Cocke County seeks state help to keep National Flood Insurance Program membership after floodplain coordinator resignation

Cocke County officials told state floodplain and FEMA representatives at a March 11, 2025 Public Safety Committee meeting that the county is working to replace its floodplain coordinator, who plans to resign June 30, and asked state staff for help to remain in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

Why it matters: Continued NFIP participation is tied to federal disaster assistance and flood insurance availability for residents; state and county officials said loss of NFIP status would reduce disaster funds available to residents and could affect rebuilding.

State NFIP staff Kevin Gardner and his colleague Jeremy Holly told the committee that if the county does not have a designated floodplain coordinator after June 30, the county mayor becomes the floodplain administrator by statute and county resolution, and that permitting and enforcement responsibilities continue without interruption. "If she resigns and that position is not fulfilled, then it's up to the county mayor to fill that position," Holly said.

County members said Macy Reed, the current coordinator, has offered to help train a replacement before she leaves. Holly and Gardner offered training, ordinance templates and permit templates and said the state can provide on-site and remote support. The state also offered one open seat in a basic floodplain management class starting the week of March 17, 2025, and said it would make room for a county attendee if notified by the end of the week.

Officials cited local impact numbers to underline urgency: the county has 89 flood insurance policies covering about $30,500,000 in insured value, and more than 1,200 residents applied for individual assistance during the recent disaster. Gardner told the committee that, had the county not been in NFIP, many of those claims and applications would not have been eligible for federal assistance; he said about $5,000,000 in disaster funds flowed to affected households in the county because of NFIP participation.

Committee members and residents urged quick action. Resident Roxanne, speaking from the audience, recalled using the NFIP program in other states and said the program is essential for homeowners and rebuilding. "This program is extremely important to this county," she said, adding that without NFIP "we will lose all the [disaster] funding."

State staff also described audit and contact history: the county's most recent remote contact with state NFIP staff was in 2019 and an earlier in-person visit was recorded in 2002. Gardner and Holly said they will provide technical assistance and training but stressed that state staff cannot perform the county's permitting duties; the county must enforce its own floodplain ordinance.

Next steps: County staff will recruit and interview candidates for the coordinator post and may ask the mayor to serve as acting floodplain administrator short term; the county will work with state staff to set training and update ordinances. The state offered to add a county attendee to the March 17 floodplain management class if notified promptly. No formal county vote was taken on NFIP participation during the meeting.

Unresolved items: The county did not provide a named replacement at the meeting; the committee asked staff to accelerate hiring and training to ensure continuous NFIP compliance.