PAUL E. INA, P.E.
PE No.48878
Case No. 2015045620

Licensee was charged with a violation of Section 471.033(1)(g), Florida Statutes – negligence in the practice of engineering. Licensee signed, sealed, and dated No-Rise Certifications for two locations. The No-Rise Certifications are materially deficient. The deficiencies include: neither of the No-Rise Certifications include a floodway analysis. As such, Licensee’s No-Rise Certifications do not meet acceptable standards of engineering principles for the performance of No-Rise Certifications in light of the fact that the requirement for a No-Rise Certification is triggered by proposed construction in a mapped floodway, and specifically references floodway elevations and floodway widths; basic hydraulics suggest that any obstruction placed within a riverine cross-section that is narrower than another riverine cross-section is likely to have a different impact on that cross-section. Notwithstanding this fact, Licensee’s No-Rise Certifications ignore the encroachments thus ignoring basic hydraulics; Licensee erroneously entered NFIP Base Flood Elevations as known water surface elevations at multiple cross-sections. This action ensured that the model’s results at those sections would reflect what was entered and negated the purpose of using the model as an independent calculating tool to identify potential differences for a sufficient distance from the proposed construction along the modeled water course.

Ruling: The case was presented to the full Board upon a Settlement Stipulation. The Board imposed Administrative Costs of $4,300, Appearance before the Board, a Basic Engineering Professionalism and Ethics Course, and the Board’s Study Guide. Additionally, Licensee is RESTRICTED from producing No-Rise Certifications until such time that Licensee submits a request to the Board to amend the Final Order. Upon the Final Order being amended, Licensee will be subject to project review of No-Rise Certifications at six and 18 months. Final Order was issued on 8/18/17.

Violation: Section 471.033(1)(g), Florida Statutes