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Commission adopts vulnerability assessment to qualify for Resilient Florida implementation funding
Summary
After a presentation by Woodard & Curran, the commission unanimously adopted a vulnerability assessment funded by a $150,000 Resilient Florida grant and directed staff to identify priority projects and seek implementation funding in the summer application cycle.
The City of Newberry voted unanimously Monday to adopt a vulnerability assessment and adaptation plan produced under the Resilient Florida Grant Program, a step city staff said is required to pursue implementation grants.
Jamie Jones, city staff, told commissioners the city received a $150,000 Resilient Florida grant in 2024 to fund a flood vulnerability assessment and contracted Woodard & Curran to prepare the report.
Amanda Boone of Woodard & Curran presented the draft assessment and described its scope: the study focuses specifically on flooding — pluvial and riverine — and evaluates critical infrastructure, transportation and evacuation routes, community and emergency facilities, and natural, historical and cultural resources against six precipitation scenarios for current conditions and planning horizons in 2050 and 2080.
Boone said the assessment combines flood-risk depth or percent inundation with a "consequence of failure" ranking to create a sensitivity classification that helps prioritize assets for adaptation. She identified clusters of vulnerable assets, including city hall, multiple wastewater lift stations and park and well sites, and said the plan provides candidate adaptation approaches — relocation, elevation or flood-proofing — and groups projects into short-, mid- and long-term priorities.
Commissioner Farnsworth asked why Newberry needed the study given limited local flooding history; Boone replied the state model is broader than FEMA riverine maps and captures nuisance and stormwater-driven flooding that can affect local roads and parcels. Jamie Jones emphasized that adopting the assessment opens the city to the implementation cycle that begins in June and closes Sept. 1.
Commissioner Martin moved to adopt the plan and to direct staff to identify the most vulnerable assets and projects most likely to receive funding; Commissioner Coleman seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
During public comment, Rosamarie "Rosa" Campbell, a resident, described standing water in her yard on Northwest Fourth Avenue and asked that staff prioritize nearby repairs.
Next steps include finalizing the report for submittal to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, coordinating with the local mitigation strategy working group for inclusion in the LMS update, and returning to the commission with candidate projects for grant applications.
