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Resident urges Cochise County investigation into floodplain permitting and enforcement
Summary
A Cochise County resident told supervisors an RV and shipping container sit in a FEMA special flood hazard area without proper permits and urged a full independent investigation into county floodplain enforcement; he asked that the matter be placed on a future agenda.
A Cochise County resident raised public safety concerns during Tuesday's "call to the public," urging the board to investigate alleged failures to enforce county and FEMA floodplain rules.
"Runoff danger is real in the desert," the speaker, identified in the record as John Doe, told the supervisors. He said he found an RV and a shipping container placed on a parcel in a FEMA special flood hazard area. "The shipping container ... is not anchored, elevated, and violates both FEMA regulations and the county's own floodplain ordinance," he said.
John Doe said he filed a formal complaint with the county's floodplain administrator, Jackie Watkins, and received a written reply stating, in his words, that the office "intends to take no further action nor to answer any more of your questions at this time," and that the office was not obligated to explain why it believes a property is in compliance. "Essentially, what I'm hearing is we don't care," he told the board.
Doe asked the board to initiate "a full and independent investigation into how this case was handled, including a review of permanent issuance staff communications, how the determination was made, and whether or not county and FEMA requirements are being properly enforced in this county." He also requested the board add the matter to a future agenda so the public can be assured floodplain safety is not being compromised.
The transcript shows the resident offered to provide documentation, correspondence and maps to support his claims. The board acknowledged the request; the record shows no immediate board action other than receiving the complaint and the speaker's request for an agenda item.
Because this item was offered during public comment, no formal county enforcement decision was recorded at the meeting. Supervisors did not make an immediate vote on the matter; the resident requested the board open an investigation and place the issue before the board at a future meeting.
