The Draft Plan provides policy, program, and project recommendations to reduce flooding and channel migration risks in the vicinity of King County's major rivers and will not result in any changes to existing regulations. Ms. Knauer stated that many existing levees and abutments are old, in need of repair, and do not protect against a 100-yr flood. Consequently, the Draft Plan provides a 10-yr Action Plan to address these and other needs. If the Draft Plan is adopted, the King County Council and other agencies will have to provide the funding to implement the plan to meet these needs.

Nancy Faegenburg, Cedar and Sammamish River Basins Manager, specifically addressed concerns along the Cedar River including past flooding in the Dorre Don, Byers Rd., and Maxwell Rd. areas. Ms. Faegenburg described the specifics of the 10-yr Action Plan for the Cedar River basin. It will include: (1) repair and retrofit of existing levees and abutments; (2) flood warning systems, emergency response procedures, and public education; (3) flood hazard mapping and studies of critical areas; (4) flood buyouts and relocation of interested and willing residents; (5) periodic dredging at the Cedar’s mouth in Renton; and (6) coordination with dam operations along the upland Cedar corridor.

The Draft Plan can be viewed or downloaded here or viewed at the Maple Valley or Fairwood King County Libraries. Public comments on the Draft Plan are due by Monday, March 27. They may be submitted online at the Draft Plan's website above or by mail to: King County Water & Land Resources Division, Attn: Jennifer Knauer, Project Program Manager, 201 S. Jackson St., Suite 600, Seattle WA 98104. Following review of all public comments the King County Executive’s office will release a proposed plan to the King County Council in May. King County Council review is scheduled for June. If adopted, the Flood Hazard Management Plan will be a Technical Appendix to the 2006 King County Comprehensive Plan Update.

Fireworks Regulations

King County Assistant Fire Marshall Gay Johnson discussed a proposal her office, along with other interested parties, such as the Sheriff’s office, are preparing a plan to ban fireworks in unincorporated King County. Ms. Johnson is in the process of discussing the proposal with the six Unincorporated Area Councils (UACs). Most cities in the County already have their own bans in place. The chief reasons provided by Ms. Johnson in support of a ban include: public safety, noise concerns, and costs associated with increased manpower required to respond to calls and fires and to provide first aid.

Such a ban would not take affect for one year following approval by the King County Council. In addition, both the Fire Marshall and the Sheriff’s offices believe such a ban would stress public education and not fines in the first year of implementation.

According to the Fire Marshall’s office there were 129 fires, $281,300 in property damage, and numerous injuries directly caused by fireworks in 2005. In the Area Council’s Citizen Advisory Survey last Fall 51% of respondents did not favor a ban on fireworks in unincorporated King County.