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Broken Bow council hires consultant for FEMA filing as residents warn remap could push downtown into floodway
Summary
The Broken Bow City Council voted to hire JEO to prepare a FEMA Request for Information for a $250,000 Hazard Mitigation scoping grant. Residents warned the preliminary flood-map changes would add downtown properties to the floodway and could sharply raise insurance costs; the city said maps are still preliminary and public input will follow.
The Broken Bow City Council voted Tuesday to hire engineering firm JEO to prepare a required Request for Information for a $250,000 FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program scoping application, a step city officials said is needed to tighten project estimates and comply with grant rules.
City Administrator David Schmidt and Deputy Clerk Jacob Holcomb told the council that the city submitted the initial grant application in February and that JEO submitted a timely proposal to assist with FEMA’s information request after another firm, Miller and Associates, declined because of scheduling constraints. Holcomb said JEO’s work now would help the city provide the detailed accounting FEMA requires and that, if the grant is awarded, the associated construction or mitigation work would be bid publicly; JEO is not barred from bidding on later contracts.
Residents at the meeting urged faster, clearer communication about preliminary flood maps that city staff said are under review. Joe Franssen said he appreciated the city’s work and asked officials to “pass the information to the public” so community members can assess implications. Stuart Fox, who identified himself as a banker, warned the remapping will expand the floodway to include portions of downtown. “They are actually going to add a significant amount of Broken Bow into the floodway,” Fox said, adding he expects affected businesses could see insurance costs rise “two to three times.” Jeremiah Luebbe and Luke Wassom expressed similar concerns about mortgage requirements and limits on growth.
Schmidt told the council the maps are in a preliminary phase, have already been revised once following comment, and will undergo another review. He pledged the city would seek public input during the next review round. Mayor Rod Sonnichsen said the city has worked on flood mitigation planning since 2018 and acknowledged the issue’s complexity because it involves federal agencies.
Votes at a glance - Motion to excuse Councilmember Paul Holland’s absence (moved by Travis Kleeb; seconded by Joe Wamsley): approved, voting aye — Russ Smith, Travis Kleeb, Joe Wamsley; Paul Holland absent. - Motion to approve the amended Nov. 25, 2025 minutes and the consent agenda (moved by Russ Smith; seconded by Travis Kleeb): approved, voting aye — Smith, Kleeb, Wamsley. Included in the consent agenda: bills and payroll totaling $286,793.56. - Motion to accept JEO’s proposal to assist with FEMA Request for Information (moved by Joe Wamsley; seconded by Travis Kleeb): approved, voting aye — Smith, Kleeb, Wamsley. - Motion to approve Resolution 2025-23 authorizing payment of bills that would have been paid at the Dec. 23 meeting (moved by Russ Smith; seconded by Travis Kleeb): approved, voting aye — Smith, Kleeb, Wamsley. - Motion to adjourn (moved by Russ Smith; seconded by Travis Kleeb): approved; meeting adjourned at 6:17 p.m.
The council’s formal actions Tuesday focused largely on administrative business and steps needed to advance a federal mitigation application. The city will publish opportunities for public comment on revised flood maps and next steps in the FEMA grant process. No ordinance or policy change was adopted regarding floodplain boundaries at the meeting; maps remain preliminary and subject to further revision and public review.
