Public Invited to Open House to Help Develop Highlands County Flood Insurance Maps

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is gathering input needed to improve identification of flooding risks in the areas surrounding 17 lakes in Highlands County.

The District is serving as a cooperating technical partner for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on its national effort to update and modernize the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). Most of the current FIRMs are 10 to 30 years old and are outdated because of natural and physical changes caused by land use, development and erosion.

The District is holding an open house in Sebring to present preliminary floodplain information and explain the basis behind the findings. This information will be used to identify areas of flood risk, which are based on watershed boundaries. Areas surrounding the following lakes are affected:

Blue Lake
Lake Denton
Dinner Lake
Lake Glenada
Huckleberry Lake
Lake Isis
Lake Jackson
Little Lake Jackson
Lake Lachard

The District is hosting an Open House on Thursday, October 27, 2011 at the Bert J. Harris Jr. Agricultural Center, 4509 George Boulevard, Sebring, Florida 33875. This is your opportunity to meet with District representatives anytime between 4:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The representatives will provide information regarding the preliminary flood map and answer questions. We welcome any photos, documents, or historical information regarding your property that may assist District representatives in conducting further analysis.

Lake Lelia
Lake Lillian
Lake Lotela
Lake McCoy
Lake Pansy
Lake Sirena
Lake Tulane
Lake Veron

Meeting Location Map

Residents affected by changes have received letters advising them of the need to contact the District and attend the open house. Future open houses will be scheduled for additional watersheds as preliminary models are completed.

During the meeting, preliminary models and floodplain information will be presented to the public for review and comment. After addressing the comments, floodplain information will be finalized and presented to the District’s Governing Board for permission to develop the preliminary FIRMs for submittal to FEMA.

Upon receipt of the preliminary FIRMs, FEMA will begin its FIRM adoption process, which includes:

A technical review by FEMA
Review by Highlands County
Public input
A 90-day appeals period
Issuance of a letter of final determination that informs Highlands County and the public of the date when the FIRMs will be considered effective

The floodplain information will be used by the county and the District for land use and zoning decisions, to help manage development in and around floodplains and wetlands, to reduce flood risks, to preserve land and water resources, and for emergency planning. It will also provide valuable information to the public for decisions about purchasing and protecting property.

For more information or to find out which watershed you live in, please visit WaterMatters.org/FloodRisk/. You can also call the District at (352) 796-7211, ext. 4297.

CONTACT:
Gloria D. Rybinski     
Highlands County BCC   
600 South Commerce Ave.    
Sebring, Fl.  33870       
Phone: (863) 402-6836  
E-mail grybinsk@hcbcc.org

SHORT TERM GOALS

1.     Recreation formula for municipalities

2.     Tax Abatement

3.     Habitat Conservation Plan

4.     Housing Plan Revisions

5.     CFS

6.     Sheriff’s Law Enforcement Building

7.     Appointing a new County Administrator 1-18-11

8.     Board Attorney issue

9.     Recycling Program

10.       Landfill Operation

11.       Road Policies/Program

12.       Funding of the County’s Recreation Facilities (including Sports Complex)

13.       Medical Assistance Program

14.       Coordination & cooperation of activities with the School Board

15.       Personnel policies with regard to cost saving measures

16.       Changes and/or improvements to the budgeting process                  A. Sustainable budget      B. Start budget process earlier          C. Simplifying Budget       D. Determination of Core Services    E. Isolate Emergency Fund   F. Presentation on County Vehicles

18.       Productivity Program in place for 2012

19.       Comprehensive Plan Amendments  

 A. Urban Growth Area

B. Regional Utility

C. Sale of County Utilities

20.       Consolidate Department Activities - Consolidation of Mowing & Maintenance Facilities

21.       Economic Development

A.        Process to attract new companies   B. Coordination with EDC

22.       Funding to protect our lakes

23.       Tourist Development Policies

24.       Succession Plan

25.       Committee membership

26.      Increasing Public Communications Program 

27.      Review Purchasing - local preference rules

28.      Impact Fees

29.      Ileegal immigration issue

30.       HR Team Building

31.       Subdivision/Platting process

HIGHLANDS COUNTY PUBLIC NOTICE

HIGHLANDS COUNTY INTENDS TO APPLY FOR

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG)

HURRICANE DISASTER RECOVERY FUNDING

Highlands County (the County) is applying for CDBG Disaster Recovery Initiative (DRI) funding in the amount of $207,223. This funding is to aid in the recovery of the effects of Tropical Storm Fay, and has been provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and is administered through the Florida Department of Community Affairs (FDCA).

