09/11/2018
Way to go Charlie!!!
GREAT NEWS!! FLOWAGE EASEMENT "ADMIN FEES" WILL BE WAIVED FOR ALL PROPERTY OWNERS IN ALL AREAS OF ROUGH RIVER LAKE!!
Rough River Lake property owners - it's a great day for some GOOD news! Here's a press release that I think you'll appreciate. When you can - THANK Sen Mitch McConnell, Diane Stratton of the Rough River COE project and Charlie Corbett, President of Rough River Business and Tourism. Without the concerted efforts of these 3 individuals, these fees would NOT have been waived. GREAT NEWS - spread it around. Maybe WDRB will pick up some GOOD NEWS for a change and broadcast it far and wide too!!!
Here's the full press release approved for distribution. Look for a 'Bill Signing' celebration to be held at Patriots Pointe in the near future with the responsible parties!
PRESS RELEASE:
Charlie Corbett, President of Rough River Business &Tourism, announced that the Administrative Fees for the Encroachment Resolution Plan on Rough River Lake have officially been waived for all scenarios and that any fees paid to date will be refunded upon request. This announcement is the culmination of an effort that began nearly two years ago when the Encroachment Resolution Plan was first announced by the US Army Corps of Engineers.
“When the Encroachment Resolution Plan was announced, it included an Administrative Fee for processing release requests that, in many cases, exceeded $2000 per property owner. For our Rough River Lake area and the thousands of affected property owners, this created an adverse economic impact of several million dollars”. said Charlie Corbett. After discussions with local residents, affected property owners, and local business owners, and the Rough River Lake Corps of Engineers staff, we began the process to eliminate the fees. Working directly with Rough River Lake Project Mgr. Diane Stratton and her staff, an alternate plan was developed which was then routed through the Corps of Engineers Chain of Command through the Louisville District, Great Lakes Command and finally to the Assistant Secretary of the Army in Washington, DC.
We had several meetings with Senate Majority Leader McConnell and his staff, Senator Rand Paul, Congressman Brett Guthrie, and Congressman Massie over the past two years and determined that an Act of Congress would be necessary.
Late last year, after three meetings and discussions here at Rough River Lake, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell took the lead and drafted legislation to be included as an amendment to Senate Bill 3021 known as the ‘‘America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018’’. This bill cleared the House of Representatives and Senate yesterday and will be on the President’s desk for signature this month.
This is a great example of how our Government can work effectively with direct engagement from the voting citizens. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell attentively listened to our concerns and after several meetings with his staff, Congressman Guthrie, Senator Paul, Congressman Massie, our local Corps of Engineers Project Mgr. Diane Stratton, Louisville District Commanding Officers Colonels Beck and Gant, and Breckinridge County Judge Executive Maurice Lucas, we have arrived at a successful outcome.
“This is exactly the form of government action our Founding Father’s intended and is enshrined in the preamble of our Constitution.. ”We the People….” Our republican form of democracy works exceptionally well when the citizenry and elected officials work together toward a common goal.” Said Charlie. “We are delighted and overwhelmed with gratitude to everyone who had a hand in making this happen. Our United States of America is truly the land of the free with a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. “
The text of the “America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 is shown below.
Senate Bill 3021
SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as ‘‘America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018’’.
SEC. 1175. PROHIBITION OF ADMINISTRATIVE FEES IN IMPLEMENTING ROUGH RIVER LAKE FLOWAGE EASEMENT ENCROACHMENT RESOLUTION PLAN.
ELIGIBLE PROPERTY OWNER.—The term ‘‘eligible property owner’’ means the owner of a property described in Scenario A, B, C, or D in the Plan; or that consists of vacant land located above 534 feet mean sea level that is encumbered by a Rough River Lake flowage easement for which the Rough River Lake flowage easement is not required to address back water effects. The term ‘‘Plan’’ means the Rough River Lake Flowage Easement Encroachment Resolution Plan of the Corps of Engineers, dated January 2017.
PROHIBITION ON ASSESSING ADMINISTRATIVE FEES.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in carrying out the Plan, the Secretary may not impose on nor collect from any eligible property owner any administrative fee, including:
(1) A fee to pay the costs to the Corps of Engineers of processing requests to resolve encroachments under the Plan
(2) Fees for deed drafting and surveying; and
(3) Any other administrative cost incurred by the Corps of Engineers in implementing the Plan.
REFUND OF ADMINISTRATIVE FEES.—In the case of an eligible property owner who has paid any administrative fees described in paragraphs (1) through (3) to the Corps of Engineers, the Corps of Engineers shall refund those fees on request of the eligible property owner.
SAVINGS PROVISION—Nothing in this section affects the responsibility or authority of the Secretary to continue carrying out the Plan, including any work necessary to extinguish the flowage easement of the United States with respect to the property of any eligible property owner.
