FIRM-010329G� Y
MA
` a Federal Emergency Management Agency
Region VI
° Federal Regional Center
800 North Loop 288
Denton, TX 76209 -3606
March 29, 2001
Kenneth Griffin
Floodplain Administrator
255 Parkway Blvd
Coppell, TX 75019
Dear Mr. Griffin:
This letter is to inform you of an important meeting I am co- hosting with the North
Central Texas Council of Governments ( NCTCOG). We will be discussing two major
topics, (1) the new Dallas County -Wide Flood Insurance Rate Maps or FIRMs that will
be arriving this summer, and (2) the importance of revising your Flood Damage
Prevention Ordinances as a result of the new maps. I am inviting floodplain
administrators from all Dallas County jurisdictions. It will be conducted on Thursday,
April 12th, 2:OOpm at the NCTCOG Office on Six Flags Drive in Arlington.
This meeting is intended primarily for floodplain administrators who will be dealing with
the new maps and who are responsible to ensure the ordinance is revised. However,
anyone, including elected officials, is welcome. It is important that someone from your
community attend.
Maps
As you know, the new countywide maps will arrive in late July or early August. The
effective date will be August 23, 2001.
You will receive an additional set of "proof maps" for your jurisdiction that will depict
the same information that will appear on the final maps you will receive. These will be
sent to your Mayor or other chief elected official and should arrive during the last half of
April. The purpose of these maps is to ensure, one last time, that there are no "show
stopper" inaccuracies. Technically, the appeal period is over and all appeals have been
corrected as far as possible. At this point, only severe hydrologic and hydraulic
inaccuracies can be addressed with the hope that it is not too late to make changes on the
final maps. Nothing is promised.
I requested the "proofs" because of the complexity of the process and length of time the
Dallas County maps have been under revision. The Trinity River Corridor Project was a
major element of this study along with other important parallel flood management issues.
The new FIRMs will be a vital improvement over what exists now. We are just trying to
ensure that the product will be as free of major inaccuracies as possible prior to its final
delivery.
Ordinance Revisions
Each jurisdiction in the County will be required to revise their flood damage prevention
ordinance as a result of the new maps. The only mandatory change will be to ensure that
the new effective map date of August 23, 2001 replaces the information in your current
ordinance. However, there are a few potential pitfalls your community might experience
if the ordinance is not revised properly and on time.
Your new ordinance must be developed, properly passed, and a certified copy sent to us
for approval prior to August 23' . In many locations, this can be a 4 to 8 week process.
Congress mandates that -a community that does not have a current ordinance will be
suspended from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). It is important that this
process is not delayed.
This is also the time to review your ordinance and see what can be done to improve it and
make it work better for you. There are several floodplain management policies and at
least one funding source within the NFIP that can be of great help to a community in
managing its program but cannot be used unless they are legally binding and
"enforceable" — meaning, they are stipulated in the ordinance. We will also provide other
suggested improvements and methods for you to consider while attending this meeting.
I hope you will be able to attend. If you have any questions, please call me at (940) 898-
5225.
Sincerely,
C � 4
Dale Hoff
Natural Hazards
Program Specialist
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