The Legislature of the State of Alaska has in Statute 201 of the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 delegated the responsibility to local government units to adopt regulations to promote the public health, safety, and general welfare of its citizenry. The city of Dillingham is further authorized under AS 29.40.040 to adopt and amend land use regulations in accordance with the comprehensive plan. Therefore, the city council of Dillingham, Alaska, does ordain as follows:
A.
The flood hazard areas within the city are periodically subject to inundation which may result in loss of life and property, health and safety hazards, disruption of commerce and governmental services, extraordinary public expenditures for flood protection and relief and impairment of the tax base, all of which adversely affect the public health, safety and general welfare.
B.
Areas within the city have been designated as floodprone pursuant to Section 201 of the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 and the city is required to join the National Flood Insurance Program to make flood insurance and federally regulated financial assistance available to the residents within the flood hazard areas.
C.
Flood losses may be caused by the cumulative effect of obstructions in flood hazard areas which increase flood heights and velocities and, when inadequately anchored, cause damage in other areas. Uses that are inadequately floodproofed, elevated or otherwise protected from flood damage, also contribute to flood loss.
D.
The purpose of this chapter is to promote the public health, safety and general welfare and to minimize public and private losses due to flooding in flood hazard areas by provisions designed to:
1.
Protect human life and health;
2.
Minimize expenditure of public money for costly flood control projects;
3.
Minimize the need for rescue and relief efforts associated with flooding and generally undertaken at the expense of the general public;
4.
Minimize prolonged business interruptions;
5.
Minimize damage to public facilities and utilities such as water and gas mains; electric, telephone and sewer lines; and streets and bridges located in flood hazard areas;
6.
Help maintain a stable tax base by providing for the sound use and development of flood hazard areas so as to minimize blight areas caused by flooding;
7.
Notify potential buyers that the property is in a special flood hazard area;
8.
Notify those who occupy flood hazard areas that they assume responsibility for their actions; and
9.
Participate in and maintain eligibility for flood insurance and disaster relief.
10.
Methods of reducing flood losses.
E.
To accomplish its purposes, this chapter includes methods and provisions to:
1.
Control the alteration of natural floodplains, stream channels, and natural protective barriers, which help accommodate or channel floodwaters;
2.
Require that development vulnerable to floods, including facilities be protected against flood damages at the time of initial construction;
3.
Restrict or prohibit development which is dangerous to health, safety and property due to water or erosion hazards, or which results in damaging increases in erosion;
4.
Control filling, grading, dredging, and other development which may increase flood damage; and
5.
Prevent or regulate the construction of flood barriers which will unnaturally divert floodwaters, or which may increase flood hazards in other areas.
(Ord. 21-07 § 2, 2021; Ord. 87-04 § 1, 1987; Ord. 86-13 § 1, 1986; Ord. 75-2 § 1, 1975)