Open house to review draft recommended projects, programs, and policies and learn about the Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan Update

Boulder County, Colo. - Earlier this year, Boulder County Transportation started work on a Floodplain Management and Transportation System Resiliency Study and Action Plan (RSAP) to learn from the experiences in recovering from the 2013 Flood, and to examine what can be done to better prepare the county’s waterways and transportation systems for future natural or economic disasters.

The Transportation Department help open houses in January and offered a public survey to help gauge residents’ acceptable levels of risk, awareness of the risks facing them and their property, and what they think Boulder County should prioritize for future actions.

The feedback from the survey was combined with the department’s own research to come up with both short- and long-term steps the Transportation Department can take to better prepare the transportation network, area waterways, and the public’s property for the next natural or manmade disaster.

Residents are now asked once again to help ensure we heard all input before finalizing the recommendations and incorporating them into funding and implementation plans. Please join the open house and provide feedback:

What: RSAP Open House in Boulder
When: Monday, June 10, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Where: West Senior Center – 909 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder

The study results are available for review on the project website at www.BoCoResiliencyStudy.org. The draft recommendations will be made available before the June 10 meeting.

“Prior to, and after the flood, we’ve been exploring and implementing solutions aimed at ensuring county infrastructure and residents are prepared for future natural or human-caused disasters that come our way,” said Boulder County Commissioner Deb Gardner. “Not only do we do our best to make sure our county infrastructure is as strong as it can be, but we also implement policies and fund programs to help residents create safe spaces that will be more resilient in the face of adverse incidents. Many ongoing planning projects, including this RSAP, support our goal of making the county as resilient as possible and we need the public’s help to make sure we’re covering all the bases.”

In addition to the resiliency study recommendations, staff at the open houses will also provide information on:

• An update to the county’s Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan.
• How the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan addresses natural hazards, and opportunities to share your ideas for updates to the county’s natural hazard-related goals and policies.
• The county’s new Room for the River voluntary flood risk program for property owners.
• Modeling of roadway overtopping during flooding.
• General disaster risk and mitigation questions.

For more information on the RSAP and the open house, visit www.BoCoResiliencyStudy.org, or contact project manager Stacey Proctor at 303-441-1107 or sproctor@bouldercounty.org.