Olean council approves $132,166 contract for levee reaccreditation study

The City of Olean’s Common Council approved an agreement for professional services with Henningson, Durham & Richardson (HDR) covering Phase 1 of a levee reaccreditation study for $132,166.28.

The contract was presented as a new referral and approved by voice vote after a second from Council members Aubrey and Stenger. The agreement was described in the meeting as covering Phase 1 only: data collection, agency outreach and an engineering report to document existing information and identify any data gaps.

Kim Lopez, a consultant with HDR, told the council the study’s initial work “is essentially collecting and reviewing data and information.” She said HDR would request records from the city, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, FEMA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and then prepare an engineering report summarizing findings and any data gaps that would determine next steps.

Lopez said an accredited levee can affect eligibility for federal disaster-repair funding under Public Law 84-99, and can influence flood insurance mapping maintained by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). She also noted that certification, if achieved, generally remains valid for 10 years.

Vicki (surname not specified), also with HDR, explained that FEMA’s mapping and the National Flood Insurance Program factors into the process and stressed that the NFIP itself must be periodically reauthorized by Congress; meeting remarks cited March 14 as the next reauthorization date. HDR staff also showed a National Levee Database entry indicating that at least one segment of Olean’s levee system had been screened as “high risk.”

Council members asked several practical questions. One member queried the database figure of 3,804 people said to be affected by the leveed area; HDR replied that the number came from the National Levee Database and that HDR had not independently verified it, saying verification would be part of the Phase 1 work. Another council member asked whether accreditation would guarantee lower insurance costs; HDR staff said there is no absolute guarantee because insurers and mortgage lenders set rates and requirements, though an accredited levee can factor into FEMA’s mapping and rate calculations.

City staff and council members discussed funding. City staff stated the $132,166.28 would come from Capital Project 230, which was reported in the meeting to have a balance of $150,650. Meeting discussion also described a multi-phase approach HDR proposed: an initial evaluation (Phase 1), needs assessment and recommendations (Phase 2), design and permitting (Phase 3), construction (Phase 4), and final accreditation/certification (Phase 5). HDR said Phase 2 could involve remediation planning and the council was given a rough Phase 2 indication in discussion of “around $200,000,” but HDR said no firm estimate for subsequent phases was available until Phase 1 confirmed needs.

Council members said Phase 1 would also help the city identify grant opportunities if remediation were required. The council and staff noted the work is preventive in nature: conducting the study now could preserve eligibility for federal repair funds and influence flood insurance designations for property owners.

The consultants and council agreed the item would return next week to the Public Facilities (PF) committee for further consideration and scheduling; the meeting record included a motion to put the item on PF next week.

Votes at a glance: the Common Council approved the referral/contract for HDR for $132,166.28 by voice vote (recorded as “Aye;” no roll-call tally specified in the transcript). The motion was seconded by Council members Aubrey and Stenger.