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Council adopts ordinance aligning local rules with updated FEMA flood maps despite resident objections
Summary
The Lantana Town Council approved Ordinance O-07-2024 on second reading to update building and manufactured-home elevation rules to match revised FEMA flood insurance rate maps; the 3-2 vote followed resident warnings about repair-cost limits and displacement risks.
The Lantana Town Council on Dec. 9 approved Ordinance O-07-2024, amending Chapter 6 of the town code to coordinate local building regulations with Palm Beach County’s adoption of the Florida Building Code and the revised FEMA flood insurance rate maps that take effect Dec. 20, 2024. The ordinance requires manufactured homes installed or replaced in designated special flood hazard areas to be elevated to at least the base flood elevation plus one foot as a condition of continued participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and the town’s Community Rating System (CRS).
Planning and building staff presented the ordinance as necessary to maintain the town’s CRS Class 8 rating, which provides property owners a 10% discount on flood insurance. “FEMA is revising the flood insurance rate maps, which will become effective on 12/20/2024,” planning staff said in a summary to council. Staff told the council that the elevation and other regulatory changes are prerequisite steps for continuing the town’s CRS benefits.
Residents at the podium warned the council that the changes could create hardship for long-time manufactured-home owners in low-lying neighborhoods. Ann Marie Joyce, who identified herself from View Street, said she initially stood in opposition because of the repair limits tied to appraised value and the difficulty of financing elevation work. “This is going to leave people in the lurch by a great deal because the property appraiser’s valuation of our homes is not high enough that we would be able to do many repairs,” Joyce said.
Mayor Litko said she would vote in favor of the ordinance because of impending changes in the insurance market, noting that “in 2027 citizens insurance is gonna require all policyholders in Florida to have flood insurance, whether you're in the flood plain or not.” Councilmembers exchanged concerns about balancing community-wide insurance benefits with the immediate financial impact on vulnerable residents.
Councilmember Morehouse moved to disapprove the ordinance on second reading; that motion was seconded but failed. Councilmember Mason then moved to approve the ordinance on second reading; the motion carried 3-2. The council did not attach special exemptions on the floor; staff indicated implementation details and options for mitigation would be discussed in follow-up work.
The ordinance text (O-07-2024) updates local definitions of the special flood hazard area and modifies standards for manufactured homes to comply with NFIP requirements and to preserve the town’s CRS status. The town attorney read the ordinance title into the record during the meeting. The council did not identify a precise funding mechanism tonight for homeowners who may face elevation costs; residents urged the council to explore alternatives.
