(A) Designation of Administrator. The City Council hereby appoints the Code Enforcement Administrator to administer and implement the provisions of this subchapter, and is herein referred to as the Floodplain Administrator.
(B) Permit procedures. Application for a floodplain development permit shall be made to the Floodplain Administrator, on forms furnished by the Floodplain Administrator, prior to any development activities. The application may include, but not be limited to, the following: plans, in duplicate, drawn to scale, showing the nature, location, dimensions, and elevations of the area in question; existing or proposed structures, earthen fill, storage of materials or equipment, drainage facilities, and the location of the foregoing. Specifically, the following information is required:
(1) Application stage.
(a) A description of the proposed development.
(b) Location of the proposed development sufficient to accurately locate property and structure(s) in relation to existing roads and streams.
(c) A legal description of the property site.
(d) A site development plan, showing existing and proposed development locations, and existing and proposed land grades.
(e) Elevation of the top of the planned lowest floor (including basement) of all proposed buildings. Elevation should be in NAVD 88 or NGVD.
(f) Elevation (in NAVD 88 or NGVD) to which any nonresidential structure will be floodproofed.
(g) Description of the extent to which any watercourse will be altered or relocated as a result of proposed development. A hydrologic and hydraulic engineering study is required, and any watercourse changes shall submitted to DNR for approval and then to FEMA as a Letter of Map Revision. (See § 152.268(C)(6) for additional information.)
(2) Construction stage. Upon establishment/placement of the lowest floor, before framing continues, including any approved floodproofing, it shall be the duty of the applicant to submit to the Floodplain Administrator a certification of the NAVD 88 or NGVD elevation of the lowest floor or floodproofed elevation, as built. The certification shall be prepared by or under the direct supervision of a registered land surveyor or professional engineer, and certified by the same. When floodproofing is utilized for a particular structure, the certification shall be prepared by or under the direct supervision of a professional engineer or architect, and certified by same. Any work undertaken prior to submission of the floodproofing certification shall be at the applicant’s risk. (The Floodplain Administrator shall review the lowest floor and floodproofing elevation survey data submitted.) The applicant shall correct deficiencies detected by the review before any further work is allowed to proceed. Failure to submit the survey, or failure to make the corrections required hereby, shall be cause to issue a stop-work order for the project. Any work undertaken prior to submission of the elevation certification shall be at the applicant’s risk. The Floodplain Administrator shall review the lowest floor or floodproofed elevation survey data submitted. The applicant shall correct any deficiencies detected by the review. Failure to submit the elevation certification, or failure to make correction required, shall be cause to issue a stop-work order for the project.
(3) Finished construction. Upon completion of construction, an elevation certification that depicts the as-built lowest floor elevation is required to be submitted to the Floodplain Administrator. If the project includes a floodproofing measure, floodproofing certification is required to be submitted by the applicant to the Floodplain Administrator.
(C) Duties and responsibilities of the Floodplain Administrator. The Floodplain Administrator, and/or designated staff, is hereby authorized and directed to enforce the provisions of this subchapter. The Administrator is further authorized to render interpretations of this subchapter consistent with its spirit and purpose. The duties and responsibilities of the Floodplain Administrator shall include, but are not limited to:
(1) Review all floodplain development permits to assure that the permit requirements of this subchapter have been satisfied.
(2) Inspect and inventory damaged structures in the SFHA and complete substantial damage determinations.
(3) Ensure that construction authorization has been granted by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources for all development projects subject to § 152.269(E) and (G)(1) of this subchapter, and maintain a record of such authorization (copy of either actual permit/authorization or floodplain analysis/regulatory assessment).
(4) Ensure that all necessary federal or state permits have been received prior to issuance of the local floodplain development permit. Copies of such permits/authorizations are to be maintained on file with the floodplain development permit.
(5) Maintain and track permit records involving additions and improvements to residences located in the floodway.
(6) Notify adjacent communities and the State Floodplain Coordinator prior to any alteration or relocation of a watercourse, and submit copies of such notifications to FEMA.
(7) Maintain for public inspection, and furnish upon request, local permit documents, damaged structure inventories, substantial damage determinations, regulatory flood data, SFHA maps, Letters of Map Change (LOMC), copies of DNR permits, letters of authorization, floodplain analysis and regulatory assessments (letters of recommendation), federal permit documents, and as-built elevation and floodproofing data for all buildings constructed subject to this subchapter.
(8) Utilize and enforce all Letters of Map Change (LOMC) or Physical Map Revisions (PMR) issued by FEMA for the currently effective SFHA maps of the community.
(9) Assure that maintenance is provided within the altered or relocated portion of the watercourse so that the flood-carrying capacity is not diminished.
(10) Review certified plans and specifications for compliance.
(11) Verify and record the actual elevation of the lowest floor (including basement) of all new or substantially improved structures, in accordance with § 152.268(B).
(12) Verify and record the actual elevation to which any new or substantially improved structures have been floodproofed in accordance with § 152.268(B).
(13) Stop-work orders.
(a) Upon notice from the Floodplain Administrator, work on any building, structure or premises that is being done contrary to the provisions of this subchapter shall immediately cease,
(b) The notice shall be in writing and shall be given to the owner of the property, or to his agent, or to the person doing the work, and shall state the conditions under which work may be resumed.
(14) Revocation of permits.
(a) The Floodplain Administrator may revoke a permit or approval, issued under the provisions of the subchapter, in cases where there has been any false statement or misrepresentation as to the material fact in the application or plans on which the permit or approval was based.
(b) The Floodplain Administrator may revoke a permit, upon determination by the Floodplain Administrator that the construction, erection, alteration, repair, moving, demolition, installation, or replacement of the structure for which the permit was issued is in violation of, or not in conformity with, the provisions of this subchapter.
(Ord. 2014-001, passed 3-18-14)