1. Uphold the goals of the community and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to reduce risk when possible and increase the community’s resistance to future disasters.

2. Review, approve, or deny all applications for floodplain development permits required by adoption of this chapter.

3. Review all floodplain development permits to determine that all necessary permits have been obtained from those federal, state or local governmental agencies from which prior approval is required.

4. Assure that the flood carrying capacity within the altered or relocated portion of any watercourse is maintained.

5. Maintain and hold open for public inspection all records pertaining to the provisions of this chapter, including the actual elevation of the lowest floor (including basement or crawlspace) of all new or substantially improved structures and any floodproofing certificates, including the data supporting such certificates.

6. Maintain and hold open for public inspection maps that identify and locate the boundaries of the special flood hazard areas (SFHAs) to which this chapter applies, including, but not limited to, the flood insurance rate map (FIRM).

7. Review development proposals to determine whether a proposed building site, including sites designed for the placement of manufactured homes, will be reasonably safe from flooding.

8. Ensure that all necessary permits have been obtained from those federal, state, or local governmental agencies (including Section 404 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, 33 U.S.C. 1334 and the Endangered Species Act of 1973) from which prior approval is required.

9. Where interpretation is needed as to the exact location of the boundaries of the areas of special flood hazards (for example, where there appears to be a conflict between a mapped boundary and actual field conditions), the floodplain administrator shall make the necessary interpretation.

10. When base flood elevation (BFE) data has not been provided by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the floodplain administrator shall obtain, review, and reasonably utilize any BFE data and floodway data available from a federal, state, or other source, including data provided by the applicant, in order to administer the provisions of this chapter.

11. When a regulatory floodway has not been designated, no new construction, substantial improvements, or other development (including fill) shall be permitted within Zones A1-30, AE, and AH on the community’s FIRM, unless it is demonstrated that the cumulative effect of the proposed development, when combined with all other existing and anticipated development, will not increase the water surface elevation of the base flood more than one-half foot (0.50') at any point within the community unless the community has adopted higher standard options.

12. Under the provisions of 44 CFR Chapter 1, Section 65.12 of the NFIP regulations, a community may approve certain development in Zones A1-30, AE, and AH on the community’s FIRM, which increases the water surface elevation of the base flood by more than one-half foot (0.50'); provided, that the community first meets the requirements of Section 65.12 for a conditional FIRM revision through FEMA’s conditional letter of map revision process.

13. Zone A Areas. When a regulatory floodway has not been designated and if the project is determined or reasonably believed to cause an adverse impact, the floodplain administrator may require new construction, substantial improvements, or other development (including fill, grading or excavation) permitted in a Zone A to have an encroachment analysis done prior to issuance of a floodplain development permit. The encroachment analysis shall create a baseline of existing conditions model and compare it to the proposed conditions model to determine the potential impact of the project. Based on the findings, the floodplain administrator may require as a condition of the permit a conditional letter of map revision (CLOMR) to be submitted and approved prior to any work occurring and/or that a letter of map revision (LOMR) be submitted to FEMA within six (6) months of completion of the development.

14. May inspect development at appropriate times during the period of construction to ensure compliance with all provisions of this chapter, including proper elevation of structures.

15. In addition to utilizing the effective flood insurance rate maps (FIRMs), flood insurance study (FIS), and flood boundary and floodway map (FBFM), permit reviews may utilize best available data. See Section 17.62.090.

16. If the project is determined or reasonably believed to cause an adverse effect on the BFEs, boundaries of the floodplain or any insurable structures, technical justification for the proposed development shall be submitted and the community may require a CLOMR or LOMR to be submitted prior to the permit approval or as a requirement of the permit.

17. Fill placed within the special flood hazard area (SFHA) should not result in any net loss of natural floodplain storage or increase in water surface elevations during the base flood. The city may require that the volume of the loss of floodwater storage due to filling in the SFHA be offset by providing an equal volume of flood storage by excavation or other compensatory measures at or adjacent to the development site. (Ord. 2020-7 §1, amended, 2020)