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Commission hears drainage manual update; five-year storm metric tied to insurance-rating credits
Summary
The commission opened a public hearing on proposed edits to subdivision standards to adopt the Livingston Parish Drainage Criteria Manual and discussed adding a pre/post-development five-year storm analysis to pursue Community Rating System (CRS) insurance credits.
The Planning & Zoning Commission opened a public hearing on Jan. 9 to consider language updates that would include the Livingston Parish Drainage Criteria Manual in the subdivision regulations (Chapter 125, sections 125-126 and 125-127) and to adopt pre- and post-development drainage analysis standards.
Commissioner Burns raised a question about a proposed five-year storm analysis included in the manual’s predevelopment/post-development standards. Engineers and commenters at the meeting said five-year, 10-year, 25-year and 100-year storm events are commonly used; Burns asked why a five-year standard was necessary in addition to those other return intervals.
Randy Dillard (identified in the record as “past president”) answered that the five-year element was added to secure credits under the Community Rating System (CRS), a FEMA-administered program that can reduce flood-insurance premiums for property owners when municipalities adopt certain voluntary measures. Dillard said the five-year analysis would contribute additional CRS points (he referred to an additional 50 points).
WSP staff presented the manuscript language and the commission closed the public hearing on the item with no immediate vote recorded on adoption. Commissioners asked staff to ensure the drainage manual language aligns with CRS goals and to confirm how the five-year analysis would be implemented in design review.
Why it matters: Adopting the drainage criteria manual and the additional five-year analysis is intended to strengthen parish stormwater review and may lower flood-insurance costs for residents if the parish receives higher CRS credits. Commissioners and staff indicated further technical review is needed to finalize how the five-year analysis will be required and documented in subdivision approvals.
No formal motion or vote on the drainage manual was recorded in the transcript; staff will report back with any edits and clarify the programmatic relationship to CRS before returning to the commission or moving the item to council consideration.
