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Council adopts FEMA-aligned floodplain regulations; staff to notify affected property owners
Summary
Franklin City Council voted to adopt code changes that incorporate FEMA's updated flood hazard maps; staff said the move allows residents to access flood insurance and could yield an approximate 5% community-rating discount though exact premiums remain determined by insurers.
Franklin City Council on Jan. 12 adopted a text amendment to the city's floodplain regulations that incorporates FEMA's updated flood hazard determination and new flood insurance rate maps into the municipal code.
The council's action follows a staff presentation explaining that the amendment mirrors a state-prepared model ordinance and reflects a planning commission recommendation. Mr. Carter, who briefed the council, said the change is required for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program and that participation and updated standards should make it easier for affected residents to obtain flood insurance.
"With these regulations being updated ... our residents will be able to purchase flood insurance," Mr. Carter said, adding the community rating system could yield roughly a 5% discount for residents compared with similar localities. He also cautioned that exact premiums are set by insurers and vary by property.
Council members asked whether the Army Corps of Engineers had been contacted about structural mitigation such as flood walls; staff said the city applied for a state flood-preparedness grant to study flood-wall feasibility and that further study would be needed to pursue construction.
The mayor opened and closed the public hearing with no speakers and the council moved to adopt the ordinance. The motion passed; several members asked staff to provide more detailed, property-specific information to residents about how the changes could affect individual insurance costs.
The ordinance requires staff to notify property owners whose flood-zone designation changes and to distribute a frequently asked questions pamphlet and other resources as described in the staff packet.
What happens next: staff will send notices to property owners in newly affected zones and those remaining in existing zones and will continue any grant-related studies to explore mitigation options such as flood walls.
