Review plan and comment online; Attend June 10 open house to learn more

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 experiences recovering after 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.

In addition to open houses in January, a public survey was offered 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.

This feedback was combined with the department’s own research to come up with both short- and long-term action items that the Transportation Department could potentially use to better prepare the transportation network, area waterways, and the public’s property for the next disaster event.

The public is now asked to help once again to ensure all input is considered before finalizing action items and incorporating them into funding and implementation plans. Study results and potential action items are available for review on the project website at www.BoCoResiliencyStudy.org. Potential action items include items such as:

• Conversion of key culverts into bridges
• Voluntary property buyout program
• Incentive program for flood protection improvements

The public is also invited to attend an open house on Monday, June 10 in Boulder to talk with staff and learn more about this effort and a few others the county is undertaking to increase resiliency.

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

Please provide any comments about the proposed action items by June 14.

Staff at the open house 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 reduction program for property owners.
• Modeling of roadway overtopping during flooding.
• General disaster risk and mitigation questions.

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