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ORANGE COUNTY <br />PLANNING BOARD ORDINANCE REVIEW COMMITTEE <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: August 1, 2018 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 2 <br /> <br />SUBJECT: Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) Text Amendments – Update of Flood <br />Information Rate Maps (FIRM) <br /> <br />DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections <br /> <br /> <br />ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />1. Draft UDO Amendment(s) on new Flood <br />Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) Effective <br />Dates <br />Michael D. Harvey, Planner III (919) 245-2597 <br />Craig Benedict, Director (919) 245-2575 <br /> <br />PURPOSE: To review and comment upon Planning Director initiated Unified Development <br />Ordinance (UDO) text amendments updating the effective date of the County’s Flood <br />Information Rate Maps (FIRM). <br /> <br />BACKGROUND: As the Board may be aware from past correspondence, Orange County has <br />been a member of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) since approximately 1976. The <br />NFIP offers flood insurance to homeowners, renters, and business owners if their community <br />participates in the program. Specifically communities must adopt and enforce regulations <br />designed to mitigate/reduce flood risk. This includes adoption of flood maps denoting areas <br />where flooding is a possibility. Flood areas are identified on FIRM maps, which are developed <br />and maintained by FEMA. <br /> <br />On November 14, 2017 the BOCC approved a UDO and Zoning Atlas Amendment package <br />that: <br />1. Adopted new FIRM maps with an effective date of November 17, 2017, <br />2. Eliminated the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) Overlay District, and <br />3. Updated existing flood damage prevention regulations to ensure consistency with State <br />and Federal requirements. <br />Agenda materials from the November 14, 2017 public hearing can be accessed utilizing the <br />following link: <br />http://cms3.revize.com/revize/orangecounty/document_center/BOCCAgendaMinutes/171114.pd <br />f <br />Staff was recently informed by State FEMA officials there is going to be a FIRM update <br />modifying existing flood data. As a result of these changes, Orange County must modify <br />existing regulation(s) to reflect the new FIRM effective date, specifically October 19, 2018. The <br />County is required to update the existing FIRM effective date to continue to be eligible for <br />participation in the NFIP. <br /> 2