Our next question is from Casey Mulligan
Several years ago, the city commissioned a study concerning the South Boulder Creek floodplain. That study concluded that the previously drawn FEMA map erroneously excluded large tracts of residential neighborhoods that are north of Table Mesa and east of 30th from the 100-year floodplain.
Given that the new floodplain map shows that several thousand more people in East Boulder are now at risk of injury or death as well as catastrophic property damage in the next 100-year flood, what would you do to re-focus city council attention on prevention and mitigation efforts?
Lisa Morzel
Did not participate.
Alan O'Hashi
the study to which you refer found a number of errors, not just at cu south. this is a tool that can be used to stop development, it also is a tool to guide development as the city and landowners adapt to the new flood plain boundaries. while i was on the planning board, we reviewed these new fema documents and want to work with property owners to do what we can to redefine the way water flows around boulder and boulder county.
Susan Osborne
Did not participate.
Eugene Pearson
Given better and more current techniques we should examine the zoning in the flood plain and limit development in this area. This should certainly affect decisions made regarding CU-South because development in this area will negatively affect downstream property owners who are currently there. I will be a person who can bring the University to the table to develop a solution for relinquishing the South Campus Property in exchange for a negotiated solution. The city should leverage all of its assets to set this issue to rest once and for all.
Susan Peterson
I am not a flood hazard expert, but my civil engineering background leads me to believe that we should start by ensuring that the current berm is certified by FEMA. If so, the portion on the west side of the berm would not be subject to flooding which, from a flood safety perspective, would be a good thing.
Protecting Boulder citizens from natural disaster is an important part of governance, and I would re-focus efforts on prevention and mitigation by setting some time limits for making decisions and implementation of plans.
Larry Quilling
I encourage everyone to visit the Boulder Creek Watershed Initiative website and view the pictures of flooding in the South Boulder Creek Basin in the late 1950’s where South Boulder Creek closed US 36 and splaked out in every direction. This is an issue of public safety and we cannot allow short-sided gains to obscure future realities. The Big Thompson flood can and will happen in our community. Maybe not in my lifetime but it will happen. Prevention and mitigation are essential public service mandates for our council.
Tom Riley
I propose a moratorium on any future building in the floodplain. I come from California where the army CORP of engineers constructed hundreds of miles of levies to contain that which cannot be contained. I feels strongly that given the example of New Orleans that it is prudent of us not to allow building in the flood plane. So many insured have found themselves uninsured and un-reimbursed for the damages of nature.
In addition to this, I feel that assurances should be obtained from insurance companies perhaps a emergency fund should be built so that in the event of a 100 year flood, that no one’s dreams are washed out.
Eric Rutherford
We can recognize that this is a potential problem and be prepared for the 100 year flood. However, it is equally important to bear in mind that it is called a “100 year flood” for a reason and re simply cannot relocate everyone in the area. Unfortunately, to a degree we will have to be reactive rather than proactive. That having been said, the planning for the problem should happen to ensure safety and protection of property.
Rob Smoke
Did not participate.
Ken Wilson
Did not participate.
Matt Appelbaum
Did not participate.
Philip Bradley
Nothing. the cost to the home owner, and the city would divert funding from much needed programs.( libraries, rec. centers, etc.) I would however reconsider any development plans in these areas(not that there are any) to conform to flood safety standards.
Seth Brigham
Did not participate.
Shawn Coleman
Again this is going to require cooperation with the County as the City alone cannot finance and man the entire mitigation effort. This will require building flood mitigation capital improvements (channels, maintaining wetlands, etc.) and also maintaining sufficient emergency responder staff in the event of emergency and ensuring that responders which in such a scenario would be from several different agencies have the ability to communicate, which I contend the county must be a partner in this.
Macon Cowles
Did not participate.
Angelique Espinoza
I had the pleasure of attending a disaster-preparedness seminar for businesses at the Chamber of Commerce recently, and they did a great job of scaring the bejeezus out of us, particularly with relation to the 100 and 500 year floods. That said, I was very impressed with our current disaster readiness staff, and I think we are in pretty good hands. We need to make sure our critical services, computer backup systems, first responders, and so on, are out of the floodplain, and those plans are complete or in the works. It's something we have to keep our eye on, even though no one likes to think about it for very long.
Crystal Gray
Arrived late
Andrew Harrison
Did not participate.
Philip Hernandez
We first have to distinguish between the land that would be flood plain which is land that will be under more than three feet of water in a 100 year flood and the remaining land that would be receive some flooding but not as catastrophic. I am not an engineer but I would think building berms to direct the water could protect areas that might suffer flooding.
Nabil Karkamaz
Did not participate.
Kathryn Kramer
This question ties in with the one concerning development of the CU South Campus which was notated as being in the "floodplain" until a few months ago when it was suddenly listed as being a potential building site and it was stated that the berm would keep it dry while at the same time the residential neighborhood that are north of Table Mesa and east of 30th are now listed as suddenly being "in" the floodplain and the residents have to come up with $1200.00 flood insurance. AS to all this talk of floodplain, I grew up in Boulder. There is lots of sudden building on areas that were listed as floodplain for decades - the St Julien for one and parts of the downtown area for another (the library). Building in these areas is asking for a catastrophe.
Buildling on the CU South Campus area would increase the danger because if the earth is replaced by asphalt and cement it will retain water and not allow it to soak into the earth. During one of the floods along the Mississippi River it was notated that the cement and asphalt that replaced the dirt which acted as a sponge, was one of the main reasons for the flooding. Thus the city council needs to re-evaluate building plans and return to the practice of limiting building in dangerous areas.
Adam Massey
Did not participate.
