Agenda - 12-11-2007-6d - Laserfiche WebLink

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Attachment 1 Floodplain Management for the National Floodplain Insurance Program and the Community Rating System Orange County has developed a series of regulations to prevent building activity in its flood- prone areas, as well as to preserve the environmental attributes. Even though Orange County has been a leader in floodplain management through its work in planning, erosion and sedimentation control, Lands Legacy, and building inspection divisions, the County has not availed itself of federal programs that would financially recognize efforts through insurance rate rebates and other grant opportunities. Providing elevation certificates would allow the County to proceed into the qualifying phase of the Community Rating System (CRS) program. The County's interest in the proper management of floodplain areas has fostered an interest in the Federal Emergency Management Administration's (FEMA) CRS through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which provides federally flood insurance backing to private property owners. Benefits that communities can expect from participation in the CRS program may include the following: 1. Reduced privately held flood insurance premiums, 2. Enhanced public safety, 3. Reduction in damage to property and public infrastructure, 4. Avoidance of economic disruption and human suffering, 5. More comprehensive environmental protection, 6. Orange County can evaluate the effectiveness of its flood program against national benchmarks, 7. Added incentive to maintain other watershed protections, 8. Enhanced quality of life, and 9. Qualification for certain federal assistance programs. On December 14, 2004, letters, under the County Manager's signature, were sent to the Region IV FEMA Community Mitigation Program and to the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management, Floodplain Management Branch to, "Initiate the formal process to participate in the NFIP's CRS." In response to our initiative, FEMA responded with a letter to confirm a Community Assistance Visit (CAV) during the week of February 21, 2005. Our last CAV was on June 21, 1995. Orange County joined the National Flood Insurance Program in 1975, and entered the regular program in 1981 when it enacted the original flood damage prevention ordinance. The ordinance was first amended in 1995 and again in 2005. The County adopted its original soil erosion and sedimentation control standards in 1975 and its Neuse River Basin storm water regulations in 2001 and stream buffer use restrictions in 1994. In short, Orange County has a long, documented history of comprehensive land development regulations focused on our water resources and stream corridors. The CRS documents past and present county regulatory history and would elevate our efforts to a higher level or compliance and awareness. A summary of the February 2004 CAV recommendations include the following items: