braghavendran@seattletimes.com or 206-464-2515.
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