Larimer County Assessor shares disaster appraisal innovations for properties at conference

Managing an assessor’s office in new and innovative ways during a natural disaster was a topic addressed by the Larimer County Assessor and Larimer County Office of Emergency Management at the International Association of Assessing Officers conference in Chicago last month.

The IAAO is a professional organization with 8,500 members worldwide that strives to set a high standard on property appraisal, assessment and administration. Topics presented at the conference included how to appraise properties affected by natural disasters.

Larimer County was a featured presenter at the conference with Larimer County Assessor Bob Overbeck, and Director of Emergency Management Lori Hodges presenting Wildfire and Natural Disaster Planning and Response. This marks the second time Overbeck has been a speaker at an IAAO conference.

Assessors must now manage and actively respond to emergency events caused by climate change when assessing property in their jurisdictions. Overbeck and Hodges shared a video from Colorado Senator Joe Neguse on the importance of good collaboration and also having strong federal and state support during and after a natural disaster.

Using the recent Cameron Peak Fire as an example, the Larimer County Assessor and Office of Emergency Management described how both collaborated to plan and train staff while staying current on damage assessment protocols and safety in the field while assessing properties after the fire.

Damage assessment teams comprised of one person from the assessor’s office and one from the building department visited each property to appraise and detail the damage during and after the Cameron Peak Fire. The teams also included spotters and sawyers in case fallen trees were encountered and needed to be cut to access properties.

“Many in the IAAO audience expressed appreciation for Larimer County sharing their experience to plan, prepare, and collaborate regionally, during a natural disaster while also keeping county employees and residents safe,” said Larimer County Assessor Bob Overbeck.

Other innovations included training damage assessment teams on how to record all data digitally, and use high-quality radio communication equipment in case of emergencies, so that emergency personnel can be used where they need to be instead of as escorts for damage assessment teams.

The assessor also illustrated a groundbreaking partnership with a neighboring county assessor to share resources if additional assessment personnel is needed in the field to perform property assessment fieldwork.