Council hears pitch for floodplain-management software to centralize elevation certificates and code enforcement

Denham Springs — City staff recommended buying a combined floodplain-management and code-enforcement software package that they said would centralize elevation certificates, improve Community Rating System (CRS) documentation and provide a customer portal for residents and real-estate professionals.

The presenter described the package as a ‘‘flood plain management’’ system that also handles notices of violation and code-enforcement workflows. The software will allow staff to attach and scan elevation certificates, flag documents that are noncompliant and display property-specific information on a public-facing customer portal, the presenter said.

Staff said the system would help reduce errors that have previously surfaced at FEMA verification when elevation certificates were incomplete or used the wrong diagram variant. "If we can just slide those things in there, let it read ... it'll help us with our CRS points," the presenter said, listing Tangipahoa Parish and other nearby jurisdictions that have implemented similar systems.

Committee members asked about public access. Staff said users will likely need to register for an account to prevent automated data scraping, but the portal will not charge a fee: "you make an account, and you can look at what you got. So real estate agents can pull up stuff, potential buyers," the presenter said.

Why it matters: consolidating elevation certificates and enforcement records could improve the city's standing in flood-risk rating programs and reduce administrative errors when seeking FEMA reimbursements or CRS credit. The committee discussion did not include a final purchase authorization; staff framed the recommendation and answered implementation questions.