Flood Mitigation Acquisition Program Consultant Services

The County of Greenville is seeking sealed proposals from vendors for property acquisition consultant services for the Greenville County Flood Mitigation Acquisition Program. The County requires the expertise of a consultant to advise and assist with evaluating, planning, management, and execution of various buyout programs. These programs are funded by the County and various State and Federal agencies. It is anticipated that approximately ten (10) to twelve (12) parcels will be purchased annually; however, the County reserves the right to purchase more or less services.

The County desires to enter into a one (1) year contract with the possibility of four (4) annual renewals.

1. The County of Greenville was charted in 1786 in the upstate region of South Carolina. This is located in the Blue Ridge Mountain and its adjoining foothills, and is located in an area that is susceptible to extrema riverine flooding events. The combination of mountainous and hilly terrain and intense rain, along with the poorly draining clay soils, resulted in natural flooding that affected the entire region. Flooding became a nuisance for the growing County.
2. Today, Greenville County has a population of approximately 570,000, making it the most populous county in the State of South Carolina. Many of these citizens live in homes that were constructed dangerously close to the creeks and streams and are within the natural floodplain of these waterways. The propensity for flooding for new construction has been address through the adoption of a stringent Flood Damage Prevention, a zoning and a Land Development Ordinance. However, the nature of the flooding problem is so great in some areas that the only reasonable flood protection measure is to respect the natural floodplain and relocate these residents to higher ground. This is the basis for floodplain buyouts, engineered solutions and the County's Flood Mitigation Acquisition Program.
   
   
3. Floodplain property acquisition is the public acquisition and removal of flood prone properties in order to eliminate future flood damages to that property and its inhabitants. Acquisition represents one approach to flood damages to that property and its inhabitants. Acquisition represents one approach to flood damage reduction and, in fact, it is the only approach that is guaranteed to be successful all of the time. The County of Greenville considers property acquisition to be a valuable part of its overall program, of engineered solutions and the County's Residential Elevation Grant Program.