Colorado Springs Together: A Private Sector Model for Recovery

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Colorado Springs Together: A Private Sector Model for Recovery

Bob Cutter Founder and President, Colorado Springs Togetherwww.coloradospringstogether.org

April 30, 2014

http://www.coloradospringstogether.org/


Waldo Canyon Fire6/26/12

Explosive Growth

7/10/14

100% Contained


Mountain Shadows

6/26/12 – 5pm

Residential Destruction

Loss of Life----------------------------------

6/27/12

Control


12 Months Later…Black Forest Fire!

6/11/13Explosive Growth

6/20/13100% Contained

Black Forest

Waldo Canyon

Colorado Springs


Similar… but…. DifferentWaldo Canyon4 days before property loss2 lives lost + 347 homes lost18,000 acres burnedResidential impact 2sq. MilesYear developed : 1985Suburban - upper middle classCity of Colorado SpringsRecovery led by private sectorNeighborhood Landscaping

Black ForestInstant loss of property2 lives lost + 486 homes lost15,000 acres burnedResidential impact 23 sq. milesYear developed ~ 1920Rural –wide class rangeUnincorporated El Paso CountyRecovery led by public + privateNeighborhood Forest


Colorado Springs Together Mission

To serve as the primary community organization to bring the community spirit and substantial resources of the businesses

and citizens of the Pikes Peak Region to restore the lives, homes and neighborhoods impacted by the Waldo Canyon Fire. We will

restore these quickly and effectively.

Incorporated 501(c)(3) on 7/3/12------Granted 8/22/12


Why COS Together?• Speed, Leverage, Agility• Cross functional team – all sectors• FEMA Lessons Learned

o Single organizationo Coordinationo Speed = Hopeo Local ownershipo Neighborhood involvemento Complete the jobo Better than before


What is COS Together?• Unified “command”-Type 1 Recovery Team• Volunteer Leadership• No government funding• Total Community Resources• Private Sector Driven• Public Sector Support• Non-Profit Participation• Neighborhood Involvement• Single Focus - Successful restorationCollaboration – Communication – Cooperation - Community Enhancement

TEAMWORK


Where is COS Together?

In the neighborhood ( Aug 2012-Jul 2013 )

• One stop shop• Ask the experts• Community Center

On line(July 2012 – Dec2013)

• Resources• Daily information• Help• www.coloradospringstogether.org


Our Role

• Coordinate and lead• Leverage resources and skills • Keep it local• Be the focal point• LONG term recovery• Get assistance to people• Educate and Inform• Support and encourage


Not Our Role• Direct financial assistance to people• Emergency response• Political lobbying / advocacy• Meeting human care needs• Business recovery• Crisis counseling and support

Expert agencies involvedRed Cross Long Term Recovery Group Aspenpointe Care and Share United Way

SBA / SBDC Regional Business Alliance Faith-based organizationsCity of Colorado Springs El Paso County


Results – 1 year laterOct 12: - 6 (of 347) lots remain without permit to clear

- Significant insurance settlements

Nov 12: - First people move into new home

Dec 12: - Only 1 site without debris removal plan

Jan 13: - 100 new home permits issued

Feb 13: - Mayor starts “homecoming” basket delivery

Mar 13: - Media tour of neighborhood

May 13: - 50% milestone – 176 permits issued

Jun 13: - Anniversary concert in the park- 200 permits issued + 78 completed


What Did We Do?Insurance assistance + support

Coordinated debris removal

E-blast information+ Video tutorials

Accredited contractors

Covenant assistance

Friday Markets with Care and Share

Sandbagging

Educational events

Art Auction – Memorial Fund

Fire Code Changes

Community Center support

Discount card program

Kids Carnival

Community Tree + Holiday Events

Lessons learned presentations

Community Center for neighborhood

Club, HOA, MSCA gatherings

Anniversary Concert in the park


By the Numbers- Over 2000 visitors to CST Center- Over 150 group meetings and presentations- 500+ hrs. of Aspenpointe crisis counseling - Over 200 individuals received insurance assistance- Over 540,000 e-blasts opened- 35,000+ unique visitors to website- 200,000+ web page views- One day after Black Forest Fire – 3,000+ web visitors- More than 3,000 discount cards issued

