Council approves city's first floodplain management plan

For the first time in history, the city of Vestavia Hills now has an approved floodplain management plan.

At the Aug. 27 council meeting, the council, which was led by Mayor Pro Tem Rusty Weaver, with both Mayor Ashley Curry and City Manager Jeff Downes absent from the meeting, approved unanimously the management plan.

City Engineer Christopher Brady said the plan will help the city qualify for grants, and helps identify specific efforts to improve the areas most affected by flooding. It will also help increase public awareness about high-risk zones, which is helpful to property owners, Brady said.

If the city’s application for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Community Ratings System, the city will receive a rating, most likely a 9, on a scale from 1 to 10, Brady said. As the city improves its floodplain management, they’ll move closer to a “1,” allowing them to receive discounts on policy orders, which will also benefit property owners who purchase flood insurance.

In other news, the council:

• Approved an ordinance authorizing Curry and Downes to enter into an agreement with ALDOT to install sidewalks from Merryvale Road to the future community building, and also connecting them with existing sidewalks on Mayland Lane.
• Approved an ordinance authorizing an amendment to a lease for a cell tower near the old city hall.
• Approved a resolution authorizing agreements to be sent to ALDOT for improvements in rights-of-way at Wald Park.
• Approved a resolution authorizing applications to be sent to Jefferson County Environmental Services for improvements to the sewer system at Wald Park.
• Approved a resolution authorizing Downes to purchase a new police vehicle after one was totaled in an accident.

The council also issued a proclamation declaring September as Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month.

The next council meeting is Sept. 10 at 6 p.m.