Dunedin commission adopts ordinance aligning city floodplain rules with state building code

The Dunedin City Commission on Nov. 6 unanimously adopted Ordinance 25-07, updating the cityland development code to align local floodplain regulation with section 163.31795 of Florida law and the Florida Building Code.

City planner Joseph de Pasco told the commission the ordinance removes a five-year cumulative "substantial improvement" period the city had used and replaces it with the standard substantial-improvement definition required by state law. "We are bringing ourselves in compliance with that state requirement," de Pasco said, and added that staff recommended approval on second reading.

The ordinance also deletes local technical amendments, including a previously adopted one-foot freeboard that the Florida Building Code now requires, and updates cross-references to current Florida Building Code sections. The commission received no public comment on the item at second reading and voted to adopt the measure unanimously.

Commissioners clarified that market-value calculations used to determine substantial-damage thresholds refer to the building value prior to damage, a point staff said follows the national standard for floodplain administration.

The ordinance will be codified into the cityland development code and take effect according to the measures terms.

Action recorded: Ordinance 25-07 (floodplain amendment) adopted unanimously.