City Code Chapter 18-52 Flood
Damage Protection Urgency
Ordinance
1 July 12, 2022 Jesse Oswald, Chief Building Official
Planning and Economic Development
Background
2 Santa Rosa City Code 18-52 Flood Damage Protection is the local operational/physical element of the National
Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) under FEMA
The Ordinance sets-forth requirements for construction and development within designated flood-prone areas
Urgency Ordinance
• Government Code Section 36937(b) allows an
ordinance to take effect immediately, if it is an
ordinance for the immediate preservation of public
peace, health or safety and it contains a declaration
of the facts constituting the urgency.
• Section 8 of the Santa Rosa City Charter authorizes
the City Council to adopt an urgency measure to take
effect immediately upon its adoption if necessary to
preserve the public peace, health or safety if such
ordinance contains the reasons for its urgency.
• Requires a 5/7 Council vote for adoption
3 Background
4 • FEMA has recently completed a Flood Insurance Study (FIS) and a Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM)for areas
within Sonoma County and primarily outside Santa Rosa.
• The study was focused on Todd Creek and its tributary areas
• In a letter from Rachel Sears, Director of the Floodplain Management Division, Mitigation Directorate, FEMA; it
was noted: “no significant changes have been made to
the flood hazard data on the FIRM”
Background
5 • The FIS and FIRM will become effective July 19, 2022, necessitating the adoption of changes to our local
Ordinance to maintain participation in the National Flood Insurance Program.
• To ensure continued – uninterrupted enrolment in the
program; the effective date of the ordinance must be
prior-to July 19, 2022
Changes to the Ordinance
6 • The majority of changes are to provide clarifying terms, definitions and procedural requirements
Highlighted Changes
• Addition of the definition of Recreational Vehicle
• Addition of standards for locating recreational vehicles in designated flood-prone areas
• Procedural clarifications for applying requirements to development within flood-prone areas
• Addition of one technical requirement to require establishment of floor elevations in flood-prone areas to be 1-foot above the base flood elevation (BFE)
Technical Change to the Ordinance Example
• Old requirement – Lowest floor at or above BFE
7 Technical Change to the Ordinance Example
• New requirement – Lowest floor at or above 1-foot
above BFE (commonly-termed “Freeboard”)
8 Recommendation
9 It is recommended by the Planning and Economic
Development Department that the Council adopt an
urgency ordinance amending City Code Chapter 18-52,
Flood Damage Protection, to comply with regulatory
requirements that our ordinance coincide with 44 Code of Federal Regulations 60.3.