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Flood mitigation alliance plans speaker series, seeks wider engagement ahead of dam lifecycle issues
Summary
Members discussed moving the alliance from routine housekeeping toward education and advocacy, bringing in regional weather and forecasting experts, and coordinating with other departments and legislators to address aging dam infrastructure and surface‑water management.
Committee members said the Flood Mitigation Alliance should shift from routine updates to a speaker and education format to inform elected officials and the public about flood risk, aging dams and mitigation options. "Their whole strategy is about educating. Educating, educating," one member said when describing a neighboring county's climate and mitigation committee.
Participants said dams in Vernon County are near the end of their life cycles and that the alliance's role should be to prepare officials and pursue mitigation funding and practices. Committee members suggested bringing in the National Weather Service regional forecasters and planning forums that include department heads and legislators so decisionmakers can see the scale of flood risk. "We don't know where our funding is. But we do know these dams are at the end of their life cycle. So what are we gonna do to mitigate a catastrophe?" a committee member said.
The alliance update included a demonstration of the River to Ridges disaster recovery site and a report that member attendance and meeting effectiveness would benefit from more educational presentations. Committee members encouraged scheduling forecast briefings early in the season and using alliance meetings to coordinate cross‑department strategies, including retention and infiltration practices, and to inform capital funding requests. No formal committee action was taken.
