PROVO — Mayors of Utah County cities have voiced support for a countywide flood-control program and have encouraged the county to work toward its implementation.

Utah County Public Works Director Clyde Naylor drafted a proposal and presented it Thursday night to the Utah County Council of Governments, made up of the Utah County commissioners and mayors from the county's cities.

"The proposal is that we jointly set up something so we are prepared to handle heavy rainfall or snowmelt," Naylor said.

Such preparations, Naylor said, would include obtaining a detailed inventory of existing storm water facilities; planning for maintenance activities within existing facilities; establishing operational plans for facilities; performing maintenance; making provisions for emergency supplies; assembling emergency information; seeking funding sources; and establishing priorities for improvements to the existing systems.

Naylor proposed that the program be funded with a flood-control tax of 0.01 percent of the assessed valuation of the county, which would raise an estimated $1.4 million per year. A second source of funding should also be developed, he said, to charge for new storm water sources entering into existing facilities. The county would also pursue federal and state grants, Naylor said.

"If we just did catch-up work, we'd probably spend the $1.4 million (a year) anyway and it would take us 10 years to get prepared," he said.

Under Naylor's proposal, the county would be responsible for designated flood-control facilities such as debris basins, rivers, streams and major outfalls that run through multiple jurisdictions. Responsibility for collection systems and outfalls contained within city limits will fall to the respective cities.

Naylor said that he drafted the proposal "with the idea that we'll be better prepared in case of an emergency and be better prepared so things can pass through without an emergency."

Naylor cited the floods of 1983, when heavy mountain runoff caused problems "with just about every river" in the county.

"The problem that is occurring right now is that we are now developing housing along all of those locations," he said. "It's a pay me now or pay me later proposition in my opinion. If we don't do something up front, we'll pay more later."

Naylor's proposal contained a backlog of 14 areas that need work such as cleaning basins, removing trees, replacing culverts and restoring channels. Also listed were 15 others that still need to be analyzed.

The Utah County Council of Governments encouraged Naylor to continue to identify those areas and to draft a proposal that can be taken to the respective city councils.

Commissioner Jerry Grover said support from the cities is crucial for a countywide flood-control program to work.

"The cities have to buy into it," Grover said. "A lot of people say to the county, 'Just do it. ' But we can't just do it without the cities' cooperation."

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