Yankton adopts updated floodplain development regulations after FEMA map revisions

The Yankton City Commission voted to approve Ordinance 1092, formally adopting updated floodplain development regulations that reflect recent Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) map revisions.

City staff said the updates reflect changes the city has been using in practice for about 20 months after contesting portions of FEMA's maps and providing technical analyses to correct elevation and hydraulic findings. The formal adoption is required for FEMA to certify the community's ordinance at the federal level.

Planning and development staff summarized the process for commissioners, saying the city engaged a hydrology consultant, submitted comments during FEMA's periodic map update, and negotiated changes to make the maps match conditions on the ground. Staff emphasized that enforcement practices have not changed from how the city has been administering the maps since the preliminary map designation.

City staff also said the city mailed notices to property owners whose designations changed; a small number of property owners remain unresolved because FEMA did not accept their letter of map revision or amendment. Staff named a department point of contact for owners seeking parcel-specific clarifications.

Commissioner remarks noted that after local approval, the federal review may require minor amendments to the ordinance, and the item could return to the commission if FEMA requests changes. The commission then voted; the motion carried unanimously.

The ordinance's adoption means the city's floodplain rules now match the preliminary FEMA maps being administered locally. Property owners with questions about specific parcels were advised to contact city planning staff for details and next steps.