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Floodplain Management SESSION 24

Floodplain Management SESSION 24 Rivers as a Legal Battleground Local Politics Prepared by Elliot Mittler, PhD Local Politics Objectives: 24.1 Identify the major players in determining water policy. 24.2 Explain what characterizes a successful local water policy.

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Floodplain Management SESSION 24

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  1. Floodplain ManagementSESSION 24 Rivers as a Legal Battleground Local Politics Prepared by Elliot Mittler, PhD

  2. Local Politics Objectives: 24.1 Identify the major players in determining water policy. 24.2 Explain what characterizes a successful local water policy. 24.3 Explain how local governments implement mandates. 24.4 Explain how citizen participation affects local programs . 24.5 Discuss local politics within the context case study floodplains

  3. Characterizing Local Politics • “All Politics is Local” - Tip O’Neill • “All politics are based on the indifference of the majority” - “Scotty” Reston • The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry - Robert Burns

  4. Forms of Local Municipal Government • Weak Mayor - Strong Council • Strong Mayor - Weak Council • Council - Manager

  5. City Departments - Regularly Deal with Floodplain Management • City Planning • Public Works • Parks and Recreation • Risk Management

  6. Stakeholders - Floodplain Management • Federal agencies • State agencies • Chambers of Commerce • Local businesses • Building contractors • Real estate agents • Local environmental groups • Neighborhood associations • Land owners • Informed citizens

  7. 5th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution No person shall be “deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation”.

  8. Taking An action by a government depriving a person of private property without the payment of just compensation: • physically occupying it and preventing others to enter upon it; • exercising the power of eminent domain; and • regulating its use to such a degree that it no longer has any economically viable use (a regulatory taking).

  9. National Floodplain Management Strategic Goals • Reduce the vulnerability of the nation from the dangers and damages that result from flood, and • Preserve and enhance the natural resources and functions of floodplains.

  10. Community Floodplain Management Goals • Move those currently at risk from the floodplain, • Avoid new development when risk reduction is not appropriate, • Strive to eliminate threats to life, property, and the environment, and to the mental health and well being of floodplain occupants, • Ensure the viability of critical infrastructure and the regional economy, • Treat the floodplain as part of a physical and biological system that includes the floodplain within the larger context of its watershed, • Seek to identify and enhance the cultural, historic, and aesthetic values of floodplains, • Where appropriate, restore and enhance bottomland and related upland habitat and flood storage, • Acquire environmental interest in these lands from willing sellers, and • Ensure the consideration of social and environmental factors in all actions relating to the floodplain.

  11. Benefits of Mandates • They set community goals that promote healthy floodplains and reduce vulnerability from floods. • The staffs of the new programs often become champions of future related programs. • They increase the capacity of communities to deal proactively with floodplain issues. • Successful programs reinforce principles of appropriate floodplain management. • They speed up the diffusion of floodplain management programs in the country.

  12. Policy Adoption Theory -Kingdom • Three Pre-existing conditions: • Problem exists • Potential solution is politically viable • Potential solution is worthy of a local government • Window of Opportunity • Policy entrepreneur - person who pushes a program but is willing to negotiate and compromise to achieve success

  13. Council Actions to Sustain a Local Policy or Program • Establish commissions and review panels made up of local officials and community members to keep the issues in front of the public, • Place programs as line items on the annual budget, essentially making them visible and acceptable, • Introduce long-term elements in the community capital budget or in propositions voted on by the community to establish a long-term commitment, • Co-locate community departments that need to work together to accomplish policies or program goals and avoid turf wars.

  14. Discussion • Teams to discuss local politics within the context case study floodplains Requirements • Students should base their discussion on the case studies of Tulsa, Oklahoma and Boise, Idaho.

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