Council reviews repeal/replace of Local Law 186 to adopt new FEMA maps; staff outlines CRS cost/benefit

The Common Council committee reviewed a staff proposal to repeal and replace Local Law 186 (Flood Damage Prevention) to adopt newly released FEMA flood hazard maps and update floodplain development standards.

Planning director and staff explained the change is required for the city to remain a participant in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). “This local law must be adopted and sent with documentation that's adopted to DEC by May 19, which is 30 days before the effective date of the maps, which is June 18,” staff told the committee. The staff memo warned that a failure to adopt the local law would cause immediate suspension from the NFIP, which provides federally backed flood insurance to property owners in the 100‑year floodplain.

Staff described the local law as largely aligning municipal regulations with FEMA/DEC minimum standards while adding clarified definitions (accessory structure, crawl space, substantial damage) and reorganizing language to aid administration. Staff also proposed a $150 floodplain development permit fee to cover increased workload as more properties will be in regulated floodplain areas under the new maps.

During the presentation, staff noted FEMA’s new Tompkins County maps expand the number of residential parcels in the mapped 100‑year floodplain from roughly 100 to about 750 residential properties; that expansion drives the need for clearer permits, records and outreach. Planning staff said they had submitted proposed local law text to DEC for review and had integrated DEC’s suggested minor changes.

The committee also received a briefing on the Community Rating System (CRS), a voluntary FEMA program that can reduce premiums for policyholders who hold federally backed flood insurance. City staff and consultants found that with current city practices the city could likely achieve CRS Class 8 or 9 (a 5–10% discount on federally backed flood insurance premiums). Under a scenario in which the city did not pursue or did not complete a proposed flood‑mitigation project, staff estimated cumulative premium savings to policyholders of roughly $1.6 million over 20 years. If a flood‑mitigation project fully removed many parcels from the mapped floodplain, CRS savings would shrink and in some modeled scenarios applying for CRS would not be cost‑effective.

Council members asked about public notice, the phase‑in of premiums, the relationship between federal and private flood insurance, and whether the city could pursue higher CRS classes (which would require adopting more restrictive land‑use rules and significant staff time). Staff emphasized the city is already performing many CRS‑eligible activities and that the next step would be to determine which activities the city would formally claim and to staff an application process. The report said an application and annual reporting would require dedicated staff time (estimated part‑time) and ongoing administration.

Procedure: The committee moved the local law forward and referred it to the May Common Council voting meeting; the clerk recorded the motion carrying and later reported “All those in favor of moving this to our May meeting. That carries 9 0.” Staff said the law and related documentation must be sent to the DEC by May 19 to meet FEMA’s effective date of June 18 for the new maps.

Why it matters: Adopting the updated local law is a prerequisite for homeowners and lenders to retain access to federally backed flood insurance. It also triggers permit requirements for a larger set of properties and will increase the city’s administrative load; planning staff proposed a modest permit fee to cover review costs.

Ending: The committee sent the repeal/replace local law to the May council meeting; staff will proceed with application of the new maps and follow DEC’s filing timeline while refining CRS planning and public outreach.