TITLE
Vote on a request by the Board of Commissioners to adopt revisions to the Chatham County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance.
ABSTRACT
Action Requested:
Vote on a request by the Board of Commissioners to adopt revisions to the Chatham County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance.
Introduction & Background:
Chatham County entered into the National Flood Insurance Program in February of 1997, which makes property owners eligible for flood insurance. Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) are provided by North Carolina Department of Emergency Management (NCDEM), in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to establish the regulatory floodplain boundaries. The FIRM panels are periodically updated with the most recent revisions becoming effective in November 17, 2017.
Discussion & Analysis:
On April 19th, 2018, FEMA provided the County Manager with a notice that final flood hazard determinations had been made by the agency (letter is included as an attachment). FEMA received no requests for changes in the flood hazard determinations made in the preliminary Flood Insurance Study (FIS) and proposed FIRM, which were published on October 16, 2014 and July 7, 2016. Four (4) FIRM panels that are partially located in both northeast Chatham County and southeast Durham County were revised. According to Milton Carpenter, the NFIP Planner from NCDPS, none of the revised flood hazard areas of the FIRM panels were located within Chatham County. Though there were no revisions to any flood hazard areas within Chatham County, Chatham County is still required to amend the FIS effective date in the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance to October 19, 2018 to remain eligible for the National Flood Insurance Program. October 19, 2018 is the new effective date for the revised FIS and reflected in Section B of the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance. This change to the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance will not impact how Chatham County currently regulates flood hazard areas. The day-to-day floodplain administration of Chatham County should remain the same. A public hearing on this item was held during the June 18 Commissioners meeting and no public comment was provided.
The Planning Board reviewed this item during their August 7, 2018 meeting and by unanimous vote recommended approval.
How does this relate to the Comprehensive Plan:
Become more resilient by mitigating, responding and adapting to emerging threats. Improve emergency response and limit risk associated with natural and man-made disasters (drought, floods, energy costs and availability, etc.).
Recommendation:
The Planning Board, by unanimous vote (8-0), and planning staff recommend adoption of an ordinance amending Article 3, Section B of the Chatham County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance to change the effective date to October 19, 2018.