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Albany floodplain manager outlines FEMA/NFIP changes, comment window and local implications
Summary
Floodplain manager Jennifer Cappello briefed the council on a FEMA draft EIS affecting NFIP/ESA implementation in Oregon, including four compliance paths, a new 170‑foot riparian buffer zone option, and an Aug. 22–Oct. 6 comment period; the city faces an 18‑month adoption window if the rule is finalized.
Jennifer Cappello, Albany’s floodplain manager, told the City Council on Monday that a FEMA draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and related endangered‑species integration guidance could change how the city implements the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and compliance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Cappello said Albany participates in FEMA’s Community Rating System (CRS) and holds a class 5 rating, which currently provides roughly a 25% discount on community NFIP premiums. She summarized the draft EIS’s four compliance paths: adopt a FEMA model ordinance; submit an ordinance checklist demonstrating existing local rules meet the requirements; develop a customized community plan approved by FEMA; or implement a community‑level habitat conservation plan under Section 10 of the ESA.
She said the draft EIS was issued on Aug. 7, 2025, and that its public comment period runs from Aug. 22 to Oct. 6. If the draft is finalized with limited changes, the city will have an 18‑month adoption window to bring local regulations into alignment; Cappello said this process explains why some development in the floodplain is on hold.
Cappello also described a proposed riparian buffer zone (RBZ) that would extend approximately 170 feet inland from the ordinary high‑water mark and noted FEMA’s use of mitigation ratios for development within the RBZ. She emphasized that the draft EIS offers options and that a community can choose different compliance paths for different areas of the city (for example, a model ordinance for riparian areas and an alternative compliance approach elsewhere).
Councilors thanked Cappello for the briefing and had no substantive questions at the work session. The draft EIS and accompanying materials are available for public review; Cappello offered to meet one‑on‑one with council members to address technical questions.
What’s next: The public comment period remains open through Oct. 6; a final EIS would trigger an 18‑month local adoption period if the rules are adopted.