+ highest savings by individual ~ $30,000- ~6,000 people attended anniversary event- Over 7,000 leadership volunteer hours


Lessons Learned• Psychological impact significant – WIDE range• Insurance….insurance….insurance• GOOD, RELIABLE information ON TIME• Do not overload people• Mitigation helps• Need dedicated volunteer coordinator• Communicate need for, and use of, funds• Include schools and library district early• Replication requires leadership from the start


Opportunities• Share experience and knowledge

o Fire Departments + Communities + Insurance

• Improved Insurance Claims Processes• Prepare and mitigate to reduce future risk

o Along Front Range and Across Coloradoo Mitigation must be an ongoing processo Prepare for disaster……. and for recoveryo Education and communication


Mountain Shadows Today

221 Homes Rebuilt 38 Under Construction

75% Recovery in 21mo.

December 2013


Black Forest Together Start UpCST engaged on day 2 of fireCST provided immediate web info.VERY quick local agency responseAnniversary Concert + Art Auction

- New Beginning and Sign of Hope

Adapted CST model for recoveryDiscount cardMentor programExtensive insurance consulting


Private Sector Driven Recovery

• Create market-based solutions• Access private-sector funds

Foundations + Corporations + Individuals• In there for the long haul

While government returns to normal business

• Agility to meet changing needs in recoveryFunctional focus >>>>> Neighborhood focusLimited bureaucracy – Engage with all groups


Colorado Springs Together: Insurance Lessons Learned

John E. Putnam, CPCU, ARM Insurance Team Member

[email protected] Colorado Springs Together

April 30, 2014

mailto:[email protected]


Catastrophic Claims Environment


Replacement Value

Most Replacement Values Understated

Wide Market Variations in Computing RV

Replacement – Market Value - Rebuild

Remodel/Upgrades Values Often Not Included

Replacement Costs Increase Post Catastrophe


Replacement Value - Opportunities

Improved Processes for Estimating Pre-Loss Replacement Costs

Increased Consumer Education on Meaning and Importance of Replacement Costs


Law & Ordinance

Jurisdictional Differences

Who Determines Application of Code? Agent, Customer, Adjuster, Builder

Which Codes Apply? Pre-Loss, Post-Loss, Both


Law & Ordinance - Opportunities

Public-Private Dialogue to Increase Standardization of Codes

Increase Customer, Agent, and Adjuster Education Regarding L&O


Smoke & Heat Claims

Can Partial Losses Be Worse Than Total Losses?

Minimal Consensus on Handling These Claims

Does Wildfire Smoke Damage Property?

How Do You Measure Damaging Heat?


Smoke & Heat Claim - Opportunities

Private Industry Collaboration on Consistent Best Practices to Remediate Smoke

Better Methods for Determining Extent of Smoke and Heat Damage Claims

Accelerated Processes to Resolve Claims


Uncovered Losses

Business Income in Tourist Area at Peak Season

Business Income Resulting from Subsequent Flash Floods

Business Income Losses From Home Businesses

Income Loss Due to Claim Activities


Colorado Natural Disasters – The New Normal?

Short & Long Term Insurance Implications

Improved Claim Resolution Processes Required

Making the Case for Mitigation and PreparednessPublic - Private Partnerships for Risk Management,

Preparedness and Recovery


Questions?


Page 32

Lessons Learned from Colorado Disasters

Governor’s Recovery Office


24 Counties… 28,000 People … 2,000 Square Miles of Land … Over $3B in damage … largest disaster in Colorado


Why create a Governor’s Recovery Office?

