Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Flooding Fema topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents and council raise concerns about FEMA flood-zone designation near Hogback Reservoir; staff outlines LOMR steps and easement hurdles
Summary
Councilors and residents pressed city staff March 18 about a FEMA flood-zone designation affecting the South Side of Rawlins, with residents reporting large insurance increases and stalled home sales; staff said a Letter of Map Revision would be required to change FEMA’s map but that technical testing of Hogback Reservoir and a trespass easement across private land are needed before FEMA can reconsider the designation.
Rawlins City Council and members of the public discussed a FEMA flood‑zone designation that affects the city’s South Side — a designation residents say is increasing insurance costs, discouraging buyers and complicating mortgages.
Multiple residents and council members described large premium increases and sales difficulties. Vice Mayor Daryl Gardner and other council members relayed resident reports of annual premium jumps that in some cases were described to council as several hundred to over $1,000 annually, and a member of the public noted some buyers have backed out of pending sales because of high flood-insurance costs.
City staff explained FEMA’s mapping process and the limited remedies available at the municipal level. “The way that we would approach FEMA would be through a letter of map revision, what they call a LOMAR,” staff advised; a LOMAR requires the city to demonstrate to FEMA that the flood risk has been mitigated or that technical mapping errors exist. Staff said FEMA’s modeling for the Rawlins designation considered a reservoir-origin event: if Hogback Reservoir’s retaining structure were overwhelmed, water would follow Sugar Creek and could settle on the lower-lying South Side. That modeling, staff said, is the basis for FEMA’s simulation and the flood-zone boundary.
Staff told council that investigating and changing the map would require physical testing of Hogback’s retaining structure and drainage work; doing that work requires a trespass easement across private property to bring heavy equipment onto Hogback. Staff said negotiations for such an easement have stalled and that the shortage of FEMA funds nationally complicates prospects for grant funding related to map revisions.
City Attorney Mayberry and staff also noted that while the council’s prior local designation preserved eligibility for federal mitigation and grant programs, the city itself cannot set FEMA insurance rates — those are set at the federal and insurance-carrier level. The city’s practical options are therefore (a) to pursue mitigation work that supports a LOMR submission to FEMA; (b) pursue remediation of Hogback infrastructure; or (c) provide homeowner education on what actions (elevations, mitigation) can help reduce premiums for individual properties.
Council members asked staff to continue seeking options and to bring a plan to a future agenda that clarifies costs, legal steps to obtain necessary easements, the LOMR timetable, and whether federal grant opportunities remain viable. Staff also recommended a targeted outreach to affected homeowners to explain the LOMR process, potential mitigation steps and timelines.
No council vote was taken; the council requested more information and continued staff follow-up.
