Middleton commission approves Phase 1 and Phase 2 of floodplain remapping; staff to present FEMA options to council

The Middleton commission voted to approve Phase 1 and Phase 2 of a floodplain remapping project intended to update 2020 modeling and produce maps that could be used locally or, if the council directs, be readied for FEMA submittal.

Consultant Steve, who said he was hired by the city to update floodplain maps following the 2018 flooding, summarized the work and timeline. "The FEMA submittal process is phase 3," he said, "which... is typically 3 or 4 [years]." He described a physical map revision (PMR) as a larger-scale, multi-year undertaking compared with a letter of map revision.

Steve gave estimated costs for the next phases: roughly $43,000 for the proposed Phase 2 scope and a ballpark of $60,000 (or more) if the city pursues the extended FEMA process. He said Phase 2 work would firm up technical issues such as how to treat flood storage areas, whether improvised embankments should be modeled as functioning flood-control structures, and the implications of recent development and larger observed floods.

Commissioners discussed trade-offs. A FEMA-approved map would be more authoritative for lenders and could open eligibility for some grants or assistance, but it may also bring a larger area into the regulated floodplain and trigger flood insurance requirements for additional properties. One unnamed bank lender said lenders sometimes require insurance and recounted a 2018 loan where insurance later proved valuable to the borrower.

The commission agreed the consultant should present a concise, plain-language summary to the common council that explains why maps should be updated, what has changed in the watershed, and the pros and cons of pursuing FEMA remapping. Staff said funding exists in the budgets: $35,500 in 2024 plus a $34,000 carryover from 2023.

A commissioner moved to approve Phase 1 and Phase 2; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote. The next steps are for staff and the consultant to prepare a streamlined council presentation in the coming months and to continue coordination with the Department of Natural Resources and neighboring jurisdictions on technical questions.

The motion authorizes moving forward with the scoped mapping work; council direction will be required to decide whether to pursue a full FEMA physical map revision.