Livingston Hazard Mitigation Application Appears Dead, For New Reason

Livingston’s hazard mitigation application will not move forward, after TEMA shared another new explanation for why during Monday’s Board of Aldermen meeting.

This time, FEMA cited an ongoing legal battle from a Bradford Street property owner against the city.

“Now you’re telling us we can’t approve it because it’s a lawsuit and it is a federal government thing,” Alderman Kelly Coleman said. “This is just typical right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing. Typical cover up in my opinion.”

In February, TEMA officials said the FEMA funding was denied because residents lacked the proper receipts. They also noted the impacted properties not being located in a flood zone.

Vice-Mayor Ken Dodson said all parties at the table were aware of both items but still moved forward with the FEMA application.

“If we can’t, we can’t,” Dodson said. “We get that, but I just want to say that those were known items from the get go. It’s sad that they’re coming to light now as being roadblocks.”

The lawsuit in question was filed in 2020 against Overton County and Livingston asking for damages resulting from Dillon Pond flooding. TEMA Mitigation and Recovery Assistant Director Chris Johnson said as long as the lawsuit is active, federal funding will not be awarded.

“The federal government would not allow us to move forward in our grant program because of that because of concerns with an injunction,” Johnson said. “If there was an injunction to stop the purchase of the property or for something else then we can not move forward.”

Mayor Curtis Hayes said in the event that something is settled, he would reach back out about funding possibilities. The grant would have funded a buy-out option for homes continually facing flooding issues at Cash Street. Some five to six homes were set to participate.

Hayes said the properties that want to take advantage are not connected to the lawsuit.