The floodplain administrator or designee is authorized to assess a fee as approved by the board of supervisors for providing, upon request, flood zone determinations.
(Prior code § 4.1340)
A development permit shall be obtained before construction or development, including for manufactured homes, begins within any area of special flood hazards established in Section 15.52.070. Application for a development permit shall be made on forms furnished by the floodplain administrator and may include, but not be limited to, plans in duplicate drawn to scale showing the nature, locations, dimensions, and elevation of the area in question; existing or proposed structures, fill, storage of materials, drainage facilities; and the location of the foregoing. Specifically, the following information is required:
A.
Proposed elevation in relations to mean sea level, of the lowest floor (including basement) of all structures;
B.
Proposed elevation in relation to mean sea level to which any structure will be floodproofed;
D.
Description of the extent to which any watercourse will be altered or relocated as a result of proposed development.
(Prior code § 4.1340.10; Ord. 6012-B § 1, 2020)
The director of public works is appointed to administer, implement and enforce this article by granting or denying development permits in accordance with its provisions.
(Prior code § 4.1340.20)
The duties and responsibilities of the floodplain administrator shall include, but not be limited to:
A.
Permit Review.
1.
Review all development permits that pertain to construction activities within the 100 year floodplain to determine that the permit requirements of this article have been satisfied;
2.
All other required state and federal permits have been obtained;
3.
The site is reasonable safe from flooding;
4.
The proposed development does not adversely affect the carrying capacity of areas where base flood elevations have been determined but a floodway has not been designated. For purposes of this article, "adversely affects" means that the cumulative effect of the proposed development when combined with all other existing and anticipated development will increase the water surface elevation of the base flood more than one foot at any point.
B.
Use of Other Base Flood Data.
When base flood elevation data has not been provided in accordance with Section 15.52.070, the floodplain administrator shall obtain, review, and reasonably utilize any base flood elevation and floodway data available from a federal, state or other source, in order to administer Section 15.52.170. This includes, but is not limited to, survey maps of record, subdivision maps, parcel maps, other maps of record, and special flood zone studies prepared by a California registered civil engineer, geologist or hydrologist.
C.
Whenever a watercourse is to be altered or relocated:
1.
Notify adjacent communities and the California Department of Water Resources prior to such alteration or relocation of a watercourse, and submit evidence of such notification to the Federal Insurance Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency.
2.
Require that the flood-carrying capacity of the altered or relocated portion of said watercourse is maintained.
D.
Base Flood Elevation changes due to physical alterations:
1.
Within six months of information becoming available or project completion, whichever comes first, the floodplain administrator shall submit or assure that the permit applicant submits technical or scientific data to FEMA for a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR).
2.
A LOMR for flood control projects must be approved prior to the issuance of building permits for the affected parcels. Building permits may not be issued based on a Conditional Letter of Map Revision (CLOMR). An approved CLOMR may allow construction of the proposed flood control project and land preparation as specified in the "start of construction" definition.
Submission of technical and/or scientific data is necessary so that upon confirmation of physical changes affecting flooding conditions, risk premium rates and floodplain management requirements are based on current data. |
E.
Changes in County boundaries:
Notify FEMA in writing whenever the county boundaries have been modified by annexation or other means and include a copy of a map of the community clearly delineating the new corporate limits.
F.
Obtain and maintain for public inspection and make available as needed:
1.
The certification required by Section 15.52.170(C)(1) (floor elevations);
2.
The certification required by Section 15.52.170(C)(2)(c) (elevation or floodproofing of nonresidential structures);
3.
The certification required by Section 15.52.170(C)(3)(a)(b) (wet floodproofing standard);
4.
The certification of elevation required by Section 15.52.190(B) (subdivision standards);
5.
The certification required by Section 15.52.220(A) (floodway encroachments);
G.
Make interpretations where needed as to the location of the boundaries of the areas of special flood hazards (for example, where there appears to be a conflict between a mapped boundary and actual field conditions). It is the applicant's responsibility to provide all of the data, as required, to establish flood hazard boundary locations. The person contesting the location of the boundary shall be given a reasonable opportunity to appeal the interpretation as provided in Part 6.
(Prior code § 4.1340.30; Ord. 6012-B § 1, 2020)