Members of political boards have their disagreements. But if a majority of Bay St. Louis, Miss., City Council members agree on one thing, it’s their intense dislike for Katrina cottages.
Since the small, modular homes wheeled their way into the scene, they have been the bane of council members, who must decide who can have one and who can’t. So far, the latter dominates.
With federal dollars funneled through the state, a program has been giving hundreds of selected coast hurricane victims the chance to escape FEMA trailers and move into the small, more stable houses. State officials say Katrina cottages will give families a healthier, if only slightly roomier, environment. They are apparently formaldehyde free, and meet Bay St. Louis building code requirements.
But councilmen wince at the very mention of the cottages, which they say will batter property values. They also express impatience with some FEMA trailer residents, saying they have no intention of rebuilding.
And they openly doubt that the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency will have them removed by March 2009 as promised.
“We’re going to have a hard time getting rid of these cottages,” Councilman Doug Seal said this week. “They’re going to be there for 30 years.”
Now, councilmen hope a new procedure will slow the growing flood of citizens coming before them who want to live in Katrina cottages.
Waveland and Hancock County also formed policies over Katrina cottages, but the issue seems to be especially thorny for Bay St. Louis.
Initially, councilmen allowed cottages only in commercially zoned trailer parks. Since the city has only two such parks, the decision all but banned Katrina cottages.
The city council then changed the policy to allow cottages in most areas, provided the recipient had previously been living in a FEMA trailer, owned the property and was actively planning to rebuild.
That made cottage occupancy impossible for many. The out-of-luck included people who had been renters, others who don’t own land but have permission to place cottages on property, and still others who expect to own their land at some point, but don’t yet have the deed.
Soon, the cottage issue began dominating Council meetings. At the Oct. 9 meeting, 12 requests filled the agenda.
“I feel like we’re spending an inordinate amount of time doing this at every meeting,” said frustrated Councilman Bill Taylor.
He made a motion to change the policy again and allow cottages for just about any applicant who had been in a FEMA trailer.
Taylor soon rescinded his own motion. Councilman Bobby Compretta became the council’s low-key champion of the cottages, saying all kinds of citizens – not just property owners – need relief in the post-hurricane environment.
“The conditions that we live in now … it’s horrible,” Compretta said.
If there were a poster family symbolizing how harsh the city’s cottage policy may seem to some, it could be Stacey Loftin and her three children, ages 6, 11 and 14.
A 33-year-old working single mother, Loftin rented an apartment that was destroyed by Katrina. The family lives in a typical, cramped FEMA trailer.
Loftin’s trailer is crammed into her mother’s front yard, barely off the street. When MEMA offered her a Katrina cottage, she saw a light at the end of the tunnel.
Her mother agreed to allow a Katrina cottage tucked into the back yard. Although still crowded, it would be a vast improvement for Loftin and the children. But she needed the Council’s blessing.
Loftin attended the council meeting Oct. 9, her heart in her throat. She delivered a well-spoken argument for her request.
Compretta made a motion to approve the request, and Councilman Jeffery Reed seconded. Taylor, Seal, and Council President Jim Thriffiley voted to deny. They also turned down a number of other applications.
Now, councilmen have a new procedure. Citizens wanting Katrina cottages can’t get directly on the Council agenda. They must go to the building department and a submit a form.
They must prove ownership of their land and show placement plans for a cottage and new permanent home. They also must disclose if they have building plans, a building permit and a flood elevation certificate, if necessary.
If those conditions are met, applicants can then be approved for a cottage. The problem has been moved from a political to a bureaucratic arena. For non-qualifying city residents who want cottages, their problems haven’t been solved. But from now on at council meetings, they will be out of sight.
Loftin’s perspective is that councilmen are turning their backs on desperate citizens.
This week, Loftin attended another council meeting and spoke.
She said she and many others are still struggling.
“These are hard workers,” she said. “We aren’t trying to beat the system. What are we supposed to do?”
Councilmen said various things in response. But none of them had an answer.
Information from: The Sun Herald, http://www.sunherald.com
Topics Mississippi
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