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City: Still no news from FEMA
Published 8/1/2009 in Local News
By STEPHANIE FARLEY
As of Friday, the news from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to the city of Garden City was that there is no news, according to City Manager Matt Allen.
"We have not heard a response from FEMA," Allen stated in a memo to the City Commission on Friday.
The city, Finney County and the Kansas Department of Agriculture have submitted requests to FEMA asking the agency to delay a Sept. 25 deadline for new flood insurance rate maps to take effect. The entities also are requesting FEMA help conduct a detailed study of drainage ditches/districts Nos. 1 and 2 before the man-made structures are added to the flood plain maps.
The addition of the ditches to the maps is the main reason about 1,800 properties stand to be added to the city's and county's flood plain if the maps take effect.
The city has asked for a response by Aug. 21 from FEMA to the request of delaying the deadline and/or conducting a detailed study. Allen has said that if FEMA continues to be unresponsive, the Aug. 21 date gives the city and county enough time to take legal action to seek a solution to the revised maps.
So far, no response has come from FEMA — which leaves the city and county continuing to try to prepare residents who will be included in the new flood plain. The city plans to send another letter to those residents — possibly sometime next week — advising residents and property owners of the Sept. 25 effective date for the maps.
The letter "also encourages people to educate themselves on the facts of the issue so that they understand what will be required by a lender or insurance company," Allen states in the memo. "While the city continues to pursue relief from what it believes to be a serious injustice by FEMA, property owners need to be adequately informed and prepared for what may happen to their property."
Commissioners will be reviewing the drafted letter, which addresses property owners and is signed by Mayor Nancy Harness.
The letter starts off by informing owners their property may be impacted by the changes to the maps prepared by FEMA.
"You are receiving this letter because your property is located within the new flood plain map boundaries," the letter states. "We are encouraging you to be informed about this issue so that you may be prepared to make the best choice you can based on your circumstances. The city of Garden City will make a decision on this issue in September at a City Commission meeting."
The letter also informs owners of the Sept. 25 for the commission to either adopt the new maps or opt out of the National Flood Insurance Program.
"You should know we are working hard at the city to change this situation, however you should be prepared for whatever decision is made in September," the letter states.
The letter ends by asking owners to contact their insurance agent and mortgage company to find out what they need to do if the proposed maps are or aren't adopted.
In other business:
* The commission will discuss proposals the city received as of Friday for two parcels of surplus city property the city is offering for possible development. The commission authorized city staff on June 2 to issue a request for development proposals for two parcels of surplus city property.
According to City Engineer Steve Cottrell, the city received four residential proposals from three developers for the parcel at Campus Drive and Shortgrass Street, and two commercial proposals for the parcel at Mary and Fleming streets.
Three residential proposals were for single family homes — two proposals from the same developer have 19 lots and the other had 16 lots. The fourth residential proposal, Cottrell said, is for 29 units of multifamily in a mix of two-, three- and four-plex construction.
The commercial proposals are for a 6,000-square-foot, four-tenant retail strip and a single practice medical office.
Cottrell states in a letter to the commission that commissioners can review the initial submittals and prepare a shortlist for further consideration, or invite all parties to continue to the next step.
The next step for selected developers is to further refine their conceptual plans with more detailed drawings and information for formal presentation to the commission in mid-September.
* Finney County Transit (FIT) received about $1.9 million in stimulus money through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and Kansas Department of Transportation.
Because of program requirements, FIT is requesting the city become the grant recipient and administrator for $270,000 of the funding for the bus stop shelters the money would fund. FIT Director Bonnie Burgardt will attend Tuesday's meeting to discussion the situation with the commission.
On the Web:
Download a copy of Tuesday's meeting materials.
Read a transcript of an archived chat on the flood plain between residents and city officials atSWKTalk.com/livechat.
Download a copy of the city of Garden City's July 17 letter to FEMA that outlines concerns with FEMA's process for updating flood plain maps and requests an extension in the Sept. 25 deadline for map adoption. Or see a copy of the Kansas Department of Agriculture's July 17 letter requesting an extension to the deadline.
Download a copy of the preliminary flood plain study or the city's letter to Kansas Department of Agriculture Secretary Adrian Polansky.
Download a copy of FEMA's proposed revisions to the flood plain maps for Garden CityHolcomb. and
For more flood plain resources, see the city of Garden City's Web site at www.garden-city.org.
What do you think should be the city and county's next course of action? Talk about it at SWKTalk.com.
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