Planners Review Revisions To Flood Ordinance
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Tim [email protected]
The ordinance sets specifications for construction projects in designated flood plains around the county's lakes. The flood zone restrictions are imposed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and administered to local government by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.[[In-content Ad]]Assistant Planner Matt Sandy told the plan commission the DNR audited the county's ordinance this year and provided a list of changes necessary to stay current with federal and state standards.
Sandy provided a draft of a new county ordinance, which included the federal and state updates as well as several extra restrictions. The extra restrictions, County Plan Director Dan Richard told the board, qualify county property owners for a 5-percent reduction on flood insurance rates.
One of the extra restrictions is a requirement that the first floor level of all new construction around lakes of 300 acres or more be at least three feet above the 100-year flood level for that lake. At least 11 of the county's lakes are affected by the restriction.
The plan commission discussed recommending lowering the requirement to two feet above the 100-year flood level. Richard said lowering the requirement could reduce soil runoff onto neighboring land. Plan commission member and County Surveyor Dick Kemper said the three foot regulation was unnecessary around most of the lakes affected.
"My gut feeling is that two feet is sufficient for 99 percent of the area," Kemper said.
However, Kemper and several other plan commission members said the restriction should only be lowered if it would not endanger the county's 5-percent insurance rate reduction.
Richard said the state inspects the county's ordinance on a five-year schedule. He said the insurance rate reduction is based on a points system. If dropping the floor height requirement loses the county some points, he said other things like the county's global information mapping system could gain those points back. Richard said if changing to a two-foot requirement does put the insurance reduction in danger, the county will have a chance to change it back.
The plan commission voted unanimously to recommend that the Kosciusko County Board of Commissioners pass the proposed ordinance with the exception of the three-foot floor requirement.
The ordinance sets specifications for construction projects in designated flood plains around the county's lakes. The flood zone restrictions are imposed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and administered to local government by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.[[In-content Ad]]Assistant Planner Matt Sandy told the plan commission the DNR audited the county's ordinance this year and provided a list of changes necessary to stay current with federal and state standards.
Sandy provided a draft of a new county ordinance, which included the federal and state updates as well as several extra restrictions. The extra restrictions, County Plan Director Dan Richard told the board, qualify county property owners for a 5-percent reduction on flood insurance rates.
One of the extra restrictions is a requirement that the first floor level of all new construction around lakes of 300 acres or more be at least three feet above the 100-year flood level for that lake. At least 11 of the county's lakes are affected by the restriction.
The plan commission discussed recommending lowering the requirement to two feet above the 100-year flood level. Richard said lowering the requirement could reduce soil runoff onto neighboring land. Plan commission member and County Surveyor Dick Kemper said the three foot regulation was unnecessary around most of the lakes affected.
"My gut feeling is that two feet is sufficient for 99 percent of the area," Kemper said.
However, Kemper and several other plan commission members said the restriction should only be lowered if it would not endanger the county's 5-percent insurance rate reduction.
Richard said the state inspects the county's ordinance on a five-year schedule. He said the insurance rate reduction is based on a points system. If dropping the floor height requirement loses the county some points, he said other things like the county's global information mapping system could gain those points back. Richard said if changing to a two-foot requirement does put the insurance reduction in danger, the county will have a chance to change it back.
The plan commission voted unanimously to recommend that the Kosciusko County Board of Commissioners pass the proposed ordinance with the exception of the three-foot floor requirement.
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