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Brookings County adopts zoning change to reflect updated FEMA flood maps; 11 properties affected, officials say
Summary
The Brookings County Commission approved Ordinance 2025-01 on Feb. 4 to update the county zoning ordinance to match new FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps; county staff said 11 property owners were newly identified as flood-prone and were notified. Appeals must go through FEMA.
The Brookings County Commission on Feb. 4 approved Ordinance 2025-01, an amendment to the county zoning ordinance to adopt Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Insurance Rate Map updates that county staff said affect roughly 11 property owners.
County development Deputy Director Richard Hagen told the commission the ordinance language was drawn from FEMA’s guidance and that the county had sent letters to affected owners and connected some of them with FEMA for possible appeals. “We believe that the science behind developing the ordinance is the best science that there is,” Hagen said during the public hearing.
The ordinance update was adopted after a public hearing and a recommendation from the county planning board. Commissioner roll call recorded approval with Commissioners Miller, Hasler, Vanderwall, Post and Jensen voting yes.
Why it matters: the updated maps change which parcels are designated within the regulatory floodplain and can obligate property owners to buy flood insurance and affect eligibility for some grants and permits. Hagen said more precise elevation data and side-imaging analysis drove the change; he estimated 11 properties were moved back into the floodplain after the updated mapping.
Commissioners pressed staff on next steps and appeal options. Hagen said affected property owners may pursue a Letter of Map Amendment or other appeal directly with FEMA and that the county does not have a professional engineer on staff to prepare elevation certifications or to facilitate those appeals. “If the science shows they are not flood prone, FEMA has the ability to take them back out,” he said, adding that no appeals had been finalized as of the meeting.
Commissioners and staff also noted the last substantial floodplain update used in the county ordinance dated to February 2008; the new ordinance brings county mapping into alignment with the latest federal data. The county also noted the ordinance update was completed with technical assistance from the First District Association of Local Governments and FEMA Region 8 staff.
The commission closed the public hearing with no proponents or opponents speaking from the floor and adopted the ordinance by roll call. County staff will continue to field inquiries from affected property owners and to coordinate with FEMA on any pending appeals.
The ordinance and the county’s comprehensive plan are living documents, county staff said, and will be revisited in future updates when new data or policy changes warrant additional amendments.
