AgdaPkt 2004-12-13 - Laserfiche WebLink

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�� - i � REPORT To the Honorable Mayor and City Council From the City Manager December 13, 2004 Subject Ordinance Amendment — Floodplain Management Recommendation Introduce an Ordinance amending Chapter 41 of the Municipal Code: Floodplain Management. Background Certain parts of the City are subject to periodic inundation which results in property damage and disruption of public services. These areas of potential inundation are shown on Flood Maps produced by the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA), and are kept on file in the City's offices. The purpose of the Flood Management Program is to minimize the amount of damage to public and private facilities due to flooding, by providing requirements for new construction in those low-lying areas. The flood maps, and the management program itself, is monitored by FEMA, which is now under the Department of Homeland Security. FEMA visits every community on an annual basis to monitor its National Flaod Insurance Program (NFIP), of which the City of Redwood City is a participant. Without this participation, the City's residents would have to obtain very expensive flood insurance for their homes. On a recent visit to the City in July of this year, the FEMA representative met with the City Engineer (the designated floodplain administrator) and staff to review the Program and the City's Ordinance. The report we received was complimentary in the way the staff is managing the program, particularly with the new developments, such as Marina Shores Village, Abbott Labs, and Bayside Gardens. All three of these projects are located in a floodplain. Under the Program, all these proje�ts will be required to build their structures at an elevation above the floodplain elevation. In addition, a levee, or levee wall, would have to be constructed around the perimeter of these projects. The new levees would tie into levees already constructed by other developers in the area, thus completing the ring of protection around the Bay Lands. The only action required by the FEMA inspectors as a result of their visit, is that the City needs to update its Floodplain Management Ordinance. This update is necessary for the City to continue its participation in the NFIP. FEMA has provided a model ordinance for us to follow, and adopting this amendment, is a prerequisite for continual participation in the NFIP. Page 1 of 2