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Preliminary DFIRM Revised Panels to FEMAMasterpiece on the Mississippi TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager SUBJECT: Correspondence with FEMA re: Preliminary DFIRM Revised Panels DATE: February 1, 2011 Dubuque kiltil Al- AmeticaCity 1 , 2007 Planning Services Manager Laura Carstens is transmitting correspondence with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regarding revised panels for the preliminary Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map (DFIRM) for our community. MCVM:jh Attachment cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager 7 Mic ael C. Van Milligen Masterpiece on the Mississippi TO: FROM: SUBJECT: DATE: Michael Van Milligen, City Manager Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager \ >'° C..-- Correspondence with FEMA re: Preliminary DFIRM Revised Panels January 31, 2011 Dubuque All- AmerlcaCidY ' lir 2007 INTRODUCTION This memorandum transmits correspondence with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regarding revised panels for the preliminary Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map (DFIRM) for our community. DISCUSSION The City of Dubuque has received the enclosed letter from Richard Leonard of FEMA's Region VII Office dated January 21, 2011 providing notification of the process for resolution of the City of Dubuque's protest of FEMA's preliminary DFIRM for our community. Mr. Leonard's letter indicates FEMA's decision to use the City's data for the Bee Branch watershed to re- delineate the flood plain on Dubuque's North End, as well as to correct the flood plain for the Julien Dubuque Monument and for an area north of Dubuque. Six revised panels were emailed to me by FEMA's engineering consultant, AECOM, on January 18, 2011. Planning Services staff reviewed and commented on the six revised panels and provided AECOM with the enclosed memorandum listing issues and errors initially identified with the preliminary DFIRM on April 12, 2010. I also reminded AECOM of FEMA's agreement to re -map the city's flood plains using the City's latest two -foot contours. AECOM has been working with Planning Services staff to make these DFIRM corrections. Planning Services staff will continue to work with FEMA officials and FEMA's engineering consultant, AECOM, to have the most accurate DFIRM possible for our community. REQUESTED ACTION At this time, there appears to be satisfactory resolution of the City of Dubuque's protest of FEMA's preliminary DFIRM for our community. The requested action is for the City Council to receive and file the enclosed correspondence with FEMA. Enclosures cc: Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager Gus Psihoyos, City Engineer Deron Muehring, Civil Engineer Kyle Kritz, Associate Planner F: \USERS \Mrettenb \WP \DFIRM \FEMA Revised DFIRM Panels Memo MVM.doc THE CITY OF Dubuque DUB E i i Masterpiece on the Mississippi 2007 Richard Leonard, Chief Risk Analysis Branch FEMA Region VII 9221 Ward Parkway, Suite 300 Kansas City MO 64114 -3372 SUBJECT: Resolution of Protest to Preliminary DFIRM for the City of Dubuque Dear Mr. Leonard: The City of Dubuque has received the enclosed letter from you dated January 21, 2011 providing notification of the process for resolution of the City of Dubuque's protest of FEMA's preliminary Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map (DFIRM) for our community. The City of Dubuque is grateful for the assistance and cooperation that FEMA has shown with respect to re- mapping the Bee Branch and other areas of our community, using the City's data. The City of Dubuque applauds FEMA's decision to accept flood maps revised by the City of Dubuque to determine which North End areas lie within the 100 year flood plain. The new maps reflect more accurate information about the flow of storm water and resolve conflicting data related to base flood elevations. FEMA's decision to use the new maps will save nearly 1,600 Dubuque households from being required to pay for flood insurance at the high risk rates. Based on FEMA's decision to use the City's data for the Bee Branch watershed to re- delineate the flood plain on Dubuque's North End, and to re -map the community's flood plains using the City's latest 2 -foot contours, there appears to be satisfactory resolution of the City of Dubuque's protest of FEMA's preliminary DFIRM for our community. The City of Dubuque supports FEMA's project to update the nation's flood maps. The City plans to continue to work with FEMA officials and FEMA's engineering consultant, AECOM, to have the most accurate DFIRM possible for our community. Please feel free to contact Planning Services Manager Laura Carstens with any questions or for more information at 563.589.4210 or Icarstenacitvofdubuque.orq. Roy D. Buol Mayor Enclosures Office of the Mayor and City Council City Hall 50 West 13 Street Dubuque, Iowa 52001 -4864 (563) 589 -4120 office (563) 589 -0890 fax January 31, 2011 Service People Integrity Responsibility Innovation Teamwork Resolution of Protest to Preliminary DFIRM for the City of Dubuque Page 2 cc: City Council Members Michael Van Milligen, City Manager Barry Lindahl, City Attorney Tim O'Brien, Assistant City Attorney Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager Kyle Kritz, Associate Planner Gus Psihoyos, City Engineer Deron Muehring, Civil Engineer Beth Freeman, Administrator, FEMA Region VII Roger Benson, FEMA Region VII Bob Bissell, FEMA Region VII Rick Nusz, FEMA Region VII Bill Cappuccio, Iowa