Okaloosa County BOCC — February 21, 2017 — Issuance of Notice for New Floodplain Maps — agenda request

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA REQUEST DATE: February 21, 2017 TO: Honorable Chairman and Members of the Board FROM: Elliot Kampert SUBJECT: Issuance of Notice for New Floodplain Maps DEPARTMENT: Growth Management BCC DISTRICT: All STATEMENT OF ISSUE: Advise the Board of County Commissioners on the status of the Flood Insurance Rate Map update, including the 90 day comment window and necessity of designating an entity to receive any appeals, if filed. BACKGROUND: In 1968, the US Congress passed the National Flood Insurance Act in order to provide a method of sharing the risk of flood losses through a program of flood insurance intended to complement and encourage preventive and protective measures. One of the key components of the NFIP are the Flood Insurance Rate Maps which are used to assess a property's risk of flooding and establish the insurance premiums of policy holders. In order to participate in the NFIP, a community must, at a minimum, enforce the standards provided in the NFIP including adherence to the flood maps. On July 1, 1977, Okaloosa County began participating in the NFIP, and since that time has adopted the most current versions of the maps and maintained within the County Code various provisions to implement its floodplain management program in accordance with the NFIP. Due to an escalation in the number and cost of flood insurance claims, in 2012 Congress passed the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act (BW-12) which requires significant program reform. The law requires changes to all major components of the program, including flood insurance, flood hazard mapping, grants, and the management of floodplains which are intended to improve the program, and make the NFIP more financially stable by ensuring that flood insurance rates more accurately reflect the true risks and costs of flooding. Due to public concern over the increased cost of flood insurance under BW-12, in 2014 Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act. Perhaps most importantly, the 2014 Act prohibits FEMA from enacting the rate increases until after a mapping change or update occurs. The Flood Insurance Rate Maps currently in effect in Okaloosa County were adopted in 2002. As required by BW-12, FEMA began the process of updating the maps in order to ensure that they reflect as accurately as possible the vulnerability of flooding throughout the County. In April of 2016, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, working in conjunction with the Northwest Florida Water Management District, released for public agency review the preliminary draft of the updated maps. Growth Management and Public Works staff reviewed the maps and did not identify any errors that could be found without conducting an engineering and surveying analysis. Further, a number of known errors in the existing maps have been corrected in the updated version. The Board of County Commissioners received a public information update regarding the release of the preliminary maps on May 17, 2016. The update included the website whereby citizens could obtain additional information. On February 8, 2017, FEMA sent the attached letter advising Okaloosa County that the final draft maps have been completed and are available for public inspection. The letter states that advertisements will be run in the February 15 and February 22 editions of the Northwest Florida Daily News notifying the general public of the availability of the maps. The publication of the second advertisement starts a 90 day appeal period during which anyone who believes the maps to be in error may file an appeal. It is important to note that, as stated in the letter, "the sole basis for such appeals is the possession of knowledge or information indicating that the proposed flood hazard determinations are scientifically or technically incorrect", and that "[o]nly app