The request is for City Council to appoint the following individuals as members of the Flood Risk and Preparedness Public Information Committee:

• Tammy Ledford
• Judy Meyers
• Dell deChant
• Allan Safranek, III
• Mike Peters
• Ashley Tharp
• Billy Fernandez

On July 2, 2024 City Council adopted an ordinance which established the Flood Risk and Preparedness Public Information Committee with the purpose of offering advisory opinions and recommendations to the City Council on best practices for information dissemination regarding flood risk and emergency preparedness.

The duties and functions of the Flood Risk and Preparedness Public Information Committee are as follows:

• To serve as the advisory committee to the city council for information dissemination to residents and business owners regarding flood risk, emergency preparedness, and flood resiliency;
• To complete an initial review and recommend adoption of the city’s Program for Public Information, as defined and in accordance with the Community Rating System Manual;
• To conduct a minimum of two (2) public meetings to assess the city’s public information needs and to review and recommend to the city council the Program for Public Information;
• To conduct meetings from time to time, at least one (1) time per calendar year, to review, revise, and recommend modifications to the Program for Public Information as necessary;
• To participate as a stakeholder in public information efforts through event attendance and outreach projects relating to flood risk; and
• To serve, as-needed, as an advisory committee to the city council for other activities necessary to improve the city’s status in the Community Rating System of the National Flood Insurance Program, in accordance with the Community Rating System Manual.

Per the ordinance provisions, the committee shall have a minimum of seven (7) members, of which at least one (1) member will be from the city’s floodplain management office and one (1) member from the city’s public information office. The remaining stakeholder members shall include, but not be limited to, floodplain residents, insurance agents that service the city, developers and contractors that operate in the city, environmental organization members, realtors that service the city, emergency responders, and business organizations within the city. 

Since the adoption of the ordinance, staff has received five applications which are being presented to City Council for their consideration.  The ordinance calls for the staggering of terms therefore staff is proposing the following:

• Two Year Terms:

1. Tammy Ledford, City Employee, Floodplain Management Office
2. Judy Meyers, City Employee, Public Information Office
3. Dell deChant, Envrionmental Committee Chair/Environmental Organization Member
4. Allan Safranek, III, Floodplain Resident and local realtor
5. Mike Peters, Floodplain Resident/Insurance Agent that Services the City

• One Year Terms

1. Ashley Tharp, Insurance Agent that Services the City
2. Billy Fernandez, Floodplain Business Owner - Seafire Grill