HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0176.104 2006-2008 Page 1 of 1
Murashige, Laura
From: Hugh Ono [hono@ssfm.com] r
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2007 532 PM ~G'td 1 Fi`~
To: counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us i
Cc: Michelle Agbigay; Rebecca Ferguson ~ ~
Subject: Bill 51 Testimony
Attachments: 070601Bi1151 Testimony.doc
My testimony is attached. Please confirm you received this for Friday's, June 1st County Council Meeting.
Michelle: Please follow up before the gam meeting to confrm that they got this...Mahalo. Unless we receive an
email confirmation. Call the County Clerks office 961-8255
cow. t1 ~ • 1~
Ref. Tohew~
Ref. Dote
6/1/2007
Hugh Y. Ono, P.E.
1252 Malawaina Street
Hilo, HI 96720
Ph:808-959-1342 E-mail: hono(a,hawaii.rr.com
June 1, 2007
Chair Pete Hoffman and Members
Hawaii County Council
333 Kilauea Avenue
Hilo, HI 96720
Testimony: Bi1151 uertainin~ to: Flood Control
We are in agreement that there is need for improvement to
Chapter 27. Past occurrence of Flooding and Damages would
support amendments to address such issues.
We recommend that we take the necessary time now to best
assure that the amendments are made in the best interest of all
of the citizens of the County of Hawaii.
The purpose of our testimony is to provide input into your
decision making process toward achieving a workable practical
Ordinance.
With that being said, here are the assumptions and basis of my
testimony.
• FEMA Revisions must be adopted by September 2007.
• We submit that the existing code needs to be in
compliance with current FEMA rules and regulations and
that the revisions introduced by the Department of Public
Works should proceed as a minimum.
• Strategy should be to address flooding with in the County
but more importantly to evaluate the proposed
amendments into a workable model that will address
flooding in known areas.
• The revisions must be technically correct and
enforceable.
• The Professional Engineer's Licensure model is a
certification process to best assure that Engineers
practice in the best interest of Public Health and Safety.
• The practice of Civil Engineering is to address flooding
and not to create nor cause it.
• Competent Engineers are like doctors, lawyers and other
professionals, they do not practice in areas out of their
knowledge base.
• Flooding is a natural phenomena that occurs on
unimproved lands as well as improved lands. Flooding
needs to be managed and mitigated.
• Developments can improve and reduce downstream
flooding.
• Objective is to ultimately improve the administration,
application and enforcement of this Chapter and its
revisions.
• Under this proposed Bill, the entire County/Island will be
included in this new standard. We need to be able to
address those regionslareas of concern and not subject
the entire County to perhaps unjustified requirements.
The following sections are in need of improvements before
being adopted:
• Section 27-18, Article (c)(6) having to do with areas where
the natural ground surface exceeds 10 percent grade....
• Section 27-18, Article (d) pertaining to a revised floor
elevation of 1 foot above the base flood elevation.....
• Section 27-20, Article (a)(4) also pertaining to the
elevation of 1 foot above the base flood elevation....
• Section 27-20, Article (e) pertaining to changing the
standard to the 100 year flood....
• Section 27-20, Article (g) pertaining to Agricultural
Subdivisions meeting the 100 year storm event.
• Section 27-27, Article (m) pertaining to maintaining a
current electronic data of records....
• The establishment of the effective date.
The following are Factors and Issues that should be
considered:
• Revised Floor Elevations to 1 foot above the 100 year
Base Flood Elevations.
o Intent is to address property damage.
o Also to address sizeable debris being washed
downstream and causing more damage.
o FEMA regulations require either at or above the
Base Flood Elevations. Civil Engineers have often
designed to set floor elevations at higher than this
for added protection to occupants as well as to
address their liability issues.
• 100 Year Flood Standard nrouosed/Current 10 year
Flood Standard:
o County of Hawaii is one of only a few that has
adopted this higher level of flooding.
o There are some jurisdictions that have flood
standards that are over the 10 year standard, and
some up to a 25 year standard. Some of these
political sub-divisions are: Santa Clara County,
City of San Jose, Contra Costa County, Santa Cruz
and Oakland.
o We are unaware of any jurisdiction that requires
fully conveying or disposing of the 100 year Flood.
0 100 year standard would significantly limit the use
of affected properties.
o Would result in less dense growth and more sprawl.
• Pertaining to Agricultural Lands/ Subdivisions:
o Much of Ag lands are unimproved and the flooding
that occurs on those are a natural phenomena.
o The imposition of the 100 year standard is of serious
concern. If it can be accomplished, will be at
additional significant cost and likely not meet
current cost/benefit ratios to determine feasibility.
• 10% Grade and 20% Develouable Area:
o Appears unworkable and a provision of great
concern.
o Example -flat lands can have flooding as we have
seen in Hilo in the Bay Front area.
o There needs to be a methodology to evaluate and
address this. Believe this task that may be un-
achievable and that current practice and mapping
can be improved to address suspect areas/regions.
o We already have FEMA Flood Maps. These are the
source documents used in determining in what areas
development in the flood plain should be a concern.
o For FEMA Flood Maps that do not address a
certain specific location, a Flood Study and
modeling is currently required by Civil Engineers to
address flooding.
o Could seriously affect affordable housing.
o Could seriously affect farming and pasture
enhancements.
o Seriously affect quarrying, building of Roads and
other improvements.
• Effective Date: Thought needs to given to setting this date
to consider some of the ongoing flood studies already
submitted for approval. An immediate date would be like
retroactivity.
• Revisions need to be appropriately addressed also in
other chapters of the Hawaii County Code to include
Chapters 10, 23 and 25.
• We need to consider that these proposed revisions will
result in cost impacts for flood insurance, flood study,
retention/mitigation and flood program administration.
In its present form, it is the local property owners(i.e.
farmers, landowners, homeowners) that will
unsuspectingly bear a cost which they never anticipated.
• On the Island of Hawaii, percolation due to the
Geotechnical(Soil) Classifications can make a significant
difference in storm flooding and run off.
• Address flooding to include building or improving both
upstream properties to address downstream flooding and
downstream properties to be developed to minimize the
potential for flood damage.
END