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Roseburg directs staff to pursue FEMA model ordinance for floodplain/endangered-species compliance
Summary
Council instructed staff to tell FEMA by Dec. 1 that Roseburg intends to plan to adopt the agency’s model ordinance (PICM) and to evaluate local adjustments, rather than pursue permit‑by‑permit habitat assessments or a full floodplain development prohibition.
Roseburg City Council on Nov. 18 directed staff to notify FEMA that the city will plan to adopt the agency’s model ordinance for Pre‑Implementation Compliance Measures (PICM) tied to the National Flood Insurance Program and endangered-species protections.
Senior planner Mark Moffett briefed the council on three FEMA options: (1) adopt FEMA’s model ordinance requiring mitigation to a no-net-loss standard; (2) require a habitat assessment and mitigation plan on a permit-by-permit basis; or (3) prohibit floodplain development entirely. Staff recommended option (1) — adopt the model ordinance — while noting the model may need local adjustments to align with Oregon’s statewide planning rules and objective standards.
Councilors and staff discussed likely new requirements, including tree inventories, mitigation for new impervious surfaces, and habitat-impact assessments. Staff noted the model ordinance is being revised and will not be required to be adopted until July 30, 2025, but FEMA requested a response from jurisdictions by Dec. 1, 2024. Council moved and directed staff to tell FEMA Roseburg will plan to adopt the model ordinance and to continue evaluating how to tailor it to local conditions.
What’s next: Staff will await FEMA’s revised model ordinance, evaluate local code adjustments required for implementation and return to council with recommended ordinance language before the July 2025 adoption deadline.
