Title
Sea Level Rise Response Plan - Update
Report
UAC Deliverable:
Briefing only and provide feedback to staff. City Council expects follow-up and recommendations from the UAC in 2017.
Staff Contact:
Andy Haub, Water Resources Director, 360.753.8475
Background and Analysis:
Water Resources staff initially briefed the UAC on Olympia’s response to sea level rise (SLR) and its upcoming planning work on May 5, 2016. Staff explained the basic dynamics of sea level rise and its potential implications to downtown Olympia. Previously, in early February, City Council requested that the UAC work with staff on scoping a formal sea rise response plan.
City staff is spending the remainder of 2016 getting setup to begin the formal planning process in early 2017. Work includes:
• Understanding current sea rise projections and landing on appropriate planning targets. We recommend planning for 24 inches by the year 2050 and 55 inches by 2100.
• Organizing internal and consultant work teams.
• Investigating the planning work of other municipalities. We are working with conceptual approaches developed in San Francisco and Vancouver, B.C.
• Improving our analysis of downtown’s vulnerability on a block-by-block, building-by-building basis.
• Adopting a downtown flood/SLR ordinance for new development.
• Starting to coordinate our work with the Port of Olympia, LOTT Clean Water Alliance and the State Department of Enterprise Services.
• Developing an interactive communication tool depicting downtown flood scenarios and impacted structures and facilities. We will post the tool to the City webpage.
• Preparing for a series of community meetings with interested citizens and affected stakeholders.
• Securing funding for the plan and investigating potential State and Federal sources.
Financial Impact:
None at this time.
Attachments:
Sea Level Rise - Annotated Bibliography (August 2016)