1. Set priorities Ensure appropriate sequencing is in place and visible internally and

externally Ensure all Federal, State and Local resources are identified and accessed

2. Deliver results with an ongoing sense of urgency Assist local communities in having adequate match funding Assist agencies with any roadblocks to speedy recovery Stay coordinated with our delegation and Federal Agencies (e.g. HUD and

FEMA)

3. Build for the future – make things better than before Ensure 90% of short-term actions build towards a longer-term plan / vision

34


Our first five months were all about coordination and communication

100% State Roads operational by Dec 1st

100% impacted families out of temporary housing by end of November

Communicate weekly via various channels

Maximize FEMA and other Federal / State funding available

Prepare for HUD CDBG – DR assessment and funds as part of mid to long term planning

With communities, create 2-3 year recovery strategy

35


We organized our cross-functional team to drive towards action, transparency and results

36

Recovery Office

Recovery Working Team

Recovery Managers

DHSEM / FEMA

CDOT / National Guard

Represents agencies and cabinet involved in recovery efforts

Represents local counties; supported by CDPS and DOLA

Represents Governor’s Office of overall plan, actions and progress

Represents Office of Emergency Management, Department of Public Safety and FEMA

Represents Colorado Department of Transportation and National Guard from 5 states


Measuring our progress was critical throughout our recovery (example below)

26

Priority Area Source Metric Baseline As of 04/14 Goal

Infrastructure Total Land Impact OEM Total square miles impacted 2,000 NA NA

Water

CDPHE

% drinkable water 94%587

99.5%619

100%622

% Waste Water Treatment Facilities (WWTF) open1080 total facilities

97.1%1049

99.6%1076

100%1080

# of WWTF not operational 31 4 0

# of WWTF needing service restored 16 3 0

# of WWTF needing repair 33 28 0

# drinking water treatment plants needing service restored 11 3 0

# drinking water treatment plants needing repair 37 26 0

DNR

% of dams inspected# of dams inspected

100%207

100%207

100%207

No. of dams with flood caused damage 76 25 0

% of diversion structures and stream gauges inspected and identified as permanently repaired

100% (246) 64% (160) 100%(246)

Gas / Power PUC% habitable homes with gas/power1,078,987 total (At PEAK, 14,230 w/o) – Xcel #s only

98.68%1,078,987

100%1,078,987

100%N/A

# customers without natural gas 757 0 0

# customers without electricity 191 0 0

Bridges CDOT # of bridges inspected in impacted areas 0 411 411 (100%)

# of bridges needing repair 120 12 0

State Highway

System Closures

# closed 27 0 0

# (%) now open 0 (0%) 27 (100%) 27 (100%)

State Highway Miles (%) Affected 485 44.7 (9%) 0 (0%)

Miles Closed N/A 0 0

Miles with Lane Restrictions N/A 44.7 0


Being able to connect with our communities in real time was a priority

Key Stats:• 27.7K page views

• New visitors - 64%• 34% returning visitors• 18% coming in from

mobile traffic

Most viewed pages: • Updates• Get Help• Volunteer/Donate

Social Media:• Twitter 341 followers• Facebook 271 likes


We leveraged ColoradoUnited.com to capture issues and questions… with a 24 hour response

39

CRO

Ow

ner:

ABB

Category Total No. Closed

Made Contact?

No. Open

Infrastructure 18 16 Y 2

Individual 54 50 Y 4

Economic 5 4 Y 1

Community 28 26 Y 2

Environment 2 2 Y 0

Other 3 3 Y 0

Total 110 101 - 9


As we move forward, we will not lose sight of our mid to long term strategy

40

Environment-Wetlands -Riparian Habitat -Critical Habitat - NEPA Requirements - Mitigation Efforts - Other

-

Stream / Floodplains

• Exigent Efforts• Mid-Long Term• Zoning• ABFE• BFE• Housing

• Land Use• Transportation

Corridors• Reconstruction of

Public/Private Infrastructure

• Future land Use• Future Zoning

Housing

• Manufactured Housing Communities

• Multi-family Structures

• Single Family Structures

• Residents - Owners & Renters

• Small Business• Communities

Infrastructure

• Private Roads• Private Bridges• County Roads• County Bridges• State Owned

Elements• Dams

• Access to Homes & Emergency Services

• Water Rights• Diversion &

Irrigation Companies

Debris

• Sediment• Tree / Brush

(Woody) • Building,

Pavement & Structure

• Land Use• Transportation

Corridors• Delays to

Public/Private Rebuilding

• Reconstruction / Retrofitting of Structures

Community / Economic

•Small Business•Private Non Profit (PNP’s)•Cultural / Historical

•Tourism (Loss)•Community Services (Loss)•Customers & Tax-base (Loss)•Facility Use •Access to Public Materials

