Resolution 2014-085 RESOLUTION NO. 2014 - 85
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR A STATEWIDE COALITION TO
ADDRESS FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (FEMA)
ISSUES THAT CRITICALLY IMPACT CITIZENS INCLUDING
DEOBLIGATION AND FLOODPLAIN MAPPING.
WHEREAS in accordance with the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided billions of
dollars of disaster assistance over the last decade to municipal and county governments, schools,
state agencies, and non-profit organizations; and
WHEREAS this FEMA assistance was instrumental in the ability of communities and
organizations throughout the state, including Collier County, to recover and rebuild from the
extraordinary damages suffered from presidentially declared major disasters in this period,
including Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, Jeanne, Dennis, Katrina, Wilma, Gustav, and Isaac,
and Tropical Storms Gabriella, Fay and Debby; and
WHEREAS FEMA has executed a "Disallowed Cost Initiative" program since
November 2011 that has resulted in the agency taking back approved and awarded funds to
disaster-impacted communities throughout Florida; and
WHEREAS municipal governments, schools, state agencies and other organizations
throughout the State of Florida have suffered FEMA deobligations totaling about $275 million;
and
WHEREAS according to the Florida Department of Emergency Management (FDEM)
the goal of FEMA was to recover $800 million. Florida's total represents about 40 percent of that
FEMA goal; and
WHEREAS Collier County-engineered public beaches suffered extensive erosion due to
Hurricane Wilma in 2005, and after extensive review by FDEM and FEMA, FEMA awarded
disaster assistance $13,873,470 in disaster assistance to Collier County in 2009 and 2010 to
restore these beaches; and
WHEREAS years after FEMA awarded these funds, the federal agency revised the
allowable costs that could be obligated among the three storms that affected Collier's beaches
over a 10-year period and deobligated $11,095,283.52 in funding that had already been spent;
and
WHEREAS the County appealed this deobligation to FEMA, but despite the 90-day
period allowed by FEMA's regulations for FEMA to determine appeals, FEMA has taken no
action even though 270 days have elapsed since the appeal was fully submitted; and
WHEREAS floodplain mapping changes are also a critical concern to residents of
Collier County and of other communities across the State of Florida; and
WHEREAS FEMA regulations require that remapping occurs when new and more
accurate information is available and provided by a community to FEMA; and
WHEREAS Collier County has expended significant effort and funding — in excess of
$400,000—to conduct studies to correct outdated maps; and
WHEREAS Collier County floodplain studies show thousands of homes have been
incorrectly placed in Special Flood Hazard Areas due to outdated information; and
WHEREAS FEMA has indicated that due to a lack of adequate federal funding, the
agency cannot review and remap the county's flood zone-designated areas despite Collier
County's submission of data; and
WHEREAS FEMA's inability to update county flood zone designations with more
accurate information available will be costly to the residents of Collier County, and similar
challenges may be faced in other communities across the State of Florida;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS OF COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA, that:
The Board supports the creation of a statewide coalition to identify comparable
deobligations and processing delays experienced by other Florida communities in dealing with
FEMA, and to discuss whether common strategies may exist to address them.
The Board recognizes that a common platform delivered with a unified voice will be
more effective in addressing FEMA issues of critical concern.
The Board endorses requesting that federal and state elected officials support and assist
Collier County in addressing these problems with FEMA on behalf of our citizens.
The Board agrees to consider mutually-acceptable solutions generated by the statewide
coalition to address common areas of concern with FEMA.
PASSED AND DULY ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of Collier
County, Florida, this 22th day of April, 2014.
ATTEST: ... BOARD OF COUNTY C Si MISSIONERS
DWIGHT E. 13ROCICL= RK COLLIER COU , F �• • IDA
By: &IA 1/ . 4Of _ , .
A,est as ':l !uty Clerk Tom Henning, ;lsirman
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Appr ve any legality:
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Jeffrey `' K's tz ow, County Attorney