Commissioners weigh countywide floodplain modeling, lidar needs and legal readiness
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Summary
Staff estimated 2-D floodplain modeling for the whole county; commissioners discussed cost, timing relative to regional lidar flights, whether maps can be used for legal enforcement, and using modeling to support grant applications for drainage projects.
County staff presented an estimate for countywide 2-D floodplain modeling and discussed how that work would interact with planned lidar flights, GIS data and the county's regulations during the June 25 budget workshop.
Erica Bridges summarized a vendor estimate for a countywide two-dimensional flood model, saying the consultant's "rough estimate" was about $3,000 per square mile and that the recent figure was higher than an earlier April estimate. Bridges told the court the vendor's price was conservative because the scope depends heavily on available lidar and storm-sewer data from cities and the county.
Commissioners pressed staff about procurement and competition. Bridges recommended soliciting RFQs rather than accepting a single estimate and said at least one other firm had been contacted. Commissioners asked whether the modeling was proprietary; staff and attendees clarified that modeling software is not proprietary but firms may have different extrapolation approaches and training offerings.
Legal and regulatory questions were central. Commissioners noted the county's current development regulations reference FEMA maps and asked whether the county's subdivision and construction regulations must be revised before the court could base approvals or denials on a new county model. The court stressed it would be important to ensure any new model would be legally defensible if used to approve or deny development permits.
Staff also flagged practical uses beyond regulatory enforcement: the model could guide Road & Bridge decisions on culvert sizes and drainage projects, and it could strengthen grant applications to the state's flood planning programs. Bridges said the modeling could be a "long-term play" for grant competitiveness and that participating cities would likely need to cooperate on data sharing.
No contract award or formal funding decision was made. Commissioners asked staff to solicit competing proposals, clarify the legal enforceability of modeled floodplain data under local regulations, confirm timing relative to regional lidar flights scheduled later in 2026, and assess grant timelines tied to the modeling.