Recovery Area

Issue:

Type:

Impacts to:


Learnings as we move forward

Continue listening to others who have similar experiences, e.g. Vermont, New Jersey, and Alberta Canada

Full time effort over next 2 to 4 years – keep a constant sense of urgency daily

Cooperation and partnership at Federal, State and Local levels is key

Washington D.C. as an advocate

Private sector as a partner

Local community buy-in and leadership is critical

Transparency in how we address and fund “unmet needs”41


LYONS, COLORADO


Lyons: A 500 year flood event

•Lyons, Colorado: Town of 2,050 in the foothills at the confluence the North and South St Vrain Creeks in Boulder County•Typical peak spring run-off at confluence is 600-700 c.fs. •Estimated river volume at flood peak September 12th was 19,600 c.f.s.

•With road and bridges washed out or under water, residents were isolated on six different ‘islands’ for several days before National Guard evacuation. One local resident died in the flood waters.


Significant impacts on public infrastructure

•All utility systems (water, sewer, electric and gas) were damaged and inoperable•Town Hall and library flooded (neither was in the floodplain)•Public works building destroyed and all equipment in it lost•Local public schools had to be temporarily relocated to Longmont due to lack of utilities and access •Damage to public infrastructure (roads, bridges, stream bank stabilization, parks, wastewater, water and electric systems) estimated at $60 million• This figure does not include insured public buildings or restoring stream channel•Lyons is CIRSA’s largest claim ever


20 percent of housing stock affected

•211 residential structures damaged in Town of Lyons: 43 mobile homes and 178 houses. Of houses, about 1/3 were flooded basements with 2/3 suffering greater levels of damage •Concentrated heavily in the lower income population - high percentage of seniors, artists, musicians, working class, homeowners•145 previous residents who wish to return are still displaced•Personal property damages in addition to structures


Widespread business losses:

•Lyons is 100% independently-owned small businesses. •All closed for 6 weeks due to lack of utilities – loss of sales and inventory•About 5-10 businesses suffered flood damage, few of these were in the actual flood plain, so not insured•Several businesses have closed•Economic base of parks and Planet Bluegrass heavily impacted


Initial recovery milestones – 6 months after the event

• Local foundations have channeled over $1.5 million to residents and businesses

• Mid-December – end of March community planning effort: Lyons Recovery Action Plan sets priorities for recovery

•Utilities restored with temporary systems within 6 – 10 weeks•Schools relocated and Town Hall repaired by early December•Temporary roads and culverts installed•Temporary berms in river to protect against spring run-off•Massive debris removal activities•Large-scale effort by humanitarian organizations to assist homeowners mucking out and initiate repairs


Financing flood recovery• Cannot self-insure against catastrophic loss. Of $60 million:

• State of Colorado sliding scale relief on match of up to 22.5%.• New cash flow mechanism created by the State• Lyons voters approve $1 million FEMA Community Disaster

Loan for operating expenses to offset TOL revenue declines • Additional grant resources – GoCo $1 million, etc.

FEMA Public Assistance (75%) $45.0 million

State of Colorado (12.5%) $ 7.5 million

Local match required (12.5%) $7.5 million

Total Town of Lyons reserves $4.8 million


Lessons learned: What worked well• Well-trained emergency responders (Boulder County Sheriff,

Lyons Fire District, Lyons Public Works Dept); sirens saved lives• Extraordinary community response/engagement• Committed Town Staff and community leadership• We were not alone: Partnerships with Boulder County, City of

Longmont, State of Colorado (DOLA, Governor’s Office, OEM, legislative representatives), FEMA

• Humanitarian and volunteer efforts• State goes above and beyond to help finance recovery in

hardest hit communities like Lyons


Lessons learned: Challenges• Navigating post-disaster bureaucracies (for

government and affected residents)• Implementation capacity of a small town• Limitations of insurance for businesses and

residents• Extremely complex technical issues• Building affordable replacement housing• Complications to access funding


Lyons’ vision: Building back better and more resilient

Thank youPhoto credits: Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock, Joseph Lekarczyk, Kenneth Wadja

Colorado Springs Together: A Private Sector Model for Recovery

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