Title
New Flood Insurance Rate Maps (NB)
Explanation
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has issued Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) and a Flood Insurance Study (FIS) for Alachua County in a new single county wide format. In the past, separate map sets were produced for each incorporated community and the unincorporated areas of the County participating in the National Flood Insurance Program. All flood information, including floodway information, is now included in the one set of Preliminary FIRMs for Alachua County.
FEMA provides communities with an opportunity to review new FIRMs before they become final, and to file appeals if someone believes the maps/studies are scientifically or technically incorrect. FEMA will start the appeal period by publishing a notice of the proposed new or revised 100-year flood elevations called base flood elevations (BFEs) in the Gainesville Sun and in the Federal Register. The newspaper notice will be published twice. The second publication will take place about a week after the first. The 90-day appeal period begins on the date of the second publication. The first notice is expected to run within the next few weeks.
During the appeal period, community officials and individual property owners may appeal the proposed BFEs by submitting data to show that the BFEs are scientifically or technically incorrect. During this period the City of Gainesville will submit new flood studies for Sweetwater Branch and Tumblin Creek. It should be noted that in other areas of the City, community determined flood information is available and will be used to supplement the information presented on the FIRMs. After the 90-day appeal period has elapsed and any Appeals have been resolved, FEMA issues a final BFE determination letter.
A community official or individual property owner may wish to object to information shown on the FIRM or in the FIS report that does not involve the proposed BFEs. This type of objection is called a Protest. Protests will generally involve changes to floodplain boundary delineations, corporate limits, and roads and road names.
Appeals and Protests should not be submitted directly to FEMA. Appeals and Protests should be submitted to the Interim City Manager or a designated community official (CO). The CO will review the submittals and forward them to FEMA with a statement as to whether the community supports them.
FEMA will give communities an additional 6 months following the letter of final BFE determination in order to revise the local floodplain ordinance to reference the new FIRMs. Following this 6-month period the FIRMs will be published and become effective. The new Alachua County FIRMs are expected to become effective approximately one year from now.
Copies of the Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps and Flood Insurance Study are available for review in the Public Works Administration office located in the Thomas Center and at the Alachua County Library. A 90-day appeal period will begin following the second public notice to appear in the Gainesville Sun and the Federal Register. Following the appeal period, the Flood Insurance Rate Maps will be presented to the Commission for formal adoption.
Fiscal Note
None
Recommendation
The City Commission authorize: 1) the Interim City Manager to designate a Community Official; 2) the Community Official to prepare all documents necessary to comply with the Flood Insurance Rate Map Amendment process; and 3) the City Attorney to prepare ordinance amendments to reflected the adoption of the Final Flood Insurance Rate Maps and Flood Insurance Study.