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Bill Scanlon
Local Columnist“Pay attention class: our subject for this year is CONSERVATION.” I’ve written about this subject previously. Those words of introduction (or similar) were spoken by my seventh grade Social Studies teacher at Holdenville Junior High (that’s what is was called in those days). Her name was Grace Harrison, and she was an institution. Her husband was a member of the territorial legislature, and had a part in drafting Oklahoma’s original constitution. Mrs. Harrison has lived through the Great Depression, and the Dust Bowl. “CONSERVATION” was a subject near and dear to her. Her enthusiasm infected us students. I think about her lessons to this day.
These comments might explain my interest in matters pertaining to our environment and my participation on a couple of environmentally-related panels: Norman’s Floodplain Permit Committee and the Lake Thunderbird Watershed Alliance (LTWA) Board. I’ve written about the LTWA previously, but will say a few words about a project now under development. First though, let me tell you about the Floodplain Permit Committee, and why it’s important.
The Floodplain Permit Committee has its basis in both Federal and State law. The National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 states that the objective of the flood insurance program is related to “a unified national program of flood plain management.” Oklahoma statutes authorizes municipal governing bodies to establish floodplain boards. Accordingly, Norman has established a Floodplain Permit Committee. The Director of Public Works is the designated Floodplain Administrator, and chair of the Committee. Membership includes (by position) the Director of Planning and Community Development, the City Engineer, the Subdivision Development Manager, the Planning Service Manager, and two citizen members (who serve staggered three year terms: I’m one of those members, the other is Sherri Stansel — a very knowledgeable person on matters relating to floodplains). The Committee meets every two weeks, as needed, to consider permit applications. A supermajority vote of five committee members is required for permit approval. (I should mention that Ms. Stansel and I had to complete special training before joining the Committee.)
Some of the guiding principles the Committee must consider include: to protect of human life and health; to minimize the expenditure of public money for costly flood control projects; to minimize damage to public facilities and utilities; to encourage sound use and development of flood-prone areas; to protect creek channels and floodplains from encroachment — preserving floodplain areas for their open space and natural habitat values. Approval or denial is based on such considerations as: danger to life and property; susceptibility of proposed work to flood damage; danger that project materials may be swept onto other lands to the injury of others; compatibility of proposal with existing/anticipated development; safety of access to property in times of flood; cost of providing governmental services; availability of alternative locations; compatibility of the project with Norman’s adopted land use plan.
In my experience, the organization seeking approval and the city staff do an excellent job in assessing the considerations noted above — as evidenced by presentations given at the Committee’s public meetings. Norman citizens are notified by letter of business which may affect their property, and may speak for or against a proposal. Most proposals — but not all — are approved. The criteria for approval set high standards. I personally have voted against several that, in my opinion, failed to meet those standards. Note: permits that are refused may be appealed to the Board of Adjustment — and on to District Court. Most of the time, refusals result in modifications to the request that do comply with approval criteria. It’s a rigorous process — to the benefit of Norman citizens.
As a reminder, the LTWA is a 501c3 non-profit organization that works collaboratively with residents, communities and other stakeholders to protect the water quality and quantity of Lake Thunderbird. LTWA is seeking a grant to assess the condition of the ponds in the Carrington Place development, and to design a solution to address deteriorating ponds. These ponds are along the Upper Little River in the Lake Thunderbird Watershed. If funded, LTWA will install monitoring stations to assess outflow and water quality from Carrington Place. Sedimentation at Lake Thunderbird is an increasing problem, as is urban runoff containing nitrogen and phosphorous pollutants. Based on research findings, LTWA will partner with the Carrington Place Homeowners Association and the developer of Carrington Place (Ideal Homes) to educate property owners on their personal impacts on ponds, and ways to mitigate future impacts. I believe this to be a noble effort — to the benefit of al citizens who depend on Lake Thunderbird as their water source.
Decades ago, I paid attention to Mrs. Harrison’s lessons on CONSERVATION. Today, those lessons guide my involvement in two important organizations. Somewhere, I hope Mrs. Harrison is proud.
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