Department of Natural Resources Richard Bender, Senior Legislative Assistant, Senator Harkin's Office, Washington D.C. Amanda Banks, AECOM, 2405 Grand Blvd, Suite 1000, Kansas City MO 64108 Service People Integrity Responsibility Innovation Teamwork JAN 2 1 2011 The Honorable Roy D. Buol Mayor, City of Dubuque City Hall 50 West 13 Street Dubuque, Iowa 52001 -4864 Re: Resolution of Protest to Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) for Dubuque County, Iowa and Incorporated Areas Sincerely, Richard Leonard, Chief Risk Analysis Branch FEMA Region VII U.S. Department of Homeland Security FEMA Region VII 9221 Ward Parkway, Suite 300 Kansas City, Missouri 64114 -3372 FEMA crZ c C m c CD �' a r') a Cr) Dear Mayor Buol: This letter is in reference to your letters received August 25, 2010 and via email, November 23, 2010, regarding the Preliminary copies of the Flood Insurance Study (FIS) report and Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) for the City of Dubuque, Dubuque County, Iowa. The concerns raised in this letter were originally addressed under separate cover sent to the office of United States Senator Torn Harkin, dated October 7, 2010 (enclosed). In response to the findings presented by your engineering consultant, CDM, we have resolved to incorporate the study of the Bee Branch watershed as updated Zone A flood hazard areas within the City. Additionally, we have remapped the Special Flood Hazard Area near the Julien Dubuque Monument and incorporated LOMR #907018, dated May 31, 1990. The affected FIRM panels and FIS have been revised and were sent electronically to Laura Carstens on January 18, 2011. All of these revisions will be shown on the new maps, and resolutions referenced in the Letter of Final Determination sent to your community. If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact Roger Benson, the Consultation Coordination Officer designated for your community at (816) 283 -7031. Enclosures: FEMA Letter to the Honorable Tom Harkin, October 7, 2010 Revised Preliminary FIRM Panels: 19061 CO239E,19061 CO243E, 19061 CO244E and 9061 CO360E Revised Preliminary FIS cc: Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager, City of Dubuque Michael Van Milligen, City Manager, City of Dubuque Masterpiece on the Mississippi TO: Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager FROM: Kyle L. Kritz, Associate Planner?(. SUBJECT: Issues and Errors — City of Dubuque Preliminary DFIRM DATE: January 25, 2011 Dubuque bdtril AA- Nnedcaly 2007 INTRODUCTION This memorandum is a follow -up to the receipt of six panels of the Dubuque County Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map (DFIRM) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that was provided to the City through their consultant AECOM. The six sheets are labeled as proof copy and dated January 18, 2011. The submitted six panels do not cover all the issues and errors that I detailed in a memorandum dated April 12, 2010. I will first review the six panels received January 18, 2011, and then list the issues and errors that have not been responded to date. DISCUSSION Panel 244: Panel 244 was not originally listed as having any errors or inaccuracies in the original memo dated April 12, 2010. Panel 244 primarily shows Chaplain Schmitt Island and areas along Kerper Boulevard and the 12 Street Peninsula. Substantial portions of Chaplain Schmitt Island have been removed from the 100 -year flood plain because of the revised 100 -year flood elevation developed by the Corps of Engineers in the Upper Mississippi River Flow Frequency Study. Panel 360: Panel 360 principally shows the extreme southern portion of the City of Dubuque around Julien Dubuque Drive and Julien Dubuque Monument. In the April 12, 2010 memorandum, it was noted that the Julien Dubuque Monument was included in the 100 -year flood plain. Based on the revised information, it now appears that this issue has been corrected. However, there are several cross sections on the Catfish Creek as it connects with the Mississippi River that will provide the necessary detail in the Flood Insurance Study (FIS). While the communication from FEMA indicated that a revised FIS would be forthcoming, to date we have not received a revised FIS. Final confirmation of the changes will depend on receiving the revised FIS. Issues and Errors — City of Dubuque Preliminary DFIRM Page 2 Panel 243: Panel 243 reflects the central portion of Dubuque, including the north side of downtown, the Washington Street Neighborhood, and the North End. This area was the primary focus of the City of Dubuque's comments regarding the establishment of a new Zone A. Panel 243 has been revised to reflect the detailed analysis performed by CDM on the City's behalf. One remaining issue that remains is the curious situation where a new Zone A flood plain has been designated along Peru Road where it terminates at a private culvert near Louella Lane and does not proceed into the Couler Valley. This issue was raised in the April 12, 2010 memo but there has been no apparent change. Panel 241: The only issue originally raised in the April 12, 2010 memo was that Roosevelt Road within the city of Dubuque was listed with three incorrect names: Valley Road, Pedman Road, and Roosevelt Street. The street name, Roosevelt Road, has not been shown on the submitted proof copy dated January 18, 2011 for Panel 241. This panel also reflects the small new Zone A along Peru Road as well as only a couple of islands of Zone A in the Couler Valley. What's curious is that Dubuque