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Huron commission approves first reading of flood-ordinance amendment to comply with FEMA
Summary
The Huron City Commission approved first reading of a narrowly targeted amendment to the city's floodplain ordinance after staff said FEMA had not received the originally submitted ordinance; the change is intended to remove the city's temporary suspension from the federal flood insurance program.
The Huron City Commission approved a first reading amendment on an existing flood-damage-prevention ordinance to cure an administrative omission in state and federal submissions and restore the city's participation in the National Flood Insurance Program.
City staff told commissioners FEMA had not received the ordinance the city had previously submitted to the State Office of Emergency Management. The amendment updates several sections of the city's floodplain ordinance with the language FEMA requested, clarifies the role of the floodplain administrator, and adjusts certain "no-rise" standards so FEMA would accept the ordinance.
Why it matters: City staff said the omission left Huron temporarily suspended from the federal flood insurance program. Passing the amendment on first reading and completing the second reading on a scheduled date would allow staff to notify FEMA and seek immediate reinstatement once the 20-day post-adoption period passes.
City engineer (represented on staff by a full-time designee) and other staff described the technical changes as mostly insertion of FEMA-prescribed language and clarifications: a provision clarifying that the floodplain administrator is not obligated to sign map-adjustment acknowledgements (such as CLOMRs and LOMRs), language clarifying the floodplain development-permit process, and changing an absolute "no rise" standard to permit a limited "no-rise greater than one foot" allowance in specific instances.
Commissioners asked procedural questions about where the ordinance had been submitted and whether the revised version would be resubmitted to state and federal offices; staff said it had been submitted to the State Office of Emergency Management originally and that the updated ordinance would be submitted to FEMA once it took effect.
The first reading passed by roll call vote. The second reading was scheduled for March 17, 2025, after which staff will set and announce the effective date with FEMA to secure reinstatement of the program.
