City Council extends interim floodplain regulations for six months to preserve FEMA insurance eligibility

Seattle — The Seattle City Council unanimously approved a sixth extension Thursday of interim floodplain regulations so residents in mapped floodplain areas can continue to buy or renew Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood insurance and obtain federally backed loans.

Council President Sarah Nelson and councilmembers voted 9-0 to pass Council Bill 121013, which extends the interim regulations for six months to allow the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) time to publish a SEPA addendum and accept public comment before sending permanent legislation to the council.

The measure’s sponsor, Council member Solomon, said the extension was necessary because FEMA’s updated flood maps require the city to maintain code that meets the National Flood Insurance Program’s minimum standards. “Floodplain regulations contain development standards that make homes, businesses, and people safer from flooding,” Solomon said during the meeting. He told colleagues that without the extension, “property owners in the floodplains will not be able to purchase new flood insurance policies, renew existing policies, or obtain federally backed loans.”

Solomon and SDCI staff also told the council they had addressed concerns raised by the Port of Seattle, Central Waterfront groups and business owners and needed time to finalize the permanent code package. Solomon said the amendment under consideration corrected an effectiveness clause that, if left unchanged, would have created a regulatory gap; the amendment replaced a 30‑day effectiveness clause with immediate effectiveness similar to prior extensions.

The council adopted Amendment A by voice and roll call (9 in favor, none opposed) and then approved the bill as amended by a 9-0 roll-call vote. After the vote the chair directed the clerk to affix the council president’s signature.

No public commenters at the bill’s public hearing raised substantive new technical objections; one in-person speaker had been warned for abusive language and did not present further testimony on the ordinance. The council recorded no requests for further study or referral; SDCI will proceed with the SEPA addendum and transmit the permanent legislation for future council consideration.

The extension preserves existing interim rules that are intended to keep local regulation consistent with FEMA’s requirements and avoid gaps in flood-insurance availability while the city completes its permanent rulemaking process.