FEMA_Technical Appeal of Revised Flood Plan MapsMasterpiece on the Mississippi
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: City of Dubuque Technical Appeal of Revised Floodplain Maps
DATE: November 7, 2012
Dubuque
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2012
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided five new preliminary
panels of the Flood Insurance Rate Maps and Flood Insurance Study for review by the
City of Dubuque in August 2012. The Flood Insurance Rate Maps and Flood Insurance
Study were revised to change the status of Dubuque's Local Flood Protection Project
Levee from provisionally- accredited to accredited, and to revise the Special Flood
Hazard Area to map interior drainage ponding from the accredited levee.
In layperson's terms, FEMA is providing revised flood maps to the City of Dubuque that
change the designation of the City's flood wall from a provisionally- accredited levee to
an accredited levee. In addition, the maps have been revised to reflect new 100 -year
flood elevations for the City's four detention basins located along the flood wall. The
basins detain storm water from upland areas and pump it over the floodwall at such
times when the normal gravity flow storm sewers have to be closed due to flooding on
the Mississippi River.
Planning Services Manager Laura Carstens recommends City Council approval of the
City of Dubuque's technical appeal of revised floodplain maps.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
brit44 krt., italy,
Michael C. Van Milligen
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Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager
Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
Dubuque
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2012
TO: Michael Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager .4
SUBJECT: City of Dubuque Technical Appeal of Revised Floodplain Maps
DATE: November 6, 2012
INTRODUCTION
This memo transmits the City of Dubuque's technical appeal of revised floodplain maps
for City Council review and approval.
BACKGROUND
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided five new preliminary
panels of the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) and Flood Insurance Study (FIS) for
review by the City of Dubuque in August 2012. The FIRMs and FIS were revised to
change the status of Dubuque's Local Flood Protection Project Levee from
provisionally- accredited to accredited, and to revise the Special Flood Hazard Area
(SFHA) to map interior drainage ponding from the accredited levee.
In layperson's terms, FEMA is providing revised flood maps to the City of Dubuque that
change the designation of the City's flood wall from a provisionally- accredited levee to
an accredited levee. In addition, the maps have been revised to reflect new 100 -year
flood elevations for the City's four detention basins located along the flood wall. The
basins detain storm water from upland areas and pump it over the floodwall at such
times when the normal gravity flow storm sewers have to be closed due to flooding on
the Mississippi River.
DISCUSSION
FEMA has revised five panels of the City's FIRMs to reflect the fact that the City's levee
has been accredited and to reflect the interior (land side) drainage ponding that is
associated with the operation of the levee. FEMA has also provided a Summary of Map
Actions that documents previous Letters of Map Changes. This would include the
Letters of Map Amendment — Out As Shown (LOMA -OAS) that Planning staff has been
assisting citizens with since adoption of the new flood maps on October 18, 2011.
The process for reviewing these maps is similar to that which was followed as part of
the review of the new flood maps that were submitted to the City in July 2009 and
City of Dubuque Technical Appeal of Revised Floodplain Maps
Page 2
approved and adopted on October 18, 2011. The process for the revised maps included
a non - technical review in May 2012. Planning and Engineering staff reviewed the
preliminary panels and FIS Report, and transmitted non - technical errors that were found
by the June 4, 2012 deadline. FEMA incorporated these recommended non - technical
changes in the maps.
FEMA now is initiating a statutory 90 -day appeal period because FEMA has added or
modified a base flood elevation, base flood depth, and flood zone designations within
Dubuque as shown on the preliminary FIRM. The 90 -day appeal period began on
September 1, 2012 for submission of scientific or technical data to correct the
preliminary FIRM. Planning and Engineering staff coordinated a review of the revised
FIRM.
As part of staff's review of these maps, it was found that the 16th Street Detention Basin
does not reflect its current shape that was changed as part of the Bee Branch Creek
Restoration Project. The available area for building along 16th Street was increased by
utilizing dredged materials out of the 16th Street Detention Basin. As you are aware, the
capacity of the 16th Street Detention Basin was not reduced as the removal of the
material restored the capacity of the 16th Street Detention Basin even with a smaller
water surface area.
The City's consultant, CDM Smith, has been in contact with FEMA and their consultant
as to the process to file a technical appeal to revise the 16th Street Detention Basin's
current shape. FEMA indicated that the City should provide a new interior drainage
polygon along with a letter explaining the proposed appeal. FEMA can process the
request as an appeal, and then FEMA can update the FIRMs accordingly.
REQUESTED ACTION
The requested action is for the City Council to authorize transmittal of the attached letter
from Mayor Buol as part of the City's appeal of the Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate
Maps.
Enclosures
cc: Gus Psihoyos, City Engineer
Don Vogt, Public Works Director
John Klostermann, Streets & Sewers Supervisor
Steve Brown, Project Manager
Bob Schiesl, Assistant City Engineer
Deron Muehring, Civil Engineer
Dubuque THE CITY OF
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nu Masterpiece on the Mississippi
Louis Rodriguez, P.E.
Chief Engineering Management Branch .
Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration
Federal Emergency Management Agency
500 C Street SW
Washington DC 20472
Office of the Mayor
City Hall
50 West 13th Street
Dubuque, Iowa 52001 -4805
www.cityofdubuque.org
November 20, 2012
SUBJECT: City of Dubuque Technical Appeal of FEMA Preliminary DFIRM
Dear Mr. Rodriguez:
This letter provides documentation from the City of Dubuque constituting a technical
appeal of the preliminary copies of the revised Flood Insurance -Rate Map (FIRM) and
Flood Insurance Study Report (FIS) for Dubuque County, Iowa and incorporated areas.
This letter transmits information explaining the requested change and a new interior
drainage polygon as an attachment. Specifically, this appeal is regarding panels
19061CO244F and 19061CO243F.
In reviewing the submitted preliminary copies of the revised FIRM, the City found that
the City's 16th Street Detention Basin did not reflect the current shape of the detention
basin. The water surface area was modified as part of the Bee Branch Creek
Restoration Project. The City of Dubuque had submitted a detailed interior drainage
study as part of the 65.10 package submitted for recertification of the City's Levee. The
revised water surface area of the 16th Street Detention Basin was included as part of
that study. The City's request is that Panels 243 and 244 be revised to reflect the
existing shape of the 16th Street Detention Basin.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please feel free to contact Planning
Services Manager Laura Carstens with any questions or for more information at 563-
589 -4210 or Icarsten@citvofdubuque.orq.
Sincerely,
Roy a Buol
Mayor
Enclosures
Service
People
Integrity
Responsibility
Innovation
cc: City Council Members
Michael Van Milligen, City Manager
Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager
Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager
Gus Psihoyos, City Engineer
Deron Muehring, Civil Engineer
Kyle L. Kritz, Associate Planner
Bill Cappuccio, Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Anna O'Shea, Dubuque County Zoning Administrator /Flood Plain Administrator
Emily Whitehead, STARR
Service
People Integrity Responsibility Innovation
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