Ray County to hold public meetings on reducing risks from flooding

The Ray County Commissioners invite residents, property owners, business owners and other interested parties to participate in one of two brief public meetings on December 20 or 21 on ways to reduce risks from future flooding along local rivers, streams and lakes.

Ray County participates in the federal flood insurance program and discourages development in flood-prone areas. However, recent flood events have resulted in private property losses and damaged public infrastructure, requiring costly repairs. As a response, the county began working with the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) and its consulting team of Shockey Consulting Services and AECOM to develop a Flood Mitigation Plan for Ray County.

As this plan is developed, Ray County seeks to inform residents and involve them in discussion of any changes and improvements that result from a revised Flood Mitigation Plan. The county is reaching out to property owners, levee districts, business and community leaders, and individuals to discuss tactics to prevent future flooding and stream degradation while also protecting valuable property and land.

A series of informal discussions will take place on December 20 and 21 on the second floor of the Ray County Courthouse, 100 W Main St, Richmond, Mo. 64085. The aim of these sessions is to gather input from the Ray County community regarding local flooding. Interested participants will be able to provide officials with valuable information and input on what actions should be taken to prevent future flooding and how the county can best work with property owners to support development and proper land management.

For efficiency purposes, sessions are organized by specific stakeholder groups; however, all sessions are open to all groups so that input can be recorded. Interviews can be as short as 15 minutes.

Flood Mitigation Plan Open Public Comment Sessions
Ray County Courthouse
100 W Main St., Second Floor
Richmond, Mo. 64085

Tuesday, December 20
Levee Districts: Between 10 a.m. – noon
Property Owners: Between 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Wednesday, December 21
Road Districts, Municipal Officials: Between 10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Business Owners: Between noon – 3 p.m.
General Public: Between 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.

The Flood Mitigation Plan project offers an opportunity for the public to learn about potential solutions for community flooding problems. One of the strategies that will be covered is how to manage stormwater runoff on private property. Stormwater management can have significant impacts when improperly managed, or when streams and rivers are altered in some way, stormwater runoff can lead to erosion, water pollution, and flooding.

For questions regarding the Flood Mitigation Plan project, contact one of the Ray County Commissioners at 816/776-4507.