Specifically, Highlands County shall satisfy an urgent and unmet need (as identified in the Highlands County Local Mitigation Strategy) by providing for future mitigation against storms of similar magnitude through:

The installation of emergency generators at existing storm shelters in Highlands County: The County proposes to install emergency electricity generators at Fred Wild Elementary School, Avon Elementary School and the Special Needs Shelter at the Agri-Civic Center. The schools are currently being used as emergency shelters, and the generators would be used to provide electricity to the schools’ refrigerators, preventing the spoilage of food in times of emergency.  The generator at the Agri-Civic Centerwill be used for refrigeration of food and to provide electricity to operate medical equipment for the Special Needs Shelter.

Highlands County will comply with the State of Florida CDBG DRI Action Plan and Associated Rule, Title 24, Code of Federal Regulations, and all other regulations affecting the use of funds under the CDBG Disaster Recovery Initiative program. 

Any member of the public wishing to know more about the proposed project should contact Mary Foy, Highlands County Community Programs Director via phone (863.402.6626) or email (Mfoy@hcbcc.org).  Written comments from the public will be accepted through 5:00 pm on April 10, 2010. The application and additional information relating to the proposed project is available Monday thru Friday between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm at 501 South Commerce Avenue, Sebring, FL.

HIGHLANDS COUNTY PUBLIC NOTICE

HIGHLANDS COUNTY INTENDS TO APPLY FOR

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG)

HURRICANE DISASTER RECOVERY FUNDING

Highlands County is applying for CDBG Disaster Recovery Initiative (DRI) funding in the amount of $207,223. This funding has been provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and is administered through the Florida Department of Community Affairs (FDCA). This funding is to aid in the recovery of the effects of Tropical Storm Fay.

Highlands County will comply with the State of Florida CDBG DRI Action Plan and Rule, Title 24, Code of Federal Regulations, the Stafford Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and all other regulations affecting the use of funds under the Disaster Recovery Initiative CDBG program.  The funding can only be used for selected activities that are directly related to Tropical Storm Fay. The application will be submitted to FDCA on or before January 15, 2010.  

This funding will assist Highlands County in recovering from the effects of Tropical Storm Fay and shall provide for future mitigation against storms of similar magnitude. Highlands County intends to utilize the funding for the following unmet needs priority activity, as declared by the Highlands County Local Mitigation Strategy (LMS) Committee:

·         The completion of construction of an emergency shelter in the Town of Lake Placid: This activity will address meeting an unmet need, as the Town does not have a practical hurricane shelter space within the Town limits, and will include accommodations for those with special needs, such as the elderly or handicapped persons. The Town proposes to save tax dollars by developing a single facility for both a neighborhood center and hurricane shelter, to be owned and operated by the Town Council. The DRI funding shall be leveraged with regular CDBG, Disaster Mitigation and other funding to complete construction. The project is planned to commence in mid 2010 and will be completed in mid 2011. The CDBG DRI funds would be used towards the cost of addressing new shelter code (FEMA 361) and other shelter upgrades for practical use of the facility by Highland County Emergency Management during hurricane events.  For CDBG national objectives, the project serves both an urgent need and LMI households.  The County proposes an inter-local agreement with the Town of Lake Placid for administration of the grant.

Any member of the public wishing to know more about the proposed project should contact Mary Foy, Highlands County Human Services, phone 863.402.6626 220, e-mail Mfoy@hcbcc.org Written comments from the public will be taken through 5:00pm on January 15, 2010. Information relating to the proposed project is available Monday thru Friday between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm at 501 South Commerce Avenue, Sebring, FL.