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By Deb Kollars
Sacramento Bee
February 27, 2006
State legislators and flood control officials met Tuesday
morning at the Capitol to begin figuring out how to spend
$4.9 billion in bond money for flood safety in California.
State Sen. Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, and chair of the
Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee, conducted the
hearing.
The unprecedented amount, targeted for flood protection
in California, comes from two statewide measures approved by
voters last November - Proposition 1E and Proposition 84.
But according to Lester Snow, director of the state
Department of Water Resources, the $4.9 billion will only
begin to cover the full range of improvements needed to
protect people in the Central Valley and other parts of the
state from catastrophic flooding.
Prior estimates had put the overall flood control
improvement tab in the $12 billion to $13 billion range,
Snow said. That number could rise to $16 billion to $18
billion, he said, emphasizing that many more studies must be
done before the numbers are firm.
Steinberg said the state will have to come up with a
broader financing plan and explore other sources to fill the
gaps, including seeking federal funds, possible fees on new
development and assessments on existing properties.
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