islandpacket.com - The Island Packet Online

Search Everything in the Lowcountry and the Coastal Empire.

Island's post-disaster plan takes a big step forward

Using money in hand to set up disaster fund a good decision

Add Comment

Hilton Head Island officials have done island property owners a big favor by developing rules for quickly rebuilding after a major storm hits.

Now property owners must do their part by having the documentation they need in hand before a storm gets here. The documents, including site plans, floor plans and elevation drawings, need to be part of everyone's evacuation plans.

If island property owners have the right documentation and meet the application deadlines, they can rebuild without having to meet the town's current land-use codes. The permitting process also will be much faster.

Such documentation is a good idea for mainland property owners, too. The more documentation in hand for insurance and other purposes, the better off we all will be should the worst happen.

The town also is smart to establish a disaster recovery fund by borrowing money for this year's renourishment project and banking the $12 million it has in hand. With a dedicated source of money to pay off the bonds -- the town's beach preservation fee -- and Hilton Head's strong financial position, it's a safe bet. The flexibility it gives the town in dealing with a disaster is worth the financing costs, which will be spread out over the long term.

Earlier this month, the town's new Disaster Recovery Commission was sworn in. The commission will advise Town Council on disaster issues, including readiness efforts, evacuation plans and rebuilding.

The recent moves are part of a years-long process to beef up the town's post-disaster recovery plans. The town had its first post-disaster plan by 1990. Town officials look particularly prescient given the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons, and they have put the town far ahead of other local governments in such planning.

Beaufort County and the town of Bluffton have only just begun this kind of planning. The county is paying PBS&J, a national planning and engineering firm, $57,000 to explain what steps the county and municipalities should take to put the area back together after a major disaster. The county has a short-term plan, but it mostly spells out what officials would do in the days and weeks after a disaster and hasn't been fleshed out, according to deputy county administrator Buz Boehm. The county also has set up a disaster recovery task force that will work with the consultant.

Hilton Head's disaster reserve account is just one of several reserve accounts the town has. The town has a reserve fund that totals about 30 percent of its operating budget -- about $8.9 million -- as well as a $1 million advertising reserve fund and a $1 million real estate transfer fee reserve fund.

The advertising money comes from the town's 1 percent tax on overnight lodging and its 2 percent hospitality tax on prepared foods and beverages. It is used for post-disaster advertising, a communications link for emergency agencies and media programs to reach the public. The real estate transfer fee fund is used to pay debt in the event of a natural disaster or financial crisis.

On top of that, Hilton Head officials decided years ago to set a borrowing limit of 80 percent of the amount they can borrow without going to voters. That leaves 20 percent available for emergencies, or an estimated $16.3 million.

Hilton Head Island has the advantage of an extraordinary tax base and a vibrant economy. It also has the advantage of officials who have been thinking long-range about disaster recovery for nearly two decades and who recognize that there is still a lot of work to be done.