Findlay council fast tracks plan needed by FEMA

FINDLAY — It took Findlay City Council less than five minutes Monday to convene and pass legislation adopting Hancock County's new natural hazards plan. The vote was 10-0, with no discussion. The legislation included emergency language, meaning it becomes effective upon the mayor's signature, bypassing a 30-day waiting period meant to allow for public review. Emergency language also negates the citizens' right to a referendum. Monday's special meeting was called by Mayor Christina Muryn after council failed to pass the legislation after it was introduced at its regular meeting on Aug. 19. Adoption of the plan is the last known step before FEMA is expected to release a $24 million grant needed to begin construction of Findlay-Hancock County's flood mitigation projects. Following the meeting, Muryn said the paperwork was immediately sent to FEMA. A single "no" vote was enough to stop the natural hazard plan from moving forward to a second and third reading, and a vote at the regular meeting earlier this month. Overriding the rule requires a supermajority of council members to agree. With at-large councilmen Grant Russel and Jeff Wobser absent from the meeting, the vote had to be 8-0 to waive the rules. Councilwoman Holly Frische, R-1, voted against rushing through the legislation, saying she didn't have time to read the 200-plus-page report. The updated plan was released to council and the media on Aug. 15 in an email from Muryn, asking city leaders to rush through the legislation at the Aug. 19 meeting. Muryn has said that bid documents are ready to go on the flood projects, and meetings have already been held with prospective contractors. At the Aug. 19 meeting, she said the goal is to break ground on the projects by October, and repeated her warning that every delay puts Findlay at risk for another flood event without the mitigation in place. Background The Blanchard River has crested above flood stage dozens of times over the past 100 years, causing extensive damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure. Money from the FEMA flood mitigation grant will be used to help fund the construction of the $75 million Eagle Creek flood basin and provide $5 million for continued benching of the Blanchard River. The state of Ohio has already awarded $60 million from its 2022-23 operating budget to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for the construction of the basin. In the email to city leaders, Muryn said paperwork for a $7.1 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration is also moving. The grant will help pay for the cost of replacing the aging Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge over the Blanchard River in downtown Findlay. Once signed, Muryn said the Maumee Watershed Conservancy District, Defiance, will be able to sign the construction work agreement with Norfolk Southern. It's the last of the paperwork needed to put the project out for bid, she said. The current bridge, built in the early 1900s, restricts water flow during high river levels. The new design will double the bridge span from 150 to 300 feet and raise its elevation, allowing for better water passage and reducing flood levels by an estimated 0.3 feet at Main Street during a 100-year storm event. The county will pay $5 million towards the construction of the bridge, which will account for most of the balance of the local flood mitigation fund. Findlay will pay $4.6 million. In 2009, Hancock County voters approved a 10-year, 0.25% additional sales tax to pay for flood mitigation. The additional sales tax generated about $32 million over 10 years. Officials have been working for nearly a year to update the natural hazards plan, part of the requirements for federal emergency funding in the event of a disaster. It must be updated every five years. The Hancock Regional Planning Commission is in charge of updating the plan. The goal of the plan is to improve local response to natural hazards. Each jurisdiction in Hancock County will be asked to adopt the final plan via legislation. Failure to adopt the plan will result in the jurisdiction being ineligible for funding from FEMA. At the Aug. 19 meeting, Matt Cordonnier, commission director, said there was some confusion earlier this year as to whether FEMA was going to stop reviewing the natural hazards plan, believed to be part of the directives issued by the new federal initiative known as the "Department of Government Efficiency" or DOGE. FEMA has since returned to reviewing the plans. Floods, tornadoes and severe storms top the list for high potential of occurrence and severity of impact locally. The ability to mitigate flood damage has the most potential, according to the update. New to the plan this year are goals that would improve tornado response, including improved radar coverage capable of early warning tornado detection to include low-level tornadoes, below 7,000 feet. Installing an Integrated Public Alert and Warning System has also been added to the list. IPAWS is a national system managed by FEMA in the United States. Its primary purpose is to provide authenticated emergency and life-saving information to the public quickly and efficiently.