CHAPTER III-9

PUBLIC EDUCATION & PARTICIPATION DRAFT
(07/08)

INTRODUCTION

Much can be accomplished by changing the attitudes and behaviors of the public.  A key component to changing attitudes and behaviors is a solid and consistent public education and participation program.

The Community Rating System (CRS) allows a maximum of 380 points for public outreach projects.  Up to 60 points are provided for sending written information to all properties in the community through a mailing or newsletter; 130 points for sending a notice that clearly explains potential for flooding to properties in the floodprone areas; 60 points for conducting outreach projects; 125 points for implementing public information projects; and 65 points for distributing a letter or brochure on flood insurance to all properties in the community.

In 1999, Phase II of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program was published in the Federal Register.  Public Education/Outreach and Public Participation/Involvement are 2 of the 6 Minimum Control Measures (MCMs) that regulated communities must implement.  Within the Maumee River Basin, 7 communities are required to meeting the Phase II requirements.  These include: Allen County, City of Auburn, City of Decatur, City of Fort Wayne, City of New Haven, Town of Huntertown, and Town of Leo Cedarville. 

This Master Plan Update promotes continued public education and outreach to reduce flood losses, meet the requirements of the CRS program, and improve water quality through the NPDES Phase II program requirements.

1995 MASTER PLAN REVISITED

The 1995 MRBC Master Plan called for the implementation of an ongoing public awareness program to educate community officials about the components of the Master Plan and model ordinance requirements.  As well as dispel the myths and misconceptions that the Master Plan was “anti-development”.   

The goals of the public awareness program were to:

1. Increase awareness of the Master Plan objectives by residents and developers;
2. Provide education to community officials about requirements associated with the Master Plan and model ordinances;
3. Identify the administrative requirements for applicants and communities;
4. State the reasons for and benefits associated with the proposed model ordinances; and
5. Explain the federal and state requirements involved in the Master Plan and proposed model ordinances.   

MRBC ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Since 1995, the MRBC worked very hard to educate the public and engage their participation.  Highlights of these accomplishments include:

• MRBC staff and its member partners (County Surveyors, Floodplain Administrators, Building Officials, Planning Directors, IDNR Division of Water – Floodplain Management Section Staff), and local media have continued to provide floodplain management awareness in northeastern Indiana.  In particular, the local newspaper media has been extremely supportive of the MRBC Master Plan objectives by featuring numerous editorials in support of MRBC’s plan and explaining the benefits.  This activity is on-going.

• MRBC and IDNR Division of Water – Floodplain Management Section Staff have provided several continuing education classes for local community officials.  Among these is the Floodplain Management 101 class.  FEMA training on damage assessment and Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan (MHMP) training has also been provided.  Additional education is performed on a case-by-case or one-on-one basis throughout the year.  This activity is on-going.

• MRBC partnered with the Allen County Partnership for Water Quality (ACPWQ) to film the “Fate of a River Revisited” and “A Watershed Mentality” documentaries. In both films, MRBC Executive Director, Rodney Renkenberger spoke about the Maumee River Basin.   

• The MRBC Board adopted a policy of only funding projects in communities that have adopted and effectively enforcing MRBC Floodplain and Stormwater Management Ordinances.

• MRBC staff provided ongoing public education and awareness on an informal basis until 2003.  In August 2003, the MRBC Board adopted a Public Education and Outreach Program in honor of its past president, Dale Hughes, Jr.

• MRBC maintains a website with information on volunteer opportunities for land use conversion, flood proofing, buyouts, and floodplain mapping.

• MRBC provides educational materials to the Allen County Public Library (ACPL) for display and distribution.  All MRBC programs and Master Plan documents are on file with the ACPL as well.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF PARTICIPATING COMMUNITIES

As participants in the CRS program, Allen County, City of Fort Wayne, and City of Decatur make flooding and floodplain information available on their webpage and at their municipal offices.  Direct mailings explaining the potential for flooding are sent to property owners in repetitive loss areas.  A repetitive loss area includes buildings identified by FEMA as repetitive loss structures (2 or more flood claims of more than $1,000 in a 10-year period) and nearby buildings that may be subject to the same flood hazard.  Based on the latest data available, there are a total of 60 remaining and/or unprotected repetitive loss structures in Fort Wayne and 13 repetitive loss structures in the remaining Allen County areas.  A detailed geocoded address list and a GIS coverage of these repetitive loss structures are included within the GIS database inventory developed as part of the 2008 MRBC Master Plan Update and available to community officials.  This detailed information is not being presented in this document to protect the privacy of the owners. In Allen County, the repetitive loss areas were delineated using the parcel boundaries surrounding the repetitive loss structures.  In the City of Fort Wayne a combination of parcel boundaries surrounding the repetitive loss structures, lowest adjacent grade, depth to flooding, and the floodplain boundary were used.   Repetitive Loss Areas in Fort Wayne and Allen County can be seen by clicking on the Map below.

In response to the NPDES Phase II Public Education/Outreach and Public Participation/Involvement MCMs, Allen County, City of Auburn, City of Decatur, City of Fort Wayne, City of New Haven, Town of Huntertown, and Town of Leo Cedarville have implemented the following:

• Multi-jurisdictional coordination has been established among members of local cities, County, state, and federal agencies via “Watershed Management Teams”.  The purpose of the teams is to coordinate water resource management efforts, such as educational websites and developing brochures, in an effort to reduce duplication.

• Allen County, in partnership with City of Fort Wayne, City of New Haven, MRBC, and St. Joseph Watershed Initiative (SJRWI) have been coordinating their resources and efforts to provide public education and outreach opportunities to residents throughout the County via the “Allen County Partnership for Water Quality (ACPWQ)”.

• The ACPWQ hired a full-time Water Education Specialist in the summer of 2002. This position is funded by Allen County, Fort Wayne, and New Haven. The Water Education Specialist is responsible for creating water quality brochures, providing nonpoint source information, and conducting workshops addressing nonpoint source pollution.

• The Maumee River Basin Partnership of Local Governments (MRBPLG), which includes representatives from Allen County, Fort Wayne, and surrounding counties in Michigan and Ohio, has been established as a regional multi-jurisdictional coordination effort for addressing water resource issues.  MRBPLG is an advocacy group that seeks solutions to common water resource issues among communities on a variety of federal and state rules and regulations.

• Educational workshops and informative brochures addressing storm drain stenciling activities, adopt-a-river programs, septic system maintenance, development within the floodplain, runoff control issues, and effective BMPs are conducted by the County Surveyor’s Office, SWCD, MRBC, SJRWI, Health Department, and/or the IDNR.

• Annual training conducted for construction professionals regarding the proper selection, installation, inspection, and maintenance of Best Management Practices (BMPs) to ensure compliance with local erosion and sediment control requirements and ordinances.

2008 MASTER PLAN ENHANCEMENTS

The Dale Hughes Jr. Public Education and Outreach Program has been very effective to raise the level of awareness of flooding issues among decision-makers, elected officials and the public in the Maumee River Basin.  The education and participation efforts of MRBC have been recognized throughout the State and at a national level.  There are no plans, at this time, to update MRBC Public Education and Participation Program.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The MRBC should:

1. Expand distribution of the MRBC newsletter “The Mitigator” to targeted audiences including: developers, builders, architects, engineers, surveyors, appraisers, realtors, insurance agents, and community officials with the Maumee River Basin;
2. Continue to build relationships and collaborate with public and private entities to increase awareness, reduce flood losses, and improve water quality;
3. Where appropriate, collaborate on educational materials to meet needs of MRBC, CRS, and Phase II.  To prevent confusion among recipients, this may work better during a seminar or training class rather than in printed material.
4. MRBC should work to encourage local communities to expand the annual Flood Safety Awareness Week beyond the issuance of proclamations. Communities should be encouraged to host activities / programs on Flood Damage Reduction throughout the week.
5. MRBC should work to convince local school corporations to incorporate “Floodplain Management” into their 4th grade curriculum.
6. Continue to build partnerships with communities upstream, in the Ohio portion of the Maumee River Basin to encourage them to adopt more restrictive standards as they apply to floodplain and stormwater management.
7. Encourage building owners in the flood hazard area (including behind levees)  to obtain flood insurance to protect themselves from flood-related losses.  Throughout the Maumee River Basin, there are significantly more structures in the flood hazard area than flood insurance policies.