Sec. 5A-61. - Amendments.

(a)

There are two methods of amending the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM). (1) "letters of map amendment" (LOMA) and (2) "letters of map revision" (LOMR). Any changes or amendments to the FIRM must be approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

(b)

Copies of the FEMA policies for applications for LOMA's and LOMR's are maintained by the floodplain administrator and will be made available upon request by an applicant.

(Ord. No. 474.1, 3-2-10)

Sec. 5A-62. - Letters of map amendment.

Requests

may be submitted to determine whether a structure, proposed structure, or a legally definable parcel of land has been inadvertently included in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) as shown on a Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) or Flood Hazard Boundary Map (FHBM) and is located on natural high ground or on fill placed prior to the effective date of the first National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) map designating the SFHA. In order for FEMA to issue a LOMA under Part 70 of the NFIP regulations, a property owner must submit documentation to satisfy FEMA's criteria. Compliance with these criteria will result in the issuance of a LOMA, which will remove the property from the SFHA and amend the currently effective FEMA map. A LOMA will be issued only if the elevations of the parcel of land or of the ground surrounding the structure(s) have not been altered by fill placed since the effective date of the first NFIP map designating the SFHA.

(Ord. No. 474.1, 3-2-10)

Sec. 5A-63. - Letters of map revision.

If

land or structures in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) have been elevated by fill, FEMA may issue a letter of map revision (LOMR) under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) regulations if a property owner submits documentation to the community chief executive officer or an official designated by the CAO that satisfies the criteria. The issuance of a LOMR involving fill will result in the removal of the parcel of land or structures from the SFHA. FEMA's policy does not address requests involving fill placed prior to the effective date of the first NFIP map designating the SFHA, nor does it pertain to LOMR's effecting changes in base flood elevations, floodway designations, coastal high hazard areas (V Zones), and/or shallow flooding or alluvial fans.

(Ord. No. 474.1, 3-2-10)

Sec. 5A-64. - FEMA determination policy.

FEMA's

determination as to whether a structure can be removed from the SFHA may be based upon a comparison of the elevation of the lowest adjacent grade with the elevation of the base flood. If the lowest adjacent grade is at or above the elevation of the base flood, the structure may be removed from the SFHA. For an unimproved legal parcel of land, the entire parcel must be at or above the base flood elevation to be removed from the SFHA.

(Ord. No. 474.1, 3-2-10)