RFP_FEMA Flood Plan MappingMasterpiece on the Mississippi
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: FEMA Flood Plain Mapping - RFP for the Preparation, Submittal, and
Implementation of a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR)
DATE: February 23, 2010
Dubuque
All-America Cily
11111
I
2007
City Engineer Gus Psihoyos and Planning Services Manager Laura Carstens request
City Council authorization to release a Request for Proposal to identify a consultant to
perform the necessary engineering analysis, prepare the necessary documentation, and
submit an application for a Letter of Map Revision to the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) to revise flood hazard zones identified in the Digital
Federal Insurance Rate Map (DFIRM) proposed by FEMA for the City of Dubuque.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
MCVM:jh
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Gus Psihoyos, City Engineer
Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager
Michel C. Van Milligen
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Gus Psihoyos, City Engineer
Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager --E
DATE: February 23, 2010
SUBJECT: FEMA Flood Plain Mapping - RFP for the Preparation, Submittal, and
Implementation of a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR)
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this memo is to request authorization to release an RFP to identify a
consultant to perform the necessary engineering analysis, prepare the necessary
documentation, and submit an application for a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) to
FEMA to revise flood hazard zones identified in Digital Federal Insurance Rate Map
(DFIRM) proposed by FEMA for the City of Dubuque.
BACKGROUND
MEMORANDUM
On July 15, 2009, the City of Dubuque received the preliminary map and the Flood
Insurance Study Report as part of FEMA's Flood Map Modernization Program. The
program is designed to update on a nationwide basis the flood insurance rate maps of
member communities and counties in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
The City of Dubuque was the first community in Iowa to join the NFIP on April 2, 1971.
The City's current flood insurance rate map is from 1989. The City has regulated
floodplain development since 1990. The City of Dubuque has been very conscientious
in its application of the NFIP requirements. The City has never approved a variance
from the NFIP requirements. The City has not allowed a single new residential structure
to be built in any flood hazard area. The only new structures built in flood hazard areas
have been commercial structures elevated and /or flood proofed in compliance with the
NFIP requirements.
FEMA has proposed a map that would significantly expand the number of properties in
the city designated as being in a regulated flood plain from 70 structures to over 1,700
structures!
DISCUSSION
The City of Dubuque supports FEMA's nationwide effort to have accurate flood plain
maps. However, the Planning Services Department and the Engineering Department
are concerned with the inaccuracy of the methods utilized by FEMA to produce the
DFIRM proposed for Dubuque.
FEMA utilized cost - effective "approximate" methods to establish the new flood zones
proposed in the North End Neighborhood and the Washington neighborhood, in the
Keyway /Keymont/Keymeer area, along Kaufmann Avenue, along West 32nd Street,
and in the Kerper Boulevard industrial area. The citizens of Dubuque have made
significant investments in these areas. Designation of these areas as Zone A flood
hazard area will place an additional financial burden on homeowners and businesses in
these areas and likely lead to disinvestment and blighted conditions.
While portions of these areas might well deserve recognition as a flood hazard zone,
City staff have concluded that an "approximate" study is inappropriate for several
reasons.
1) According to the January 2008 Floodplain Management Desk Reference
provided to the City of Dubuque by the Iowa DNR and FEMA, "areas mapped
with an approximate study are where there was little or no development and /or
little expectation of development when the mapping was done."
2) FEMA indicated that they used the methodology outlined in Techniques for
Estimating Flood- Frequency Discharges for Streams in Iowa (USGS, 2001) to
determine the new flood hazard zones in Dubuque. But according to this
document, "the equations developed in (the) study apply only to stream sites in
Iowa where flood discharge is not significantly affected by regulation, diversion,
channelization, or urbanization." The document states that the standard error of
prediction is over 35 %.
3) FEMA used 10 -foot contours instead of the 2 -foot contours that have been
available since 2001 from the City of Dubuque.
City staff is still working through the DFIRM review and comment process, the goal is to
complete this additional analysis and present its findings to FEMA during the 90 -day
appeal process that will begin this summer.
As a result of performing this detailed study, FEMA could incorporate the findings into
the proposed maps prior to their adoption. If they do not, the process of applying for a
change in the mapping — submitting an application for a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR)
— should conclude prior to the adoption of the maps so that the LOMR could take effect
at the same time that the new maps are adopted. And finally, the detailed study will
provide base flood elevations that will allow for the level of flood plain management
demanded by the NFIP and that the citizens of Dubuque deserve.
RECOMMENDATION
We recommend releasing an RFP for a consultant to perform the necessary
engineering analysis, prepare the necessary documentation, and submit an application
to FEMA for a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) that would revise the flood hazard zones
identified in Digital Federal Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRMs) to reflect the more detailed
analysis.
BUDGET IMPACT
The engineering work is estimated to cost approximately $50,000. The work will be
funded with Stormwater Management Funds.
ACTION TO BE TAKEN
We respectfully request authorization to release to the public an RFP for the
engineering analysis, preparation of documentation, and submittal of an application to
FEMA for a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) that would revise the flood hazard zones
identified in preliminary DFIRM based on the more detailed analysis.
Prepared by Deron Muehring, Civil Engineer II
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Jenny Larson, Budget Director
Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager
Ken TeKippe, Finance Director
Kyle Kritz, Associate Planner
Deron Muehring, Civil Engineer II