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Jefferson County manager: board directs $1.5M one-time, $250K ongoing for floodplain mapping in 2026 budget development
Summary
County manager Joe Kirby said the board directed staff to include $1.5 million one-time for updated mapping with the Mile High Flood District and $250,000 ongoing for mapping outside the district; a public commenter had asked for a Kittredge floodplain map update and estimated the cost at about $260,000.
Jefferson County officials on Oct. 7 said the board has directed staff to include funding in the 2026 budget development to update floodplain mapping, both inside and outside the Mile High Flood District.
County manager Joe Kirby told the Board of County Commissioners that, "the board has directed staff to place $1,500,000, one-time, to help upgrade our mapping, in conjunction with the Mile High Flood District." Kirby added the board also directed staff to include $250,000 in ongoing funding dedicated to floodplain mapping outside the Mile High Flood District boundaries. He said both items were requests staff had put forward during the 2026 budget development discussions.
The comments followed a virtual public comment from Sean Hedgecock of Kittredge, who urged the county to update FEMA mapping for Kittredge to allow property owners to obtain flood insurance at lower cost. Hedgecock said the last update in his area was about 1988 and told the board, "The estimated cost would be around $260,000." He said new mapping technology and recent local observations show the area has not experienced issues despite heavy rains, and he asked the county to act sooner rather than later.
Kirby framed the board direction as part of budget development rather than an immediate appropriation. "Those were two requests that staff had put forward this year, and happy that the board has recognized the importance of updating that mapping," he said. The county manager also said the mapping work would be done in conjunction with the Mile High Flood District where appropriate.
The transcript indicates the board discussed the topic during a prior 2026 budget development meeting; no formal budget adoption or appropriation was recorded in the Oct. 7 session. The county manager announced the board's direction as an item to be included in the budget process.
Public officials and staff at the meeting did not provide a detailed schedule for when mapping updates would begin if funding is approved during the budget process, nor did they specify which specific reaches or creeks would be updated first. Hedgecock had asked about Bear Creek and Kittredge-area mapping; county staff earlier had discussed related work further downstream but not specifically in Kittredge, according to Hedgecock's comment.
Speakers who discussed the mapping matter encouraged staff follow-up as part of the 2026 budget process. The county manager also mentioned the Mile High Flood District as a partner for mapping upgrades.
The board did not take a formal vote on the mapping direction during the Oct. 7 meeting; Kirby presented the direction as part of staff reporting on budget development.
Speakers: County Manager Joe Kirby and public commenter Sean Hedgecock provided the principal factual statements about funding direction and local mapping needs.
