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INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 10236
February5, 2019
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
Page 1 of 2
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON LOCAL FLOODPLAIN POLICY INITIATIVE
This Informal Report is submitted to update City Council on the initiative to develop a policy regarding the
communication and regulation of development in highly flood prone parts of Fort Worth where the flood
risk is not reflected on FEMA floodplain maps.
Currently staff from TPW Stormwater Management, the and the Real Property
Division of the Property Management Department are working with two groups of community professionals
to identify and work through questions and concerns associated with this initiative. The goals are:
1. To ensure full understanding of the pros and cons of adopting such a policy;
2. To clarify regulatory standards and processes; and
3. To determine the process that would be necessary to administer and communicate the policy.
One of the groups is comprised of local representatives from the professions involved in real estate
transactions (both residential and commercial). This includes: lenders, appraisers, title lawyers,
developers, and builders. Real estate professionals on this working group represent the following entities:
The Greater Fort Worth Real Estate Council, the Greater Fort Worth Association of Realtors, the Fort
Appraisal
District. The second group is comprised of engineers who work for developers to design their projects.
City staff worked with the leadership of the local chapter of the American Council of Engineering
Companies to establish this group.
The intent of the engagement with these two groups is to collaboratively work to avoid any unnecessary
problems to property owners, developers, or real estate professionals from a City policy developed for the
purpose of providing the same level of protection for highly flood prone properties outside of the FEMA
floodplain as is provided in FEMA floodplains. The work with these two groups has just begun and it
is expected that the collective product of these efforts will be presented to City Council for
consideration sometime in the latter half of 2019.
As discussed at the November 13, 2018 City Council work session, the initiative to establish a formal
policy on how to communicate and regulate flood prone areas not shown on the FEMA floodplain maps
has been borne out of the following:
1) Increasing instances in the past 10 years of adverse flood impact to property owners outside of the
FEMA floodplain that could have been prevented had the flood risk associated with those properties been
communicated and/or regulated consistent with the means of communication and regulation in FEMA
floodplains.
2) Input from the Floodplain Management Plan community Stakeholder Group (May 2015 August 2016)
comprised of community representatives from neighborhoods, real estate related companies, developers,
and engineers.
3) Input from the Stormwater Master Plan community Stakeholder Group (January - October 2017)
comprised of Council appointees and ad hoc members representing community groups and major rate-
payer categories of the Stormwater Utility.
4) Input from the Stormwater Management Program community Stakeholder Group (March 2018)
comprised of a representative cross-section of business, community, and rate-payer representatives.
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 10236
February5, 2019
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
Page 2 of 2
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON LOCAL FLOODPLAIN POLICY INITIATIVE
In May 2018, a Local Floodplain Policy Stakeholder Working Group was established to provide dedicated
community input into this specific initiative. The group is comprised of resident, developer, real estate,
banking, and civic/economic development interests. The meetings with this group resulted in general
agreement that the City should consider doing more to communicate and regulate this risk. Two public
meetings were also held in December of 2018. Feedback from those meetings was also largely
supportive of the initiative.
This is a complex issue and City staff are committed to continuing to work very closely with community
stakeholders to ensure that recommendations that ultimately are presented to City Council as a result of
this initiative are balanced, responsive to the valid concerns of all stakeholders, and in the overall best
interest of the community.
Questions about this process can be directed to Jennifer Dyke, Sr. Planner, TPW Stormwater
Management at 817-392-2714.
David Cooke
City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS