Budget Proposal
Yavapai County Flood Control District
Flood Control District
Lynn Whitman, Director
1120 Commerce Drive, Prescott, AZ 86305
928-771-3197
Table of Contents
- District's Message
- Mission Statement
- Organization Chart
- Accomplishments
- Goals
- Community IGAs
- Grants
- Budget Accounts
- Carryover
- Account Fund Changes
- Summary
District's Message
The Flood Control District presents its Budget Proposal for fiscal year 2022/2023. The District requests funding in the amount of $8,975,723 comprised of $5,485,309 of new funds, and $2,503,374 in carryover funds, as well as an additional $1,000,000 in anticipated grant funds.
Of the 14.83 positions within the District, 0.5 of a shared position remains unfilled. The Distict is asking for a Hydrologist III position, starting as early at January 1, 2023, in anticipation of increased requirements from the Arizona Department of Enviromental Quality for our Stormwater Program.
This budget includes information on the accomplishments of the current fiscal year, goals, the Intergovernmental Agreement program, the grants program, detailed budget breakdowns for critical areas, and a five-year plan that prioritizes our funding. We intend to continue to improve floodplain development management and regulation while simultaneously looking forward to new and innovative ways to protect Yavapai County’s watersheds and drainage capacity.
LYNN WHITMAN
DIRECTOR
Mission Statement
Reduce the impact caused by flooding on lives and property through education, preservation, mitigation, and regulation.
Vision Statement
Leading the way for citizens and future generations of Yavapai County to develop in a manner that is resilient and has a high level of protection from the risk of flooding.
Aims
Manage the Flood Control District and its obligations.
Strive to improve the County's standing in the Community Rating System.
Provide accurate, real-time weather data and pertinent storm water runoff information to the citizens and agencies of the County and outlying areas.
Be responsive to drainage and floodplain management needs.
Act as a friendly, knowledgeable resource to those inquiring about flood hazard areas and their associated risks.
Modernize accurate, reliable flood hazard mapping resources.
Provide direction and guidance concerning stormwater quality and water-borne pollutants.
Accomplishments
Fiscal Year 2021-2022 brought a significant monsoon season that highlighted areas at risk of flooding throughout the County. To complicate the District's response, development growth has greatly impacted response times and costs from contractors. Still, the District managed to respond to most requests for assistance and continues to work with community members who are waiting for a contractor to become available.
This year we turned a portion of our focus to a combined detention/aquifer recharge project in the Big Chino Watershed in conjunction with the Nature Conservancy. We have identified potential projects and locations and I look forward to moving this project into the design phase.
The District is part of a team to bring USGS lidar topography to most of Yavapai County and the project is about half-way complete. The United States Geological Society is running the project with support from the Distict, the State Land Department, the Natural Resources Conservaton Service, the National Forest, and of course we couldn't do it without the Yavapai County GIS Department.
Engineering was moved forward or completed on several projects, including the Stone Way project and Looka Way project in Yarnell, watermain protection projects in Mayer, road and drainage restoration in Diamond Valley, Ho Kay Gan, and Cornville. We also are about to start engineering studies near Cottonwood, Verde Villages, and the Village of Oak Creek.
In addition to our own construction projects, the District maintains Intergovernmental Agreements with several entities, including the Towns of Chino Valley, Prescott Valley, Dewey-Humboldt, Clarkdale, Camp Verde, Jerome, and the Cities of Prescott, Cottonwood, and Sedona. The communities use a portion of their tax revenue for drainage projects which are self-managed and District-funded.
A long tradition of cooperation has led to a regular program of shared resources between the District and the Public Works Department. Projects completed so far this year include a low water crossing on Aspin Creek, as well as drainage improvements at Kachina Road and Kings Highway West.
Not all of the District's accomplishments were about mitigation through construction. Three separate flood hazard mapping projects are currently underway and in various phases, including Oak Creek and its tributaries, a remapping of the area west of Chino Valley, and a small study that includes three areas of existing mapping in need of minor corrections.
The District's stormwater permit with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality has been in flux this year and the District is still waiting for official guidance. In the meantime, outfall monitoring is ongoing and the permit data is still updated as appropriate.
The Flood Warning Division has been upgrading the gauges in the field. In addition, the Flood Warning website is being overhauled to be more user-friendly and more reliable.
Goals
In the coming year, the District is hoping that contractors will open up and we will be able to move many of our designed projects into construction. Our largest project planned for construction includes the final two phases of the storm drain and roadway improvement project in the Ho Kay Gan subdivision in conjunction with Public Works. That project will close out our Area Drainage Master Study for the subdivision that has included a low water crossing improvement, a regional detention pond, and the first phase of the storm drain and roadway improvement project.
We have a green infrastructure project planned in the Mountain Club area. Two new Area Drainage Master Studies are planned in Cornville and Verde Village, as well as the expansion of a study in the Village of Oak Creek area.
Intergovernmental Agreements
For several years the Flood Control District (District) has been returning a portion of the District taxes collected from the incorporated communities back to those communities. These funds are used strictly for drainage projects that the communities manage.
For Fiscal Year 2022/2022 I would like to continue to offer the communities that participate in the IGA program a return of 60% of the taxes collected in 2020 – the latest year for which we have complete data. I have rounded to the nearest $5,000, although I did bump the Towns of Clarkdale and Dewey-Humboldt up to $50,000 and the Town of Jerome up to $30,000.
Community Allocation Taxes Collected
Camp Verde $90,000 $148,723
Chino Valley $95,000 $162,439
Clarkdale $50,000 $70,075
Cottonwood $115,000 $197,164
Dewey-Humboldt $50,000 $64,267.6
Jerome $30,000 $14,524
Prescott $840,000 $1,401,099
Prescott Valley $450,000 $744,942
Sedona $300,000 $494,182
Grants
The Flood Control District has been honored to receive several grants in its history for projects that include master planning, floodplain mapping, and emergency watershed protection. Since 2018, the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs has moved several of the District’s mitigation grant applications forward to the FEMA review board at the national level and those applications are in various form of review or approval. These grants have a three-year award period and a 25% match, and include:
• $265,000 for a County-wide analysis of communities at risk of post-fire flooding – awarded and study underway.
• $388,315 for mitigation within the watercourses threatening the Mayer Water Company infrastructure – phase 1 awarded and design underway.
• $89,980 for post-fire flood mitigation in Yarnell – in environmental review at FEMA.
• $822,478 to protect 8 homes from flooding along Stone Way in Yarnell – in environmental review at FEMA.
• $648,451 to purchase and demolish two homes in Rimrock that were substantially damaged during the flood in February of 2019 – under review.
• $200,000 for a study to identify mitigation projects to protect the remaining homes in Rimrock from flooding – under review.
• The Natural Resources Conservation Service is currently conducting a feasibility study for a watershed study for the Granite Creek Watershed that would work with the
County, the Town of Chino Valley, and the City of Prescott to identify the current and future needs of the watershed and identify opportunities for improvements.
• In addition to these grants, the District and its partners in the GIS Department as well as the State Land Department, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the
National Forest Service, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency were selected to participate in the US Geological Survey’s 3DEP program – a joint funding
program to develop high quality lidar with shared costs.
Budget Accounts Breakdown
41000 accounts
The 41000 accounts cover employee salaries and benefits. For budgeting purposes it is assumed this account will increase by 3% every year to maintain capacity. The District currently has 14.33 of its 14.83 positions filled.
52000 accounts
The 52000 accounts include expenditures and supplies. The largest expenditures include the 2404 account which covers outside services such as engineering and surveying consultants, and 2913 which covers contributions such as the IGAs with the communities and the contributions to state partners.
63000 accounts
The 63000 accounts include supplies. The largest expenditure is for equipment for our flood warning system, including upgrades and new equipment to expand the program. Once equipment is installed, the records are transferred to a capitalized account with the oversight of the Finance Department.
77000 accounts
The 77000 accounts cover capital purchases, such as land acquisition, vehicles, and software. In addition, the 77000 accounts cover construction projects and a cooperative account that allows the District to work with the Public Works Department on shared projects that benefit both parties.
86000 accounts
The 86000 accounts include the vehicle use charge which is determined by the Fleet Department and the Administrative Overhead which is determined by the Board Office.
The District's budget includes a separate account titled "Flood Control District Special Funding" with a $1,000,000 capacity for any grants that are funded during the fiscal year. The District would pay for any grant projects up front with the reimbursement coming through this account.
Carryover
The District had hoped to complete a number of constuction projects this year. Many were stalled due to both the unavailibity of contractors, and the slow movement of FEMA grants to the funding phase. Luckily the funding for one of our biggest grants was fully funded - for the Stone Way storm drain in Yarnell, so once design is complete we will be able to move right into construction.
In addition, the communities often carryover a large portion of their IGA funds.
It should be noted, I do estimate the carryover in anticipation of project delays as it is the only way to preserve the budget capacity should a project stall and get pushed into the next fiscal year.
Summary
The District requests funding of $7,975,723, as well as $1,000,000 in anticipated grant funds. Attachments include a spreadsheet with the District’s expected expenditures for the current fiscal year, the projects proposed for the coming fiscal year, and the five-year plan to demonstrate upcoming plans.
I appreciate the guidance of the Board and look forward to another successful year serving Yavapai County.
LYNN WHITMAN
DIRECTOR
To view the 5-year plan, please use this link:
Flood Control District
Lynn Whitman
Lynn.Whitman@yavapaiaz.gov