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County staff urges adoption of FEMA flood maps to preserve National Flood Insurance eligibility
Summary
County staff told commissioners FEMA has submitted updated floodplain maps that Hamilton County must adopt as presented by Nov. 28 to maintain participation in the National Flood Insurance Program; staff offered to provide full‑size maps and said some areas will be added while others removed.
Commission staff briefed the commission on Resolution 8 25‑27, a proposed amendment to Hamilton County’s zoning regulations to minimize danger to life and property from flooding and to maintain eligibility for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
Ronnie Blaylock described a multi‑year FEMA study and said the county had to publish required notice and wait a 90‑day period. "We cannot change what they put in place by November 28," Blaylock said, explaining that the county must adopt FEMA’s maps by that date to avoid losing NFIP eligibility; commissioners could later adopt standards that exceed FEMA’s minimums but would need to send changes back to FEMA for approval.
Blaylock said full‑size maps are available at his office and offered to coordinate scanned copies or PDFs for commissioners. He said some areas of the county will be removed from the floodplain and other areas added under the new maps, and he described technical improvements in mapping accuracy (now using GPS/satellite data rather than older transit methods).
A resident, Gary Bowles, spoke in support of the resolution and urged county officials to pursue additional measures so residents can secure flood insurance discounts. The item proceeded as a staff‑driven adoption discussion; the transcript does not record a final vote.
