The Daviess County Council in an emergency meeting Tuesday appropriated nearly $300,000 from the rainy day fund to repair two levees damaged during flooding earlier this summer.

Joe Williams of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which has been spearheading the repairs, said the total cost of repairs on the Shufflebarger and Bennington levees will be just over $1 million, up from the $387,000 estimate when commissioners first started talking about repairs in June.

NRCS is paying 75 percent of the repair cost and providing insurance and inspections throughout the project, said Williams. The commissioners agreed to pay the remaining 25 percent from the rainy day fund, but contractors couldn’t start work until the council appropriated the money.

After the appropriations, the rainy day fund still holds about $1.1 million, said Council President Mike Sprinkle.

“I’m glad we have that rainy day fund,” said Councilwoman Loretta Kendall.

“That’s what that money is there for,” added Councilman Ken Solliday.

Harrell Contracting of Greene County will partner with Ted Riggins of Odon to repair the Shufflebarger levee. Don Gress Construction is tackling repairs to the Bennington levee.

Commissioner Tony Wichman, who attended the council meeting, thanked council members for calling the emergency meeting to appropriate the money, cutting three weeks off the normal process.

In appropriating the money, council members approved an emergency declaration stating that waiting longer to repair the levees could pose dangers to lives and property in Daviess County since threats from flooding can occur at any time.

Solliday added that the levees needed to be repaired before rains can wash out flood-damaged roads the county has just finished repairing, including Old Vincennes Road.