Commission approves update to Verona’s floodplain zoning ordinance to align with FEMA/DNR study

The Verona Planning Commission on March 3 approved a zoning text amendment to repeal and recreate Title 13, Chapter 2, the city's floodplain zoning ordinance, to reflect an updated FEMA flood insurance study and Department of Natural Resources guidance.

Planning staff explained that the countywide FEMA study was revised and that the state DNR requested Verona update its zoning language and references to remain compliant with state and federal rules. "FEMA has revised the flood insurance study for Dane County," a planning staff member said, and the draft ordinance updates references and study dates rather than changing local setback requirements, staff added.

The commission opened a public hearing; no members of the public spoke. Alder Posey asked whether any Verona residential or commercial properties would be affected; staff said maps in Verona were not changing and that the map revisions were primarily in other parts of the county (staff cited Monona as an example). The commission then moved and approved the zoning-text amendment.

The action updates Verona’s ordinance language to reflect the revised countywide study and to maintain compliance with state and federal requirements. Staff noted that current setback requirements from the floodplain are not changing. The amendment passed by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

Next steps include any administrative steps required to publish the updated ordinance and incorporate it into the city code. Because staff reported that Verona maps are unchanged, property owners in Verona were not identified as newly affected by the update during this meeting.