REP PWIRC 021 05/15/2007 2006-2008

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PWIRC Rept. No. 21 May 15, 2007 Page 7 Works Updates of the Flood Insurance Rate Maps, as requested by Chair Ford in Comm. 176.32, dated Apri15, 2007. The Committee also received a revised Administration draft of Bill 51 from Director McClure dated April 19, 2007, which was transmitted via Comm. 176.33. The revisions are the correction of one typographical error, the deletion of two items that were adopted in Bi1152, and the inclusion of elevating a ground floor one foot above existing ground for "Zone X (shaded)." The letter from Director McClure states that if the Committee is favorable, the department proposes to address flooding in a two step process: Step one, pass a bill which fulfills the requirements of the NFIP; and Step two, a second bill which addresses the policy issues, which the Council wants. The advantages of these two steps are the ability to simplify by codifying the items agreed on, and quickly come into compliance with the NFIP, thereby being eligible to participate in the Community Rating System. Further it would allow a fuller discussion and exploration of any unanticipated consequences of proposed policy items. Your Committee again received oral testimony from several members of the public. Margaret Wille said that she saw several different issues, that it is important to see the different issues that affect growth. She advised against bifurcating the bill. She saw parts missing in both bills; she hopes that two sections, 27-18(c)(6), and 27-18(e) are retained. Chuck Flaherty testified in support of Bi1151, but opposed the Administration's draft as set forth in Comm. 176.33. He wanted to remind the Administration that they must work with the Hokulia plaintiffs as per the settlement agreement. Ms. Ford's amendments to Bi1151, Draft 2, uses the 100-year flood standard, not the 10-yeaz flood standard as proposed by the Administration. The Flood Hazard maps were done in 1977. In the last 20 years there have been four 100-year flood events. He stated that it was important that Chapter 27 include not only special flood areas, but should minimize losses, and that the County has no floodplain management program. He felt it was important that the County integrate floodplain information by TMK into a database to be used for flooding, grubbing and grading and that the historic ditches should be included. Nancy Burns corrected a previous testifier by stating that she was the chief engineer at Hokulia but not the design engineer, and was not involved in the drainage at Hokukano neaz the high school. This was her fourth letter of testimony. She showed a map of the proposed Ali`i Highway area with areas in red depicting those areas with more than a 10 percent grade. She asked if this bill would cover FEMA floodplains or all land and asked for language that was less ambiguous. Ambika Kosada, who lives on Napo`opo`o Road, asked that the historical ditches be mapped and that the ephemeral streams that run only during rain storms also be included. She lives on a one- halfacre farm and was flooded in August of 2005 by a 50-year flood event. In 1983, DLNR told her that South Kona is a young landscape without established drainage courses. Damage to homes is a constant threat and the lack of technical data prevents any sensible floodplain management and land use programs.