Commission recommends UDC changes to adopt updated FEMA flood maps before Jan. 17

The Planning & Zoning Commission on Dec. 10 unanimously recommended that city council adopt targeted edits to the City of Buda’s Unified Development Code to align local floodplain rules with updated FEMA regulatory maps scheduled to become effective Jan. 17, 2025.

Development Services Director Angela Kennedy said FEMA’s remapping for Hays County has been underway for years and that the updated regulatory maps were adopted in December 2024; the city must revise UDC references to the older 2005 maps to the new 01/17/2025 maps and correct internal conflicts. Kennedy explained that the city’s ordinance previously contained two provisions that conflicted with federal guidance on allowable rise downstream and that staff proposed removing the conflicting paragraphs to eliminate confusion.

Kennedy also said staff will add a requirement that an elevation certificate be submitted for all new development and substantial improvements in the mapped flood hazard areas and that minor typographical errors be corrected. She emphasized that updating the UDC is necessary to remain a participating community in the National Flood Insurance Program and to help property owners access FEMA flood insurance.

Commissioners asked technical questions about how the maps were developed, public outreach, and whether the changes mainly affect new development. Kennedy said Hays County initiated the remapping and that most private development in Buda is not currently located in developed floodplain parcels; the amendments primarily affect future development and any property owners who substantially improve structures within the mapped areas.

Following the presentation and a brief procedural public‑hearing pause, the commission voted unanimously to recommend the UDC amendments to city council for adoption prior to FEMA’s effective date.