County has a detailed study limit that goes right to the corporate limits of the city of Dubuque, but then ends. The Couler Valley has always been designated as a Zone A Flood Hazard Area on the City's previous flood plain maps. Panel 239: The April 12, 2010 memorandum called out that there was a new Zone A along 32 Street as well as this panel indicating a small continuation of the Zone A newly established along Kaufmann Avenue. The submittal of the proof copy for Panel 239 still has the new Zone A areas designated along 32 Street and Kaufmann Avenue, but their width has been substantially reduced. The Zone A areas along Kaufmann Avenue and 32 Street were reduced based on the study conducted by CDM. There are no other remaining issues. Panel 237: This panel was not listed as having any issues or concerns by the City of Dubuque in our memo dated April 12, 2010. The only portion of flood plain shown within the Dubuque city limits is a small area at the very north end of town near the city of Dubuque and city of Sageville corporate limits. These are undeveloped areas and these flood plains were shown on previous flood plain maps for the city of Dubuque. This also appears to be the area that AECOM's email referenced as including a letter of map revision from the 1990s. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS The following comments were provided in the April 12, 2010 memo but have not been addressed. 1. There are several inaccuracies in terms of the City's corporate limits on the submitted DFIRM. The correct corporate boundaries were provided to FEMA in Issues and Errors — City of Dubuque Preliminary DFIRM Page 3 a digital format as part of a letter to Roger Benson, FEMA Region VII, dated August 4, 2009. The following is a summary of the panels that need to be corrected. a. Wendell Corey annexation (now owned by Blue Sky, Inc.): Panel 238. b. John Herrig Annexation: Panels 217 and 236. c. See West End annexations — multiple owners: Panels 215, 330, and 335. d. In addition to the boundaries not being correct, the City did not receive all the panels in which the corporate limits appear. The additional panels needed are as follows: 330, 215, 217, and 236. 2. Pane1238: a. Zone A has been added north of Keystone Drive in an area that has never been designated as a flood plain before. The City constructed a regional detention basin on the west side of the Northwest Arterial that actively controls the amount of storm water entering the community from the City of Asbury. Based on comments from property owners on either side of this drainageway, while their properties occasionally flooded in the decades past, it never had been up to where the houses had been as indicated on the DFIRMs. Since the installation of the City storm water detention basin, they have not had any issues regarding storm water problems. This area would also benefit from the use of the City's two -foot contours in projecting the limits of the Zone A. b. The new Zone A between Keyway Drive and Kennedy Circle has a flood plain that has an elevation of 814 feet above mean sea level on the east side and 790 feet above mean sea level on the west side. How can flood water not be shown at the same elevation? 3. Panel 332: a. In the Dubuque Industrial Center, the Nordstrom property is shown as being in the designated flood hazard area; however, the building itself has a first floor elevation of 807 feet above mean sea level when 100 -year flood base elevation is 790 feet above mean sea level. b. The City of Dubuque previously provided detailed information on the changes made to the Middle Fork of the Catfish Creek through the Dubuque Industrial Center West found on Panel 332. That information was attached to a letter addressed to Rick Nusz, Hydraulic Engineer, FEMA Region VII, dated December 21, 2009, and included a CD with all Issues and Errors — City of Dubuque Preliminary DFIRM Page 4 the pertinent study data for the subject area developed by Dennis Waugh, PE, IIW Engineers and Surveyors, Dubuque, Iowa. 4. Panel 351: The A. Y. McDonald property at 4800 Chavenelle Drive does not accurately reflect the existing ground contours southwest of the existing manufacturing plant. Based on the City's two -foot contours, the 100 -year flood plain is mistakenly shown on top of the fill area rather at the toe of the slope as indicated by the contours. Again, the use of the City's two -foot contours will most likely correct this situation. 5. Pane1352: CONCLUSION This memorandum outlines the revisions made on the six panels submitted on January 18, 2011 as proof copies. This memo also provides information on the comments the City previously has provided to FEMA that have not been addressed as of this date. Further, we still have not received all the panels that include city of Dubuque corporate limit nor have we received a DFIRM using the City's two -foot contours. Please contact me if you need additional information or clarification of the information contained in this memorandum. KLK/mkr a. The North Fork of the Catfish Creek does not reflect any changes to this stretch of the stream, even though a detention basin was provided on the west side of the Northwest Arterial and new culverts were constructed under U. S. Highway 20 that increased the capacity of flow underneath U. S. Highway 20 and University Avenue. No changes, however, are reflected on the preliminary DFIRM. b. A letter of map revision based on fill (LOMR -F) was submitted by Wartburg Theological Seminary; however, it's not reflected on the preliminary DFIRM.