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KITTITAS COUNTY <br />DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS <br />PUBLIC WORKS — BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />STUDY SESSION STAFF REPORT <br />STUDY SESSION DATE: August 14, 2023 <br />TOPIC: Fire Station 73 Compliance Plan. <br />ACTION REQUESTED: Direction to Staff <br />LEAD STAFF: <br />Arden Thomas <br />RECOMMENDATION: <br />Direct Staff to proceed with Fire Station 73 Compliance Plan Implementation <br />BRIEFING SUMMARY: <br />In order for Kittitas County to remain in good standing with the National Flood <br />Insurance Program and Community Rating System, we are being required to <br />mitigate an older floodplain development permit issued to Fire Station 73. <br />• Last year, the Washington State Department of Ecology and FEMA Region X <br />staff conducted a Community Assistance Visit and audited flood development <br />permit files for new development in the floodplain. <br />• During this audit, Ecology and FEMA staff learned that the construction Fire <br />Station 73 does not meet minimum National Flood Insurance Program <br />requirements. <br />• The Department of Ecology has requested that Kittitas County submit a <br />compliance plan. <br />• The draft compliance plan presented has been reviewed by Ecology staff and was <br />presented to the Kittitas County Fire District 7 Board on August 9, 2023. <br />• Should compliance require the entire station be replaced in a new location, the <br />entire Flood Control Zone District Fund will be depleted, unless alternative <br />funding sources can be secured. <br />BACKGROUND: <br />Kittitas County Fire District Number 7 provides emergency services, including <br />emergency medical, fire prevention and suppression, wildland firefighting, hazardous <br />materials response, and technical rescue across a 126 square mile area in Upper Kittitas <br />County. There are eight (8) stations for this district, including Fire Station 73. Fire <br />Station 73 is located at 21 Chepoda Rd in Cle Elum WA, at the I-90 exit 78 interchange <br />and serves the busiest portion of the I-90 corridor within Kittitas County. <br />Kittitas County issued a floodplain development permit in 2014 for construction of fire <br />Station 73. Elevation information provided by the project applicant to support floodplain <br />Page 1 of 4 <br />PUBLIC WORKS BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WORK SESSION STAFF REPORT <br />