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City sets flood plain hearing date
Published 8/19/2009 in Local News
By STEPHANIE FARLEY
The mood at a public hearing Garden City commissioners have set to hear the public's concerns on whether the city should participate in the National Flood Insurance Program could be much different depending on word from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to city representatives.
Commissioners on Tuesday opted to set the public hearing and meeting for 5:30 p.m. Sept. 17 at Clifford Hope Auditorium at Garden City High School, 1412 N. Main St., where the public will be able to voice opinion on whether the commission should adopt the revised flood insurance rate maps that would add more than 1,800 properties to the flood plain.
The commission will consider after the hearing whether to adopt the new flood maps FEMA is proposing and participate in the National Flood Insurance Program. If the city doesn't adopt the new maps, it opts out of the NFIP, which would mean, among other things, city residents wouldn't be eligible for subsidized flood insurance through the program.
Finalizing the meeting date comes three days before Friday's deadline that city and Finney County representatives gave FEMA to respond to a request by the city, county and Kansas Department of Agriculture to delay a Sept. 25 deadline for the maps to take effect. The requests also ask FEMA to conduct a detailed study on the two drainage ditches included in the revised maps.
City Manager Matt Allen said Tuesday there's still no word from FEMA but reiterated that representatives of FEMA Region VII have stated they plan to respond to the requests. Allen told the commission he anticipates hearing something from FEMA by Friday.
As the local entities keep their options in play, including possible legal action if FEMA fails to respond at all or in a favorable way, Planning and Community Development Director Kaleb Kentner said the department tentatively has scheduled public hearings for the city of Holcomb (Sept. 23) and the county (Sept. 21) to consider adopting the flood plain maps.
Kentner and Allen said FEMA's response could make things clearer in time for the meeting, hopefully providing some direction with how to handle the additional property in the flood plain.
The city still is exploring its options and also urging city and county residents to become educated on the issue and take whatever action they feel is best to protect themselves and their property by Sept. 25.
The city and county mailed letters Aug. 6 to property owners with property located in the new flood plain boundaries. According to the city, the letter was developed to encourage property owners to become more informed about the impacts associated with the flood plain expansion, so they'll "be able to make an informed decision based on their circumstances."
U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback on Friday encouraged FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate to respond quickly and favorably to the city's and county's request for an extension of the Sept. 25 deadline and a restart of the remapping process.
Commissioners John Doll and David Crase suggested the city also invite FEMA to the hearing.
Commissioner Reynaldo Mesa asked whether the city would have insurance, lending and other representatives at the Sept. 17 hearing. He said he wanted to make sure information is available to the public during the hearing and meeting.
Allen explained the city can invite the representatives, but at this point, the city's obligation is to give the public a chance to voice their opinion before the commission decides whether to adopt the maps. The city has been doing public presentations on the issue for more than a year now, he said.
Allen said he feels the information is getting out there, including through the two mailings the city has done to property owners; and the grass-roots effort of growing public awareness through the Knock Out Committee, which is asking the city not to adopt the maps.
Kentner also said those wishing to file a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) to possibly get their property removed from the maps may do so through the Planning and Community Development office.
So far, Kentner said, 43 LOMAs have been filed and, by all appearances, 42 of the LOMAs will be approved, with one remaining in the flood plain.
On the Web:
Read a transcript of an archived chat on the flood plain between residents and city officials atSWKTalk.com/category/previous-livechats/.
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 City and Holcomb.
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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