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Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) Correspondence from City Copyrighted September 16, 2019 City of Dubuque Consent Items # 16. ITEM TITLE: Federal Emergency ManagementAssociation (FEMA) Correspondence. SUM MARY: City Manager providing a copy of correspondence to the Federal Emergency ManagementAssociation (FEMA) in response to its questions related to the Dubuque County Flood Hazard Mapping Project that include Dubuque's Certified Floodwall/Levee System. SUGGESTED DISPOSITION: Suggested Disposition: Receive and File ATTACHMENTS: Description Type City Response Letter Staff Memo FEMA Letter Supporting Documentation Masterpiece on the Mississippi Dubuque All-America53 POI GI1 ip 20071.2012.203.3 2017*2019 Teri Ann Mayer, Chief Risk Analysis Branch Federal Emergency Management Agency Region VII 11224 Holmes Road Kansas City, MO 64131 SUBJECT: COMMENT RES Office of the Mayor City Hall 50 West 13th Street Dubuque, IA 52001-4864 www.cityofdubuque.org September 16, 2019 Dubuque County Flood Hazard Mapping Project re: Preliminary Map Panels that include City of Dubuque's Certified Floodwall/Levee System Flood Insurance Rate Map and Flood Insurance Study Case No. 16-07-2220S Community: City of Dubuque, Dubuque County, Iowa Community No. 195180 Dear Ms. Mayer: On behalf of the City of Dubuque, Iowa, thank you for your enclosed August 21, 2019 letter regarding the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) direction for the Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) and Flood Insurance Study in the City of Dubuque, Iowa. This letter has provided resolution to our questions. The preliminary FIRM for the City of Dubuque reflects the City and IDNR recommendation to include the drainage improvements to the North Fork of Catfish Creek, which were documented in a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR). The City appreciates FEMA's approval of this update. The City of Dubuque appreciates receiving further direction from FEMA regarding two map changes based on the Bee Branch Watershed improvements that are not incorporated on the preliminary FIRM. These changes are: 1) Removal of the floodplain along Kaufmann Avenue and the streets around Comiskey Park, and 2) Extension of the floodwall/levee system protection for the North End/Comiskey Park area. Thank you for clarifying that FEMA did not include these two changes on the preliminary FIRM because they would negate the 2011 certification of the City's floodwall/levee system. This certification is critical to our community. The City of Dubuque also appreciates that FEMA has provided a workable alternative. Service People Integrity Responsibility Innovation Teamwork FEMA Correspondence — Comment RES Page 2 FEMA staff have advised City staff that the best method for the City to proceed with having these changes made to the FIRM is to submit a LOMR. This is action we are prepared to take upon completion of all phases of the Bee Branch Watershed improvements as you noted in your letter. The City of Dubuque is supportive of the collaborative floodplain mapping process involving both FEMA and IDNR which has resulted in a revised preliminary FIRM that better reflects conditions in our community. We look forward to our continued consultation and partnership during the refinement of the new Flood Insurance Rate Map for our community. Thanks to you and your staff for your consideration and resolution of our questions. We look forward to working with you in the future. Sincere y, Roy DBuol Mayor Enclosure cc: City Council Members Michael Van Milligen, City Manager Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager Kyle Kritz, Associate Planner Wally Wernimont, Assistant Planner Gus Psihoyos, City Engineer Deron Muehring, Civil Engineer Bill Cappuccio, IDNR State NFIP Coordinator Scott Ralston, IDNR Floodplain Mapping Coordinator Jason Schneider, FEMA Region VII RSC Dane Bailey, Project Officer, FEMA Region VII U.S.Department of Homeland Security FEMA Region VII 11224 Holmes Road . � � � � � M � Kaosas CiTy,Missouri 64131-3626 v D �E��.��,�. _��,��'' �`��1� AU� 7 � ?019 ',��F; ,,��st� CITY OF DUBIIQUE PLANNING SERVICES DEPARTMENT August 21, 2019 The Honorable Roy D. Buol, Mayor Coirununity: City of Dubuque City of Dubuque Community No.: 195180 50 West 13`h Street Dubuque, Iowa 52001 IN REPLY REFER TO: COMMENT RES Dear Mayor Buol: I a�n writing in response to your letters dated October 30, 2018 and 7une 4, 2019. You wrote to appeal the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) proposed flood hazard detenninations shown on the preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) and Flood Insurance Study (FIS), dated August 27, 2018, for the City of Dubuque. In particular, you were concerned with FEMA's inability to incorporate mapping changes for the Bee Branch Watershed, as well as redelinearion of the floodwall/levee system proteeted area, into the preliminary FIRM. Please note that only those submittals that relate to fl�e addition or modification of the proposed flood hazard information (i.e., Base Flood Elevations,base flood depths, Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) boundaries, zone desiguations, or regulatory floodways) shown on the FIRM and in the FIS report that satisfy the data requirements defined in Title 44, Chapter I, Part 67 oPthe Code of Federal Regulations are considered appeals. Because your submittals did not meet these criteria, FEMA has processed them as "comments." No scientific and/ar technical data were submitted in support of these requests. At the time of scoping the Dubuque County project, FEMA decided not to update map panels that included the recently accredited levee system. Issuing new panels in these locations would require the City of Dubuque to recertify the affected levee systems, causing unnecessary hardship. Rick Nusz and Dane Bailey of my staff have spoken with Wally Wernimont and Kyle Kritz with the City of Dubuque's Planning and Zoning Department and advised them of the option to submit a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) for the panels that are not currently being reissued. It is our understanding that the City of Dubuque intends to wait until all phases of the Bee Branch infrastructure improvements are completed, as well as improvements to Bee Branch and drainage improvements in the vicinity of Kauffinan Avenue, before submitting a LOMR request to address these panels. www.fema.gov The Honorable Roy Buol, Mayor August 21,2019 � Page 2 Please submit any comments regarding this resolution within 30 days of the date of this letter to: - Dai7e Bailey, Project Officer FEMA Region VII ll 224 Holmes Road Kansas City, MO 64131-3626 At the end of the 30-day period, FEMA will address any additional coininents that are submitted, and will then finalize the FIRM and F1S report by issuing a Letter of Final Determination(LFD). The LFD will explain the adoptioi�/compliance process and will state when the FIRM and FIS report wil] become effective. We appreciate your community's comments and commihnent to having the most accuraYe flood hazard tnfonnation available reflected on Yhe FIRM and ii1 the FIS report. If you have any questions,please contact Dane Bailey of iny staff at (816) 283-7013 or D ane.B ail ey@fema.dhs.gov. Sincerely, �C�.,,'c��,,..�--� Teri A. Mayer, Chief Risk Analysis Branch ca Laura Carstens, Plaiming Services Manager, City of Dubuque Bill Cappuccio, State National Flood Insurance Program Coordinator, Iowa Departrnent of Natural Resources Scott Ralston, Floodplain Mapping Coordinator, Iowa Department of Natural Resources . www.fema.gov �