FEMA updates Otero County flood map

July 24--In a special County Commission meeting on July 15, commissioners approved a Flood Damage Prevention ordinance and budget adjustments to the Legislative Grant Fund, Wildlife Services and the Hold Harmless Bond Fund. County Commissioners discussed the final operating budget on July 20 at the county Administration Building.

Otero County Emergency Services Director Paul Quairoli said the Federal Emergency Management Agency has updated a map for Otero County and the Village of Tularosa.

"FEMA has come in and done an updated map for the area in the county and the Village of Tularosa. It is actually decreasing the area of flood claim, less people are going to be affected by the flood insurance program," Quairoli said. "We have to adopt through a public hearing that this ordinance will adopt the new maps which are going to take effect November 4, 2015."

Quairoli said anyone purchasing property until November 4 will still be under the old program.

"Anyone purchasing new property or trying to get flood insurance would be under the old program until the new maps that they're recognizing are adopted by FEMA and the county," he said.

County Commissioner Susan Flores said the original plan went straight through the middle of Tularosa where there was no water. The new map has been moved next to the arroyo.

"What this is doing for Tularosa is the original plan went right through the middle of Tularosa where there isn't any water," Flores said. "What this has done it has taken it out of the middle of Tularosa and moved it back up to the arroyo that runs through there so that way it's putting it back where it belongs where the overflow would come into the arroyo base but not to the middle of Tularosa."

Commission Chairman Ronny Rardin and Commissioner Janet White agreed to approve the ordinance so they can qualify for FEMA.

"We discussed this at an earlier meeting, this public hearing is strictly to finish up the administrative work that needs to be done so that we can qualify for FEMA," Rardin said.

The Flood Damage Prevention ordinance #10-06 was passed unanimously 3-0.

Budget adjustments to the Legislative Grant Fund, Wildlife Services and the Hold Harmless Bond Fund was also approved during the meeting.

County Finance Director Donna Brandon said there was an outstanding balance in the Legislative Grant Fund and they cannot end the fiscal year with a negative cash balance.

"In the Legislative Grant Fund we maintained to transfer $250,000 to keep the money going but as it turns out we have more outstanding monies in there so we can't end the fiscal year with a negative cash balance," Brandon said. "We have a negative cash balance of $244,000. I need to transfer a quarter of a million dollars temporarily from the Emergency Reserve Fund and transfer it back when we get the final budget approved."

According to Brandon, $494,000 was billed to the Legislative Grant Fund leaving a negative cash balance of $244,000.

The Wildlife Services overspent $6,000 and will need to have more funds put in to prevent from happening again next year.

Brandon said regarding the Hold Harmless Bond Fund it called for annual payments to be made in December.

"The Hold Harmless Bond Fund was called for annual payments to be made in December. We discovered that it was half of the interest rate payment that will be due in December of this year," she said. "That's going to require budget adjustments. $94,000 is roughly half of the interest."

Commissioners have worked to approve an interim budget for the 2015-2016 fiscal year by which the county must submit their final budget to the Department of Finance and Administration by July 31. The interim budget will be available to the public until the state approves it, which should be at the end of August or early September.

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