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Camden County adopts UDC amendment to maintain CRS Class 6 flood-insurance discount
Summary
After a public hearing with no speakers, the county commission approved an amendment to section 11-30(b)(3)(b)(2) of the unified development code to meet FEMA/NFIP requirements, preserving a 20% flood insurance premium discount for unincorporated Camden County residents by maintaining the Community Rating System Class 6 rating.
The Camden County Board of Commissioners on a June meeting approved an amendment to the unified development code (UDC) to align local floodplain rules with National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requirements and preserve the county’s Community Rating System (CRS) Class 6 designation.
County staff and planning staff told commissioners that without the amendment to section 11-30(b)(3)(b)(2) — provisions for flood hazard reduction standards for manufactured homes and recreational vehicles where base flood elevation data are available — Camden County would be downgraded from CRS Class 6 to Class 9, costing unincorporated homeowners a 20% loss in their NFIP premium discount. Planning Commission recommended approval.
Cassie Turpin, floodplain and soil-erosion coordinator for Camden County Planning and Development, told the board that maintaining the Class 6 rating requires ongoing documentation and implementation of best practices. County presenters said the CRS discount has produced more than $1,000,000 in cumulative premium savings for Camden County policyholders since the county joined the program in 2012.
During discussion, a commissioner who had worked with FEMA processes explained the agency’s rigor and supported the UDC change; commissioners asked clarifying questions about how the change would affect leeway for manufactured-home placement in areas with base flood elevation data. There were no public comments on the proposed amendment during the public hearing.
A motion to approve the UDC amendment passed after a first and second; the chair announced “motion carries.” The county clerk recorded the approval, and staff said the change will be submitted to FEMA/CRS reporting as required.
The amendment aims to keep the county’s CRS classification intact, thereby preserving the 20% NFIP discount for most unincorporated Camden County homeowners. The board and staff emphasized that the rating is not automatic and requires continuing planning and monitoring work by county staff.
