Findlay council delays expedited adoption of updated hazard mitigation plan tied to $24 million in FEMA flood funding

Findlay City Council on Aug. 19 declined to suspend its normal reading rules to immediately adopt an updated hazard mitigation plan officials say FEMA requires before it will execute a grant agreement tied to roughly $24 million for flood projects.

The plan update, submitted to the Ohio EMA and FEMA, was described by Regional Planning Director Matt Cardani as the final administrative step FEMA said the city must complete before it will obligate grant funds for the Phase 2 benching and the Eagle Creek Basin project. "They found that one of the items that FEMA has stated is that they cannot execute a grant agreement with us on this until we have…this updated hazard mitigation plan," Cardani said during the meeting.

Council members were sharply divided over whether to expedite the resolution. Councilman Palmer moved to suspend the statutory rule and adopt the resolution at second and third reading; Councilwoman Wernicke seconded. The motion to suspend the rules failed…