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Board hears updated floodplain ordinance and discusses new FEMA maps; item moved to next meeting
Summary
County staff presented an updated Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance based on a 2021 state model; staff said adopting the ordinance is necessary to maintain eligibility for certain federal assistance and to preserve flood insurance discounts. Commissioners moved the ordinance to the next meeting for further consideration.
Swain County staff presented an updated Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance to the Board of Commissioners on May 6, saying the amendment brings county rules into alignment with a 2021 state model and with federal program requirements.
County planning staff (identified at the meeting as Jason) said the update "gets us up to the current standards" and tied adoption to eligibility for federal assistance. "If you don't have all this stuff in place, then... the money that we've been receiving through federal assistance, you don't get denied that portion of that money from what I understand," Jason said. Staff described the draft ordinance as removing much optional language and keeping "the bare minimums" necessary to match state requirements.
Staff noted the draft also tightens definitions for things such as how recreational vehicles are classified and technical requirements such as elevation certificates and no‑rise certification for floodways. Gina (county technical staff) and other county staff answered detailed technical questions at the meeting.
County staff said new floodplain maps are expected to be adopted at the state level in the fall, followed by a local public-comment period; staff said preliminary changes would move about 10 parcels into the floodplain and about 10 parcels out. Staff told the board the new maps should become official early next year and that the county will revisit ordinance language after the state adoption.
Procedural note: staff explained that under the North Carolina procedures referenced at the meeting, a nonunanimous first reading requires the item to be carried to the next meeting for a subsequent vote. After discussion, a commissioner moved to set the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance; the board carried the motion and staff said the item "moves on to the next meeting" for continued consideration.
Why it matters: staff said updating the ordinance preserves community eligibility for federal programs and discounted National Flood Insurance Program rates; staff warned that without a current ordinance the county could lose discounts and residents could face substantially higher flood-insurance rates. The board did not adopt the ordinance at this meeting and will revisit it in a subsequent meeting.
