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Keystone Heights launches flood vulnerability assessment after $200,000 grant
Summary
City consultants told the City Council the Flood Vulnerability Assessment — funded by a $200,000 grant and led by Chen Moore and Associates — is underway, that data collection is complete, and that county assessments may be used to fill gaps for the airport and other assets.
Jenifer Smith of Chen Moore and Associates told the City of Keystone Heights Council on July 13 that the city received a $200,000 grant to complete a Flood Vulnerability Assessment required under Florida law and that the consultant team has completed its initial data collection.
"This is the first of 3 meetings that will be held in compliance with the Florida Statute," Smith said, describing the project's timeline and deliverables. She said the assessment will catalog critical assets for 100- and 500-year flood scenarios and includes maps and charts attached to the presentation materials.
The consultant team listed Clay Electric Cooperative Inc. and the Clay County Utility Authority among assets already included in the draft critical asset list. Smith said the Keystone Heights Airport and the city cemetery were not included in the draft. After discussion with council members and Mike Bell of Chen Moore and Associates, the team agreed to check Bradford and Clay counties' flood vulnerability assessments to determine whether airport data from those jurisdictions could be used to inform Keystone Heights's assessment.
Councilman Ryan Knight asked whether the assessment tends to alarm residents; Smith replied that the work is a technical assessment of critical assets rather than a FEMA flood-zone review and that FEMA is the agency that sets flood maps. Councilman Dan Lewandowski asked whether the assessment addresses existing flooding problems; Smith said it is not focused on current localized flooding but may help identify areas of concern. City Manager Jamie Booth said the city knows its critical stormwater problem locations and will ensure those references appear in the final report.
The project is planned as a one-year effort, Smith said, and the team reported feeling ahead of schedule. The consultants committed to providing an update to the council at the next scheduled meeting.
