Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Floodplain topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Story County moves first consideration of floodplain ordinance amendments to align with state guidance
Summary
Planning staff presented text amendments to Story County Code chapter 80 (floodplain management) to align the county ordinance with the Iowa DNR home-rule model after a community assistance visit. The board granted first consideration with minor corrections and set a second consideration hearing for July 22.
The Story County Board of Supervisors gave first consideration on July 15 to a text amendment to chapter 80 of the Story County Code, updating the county floodplain management ordinance to match the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ home-rule model and to correct internal references.
Leanne, planning staff, told the board the amendments reorganize chapter 80, remove outdated district language, add two definitions (enclosed area below the lowest floor and 500-year flood) and revise the substantial-damage standard to match state expectations following a 2024 community-assistance visit. The amendments are intended to preserve the county’s compliance with state and federal floodplain-management requirements.
Staff noted two minor corrections to the published ordinance that would be fixed before second consideration: renumbering sections (for example, items labeled 80.15 and 80.16 must be renumbered because 80.11 was removed) and a misplaced subsection reference on page 18. Staff recommended approval with those modifications and set second consideration for July 22 to allow the county code reviewer and the DNR time to review any subsequent edits. The county received no public testimony during the hearing.
Why it matters: aligning the county ordinance with state model language preserves compliance with state requirements and FEMA-related floodplain standards; failure to align could affect the county’s flood insurance rating and eligibility for certain state or federal actions.
Board action: The board voted to approve the ordinance on first consideration with the corrections noted and to set second consideration for July 22 (roll-call: Merkin, aye; Headens/Edens, aye).
