A. Review Application To Ensure Compliance: Building permit applications for development, location, demolition or alteration within delineated flood hazard areas (as shown on the community's official flood hazard boundary map (FHBM) and flood insurance rate map (FIRM), which are hereby adopted by reference as if set out fully herein), shall be reviewed by the building inspector to ensure that all of the following requirements are met:
1. All building sites shall be reasonably safe from flooding.
2. All new and replacement water supply systems within flood prone areas shall be designed to minimize or eliminate infiltration of floodwaters into the systems.
3. All new and replacement sanitary sewage systems shall be designed to minimize or eliminate infiltration of floodwaters into the systems and discharges from the systems into floodwaters.
4. On site waste disposal systems within flood prone areas shall be located to avoid impairment to them, or contamination from them, during flooding.
5. Floodways, as designated on the city's official zoning districts map and flood hazard boundary map (FHBM) are hazardous areas due to: a) the velocity of floodwaters which carry debris and potentially damaging projectiles; and b) the creation of severe erosion problems. The following provisions apply within designated floodway areas:
a. Encroachments are prohibited, including fill, new construction, substantial improvements and other developments, unless certification by a professional registered engineer or architect is provided demonstrating that encroachments shall not result in any increase in flood levels during occurrence of the base flood discharge.
b. If the provisions of subsection A5a of this section are satisfied, all new construction and substantial improvements shall comply with all applicable flood hazard reduction provisions of this code.
B. Additional Responsibilities Of Building Inspector: The building inspector shall have the following additional responsibilities in the review of building permit applications for development, location, demolition or alteration within a delineated flood hazard area:
1. Building permit applications shall be reviewed to ensure that all necessary governmental agency permits required by state or federal law have been obtained.
2. In the case of building permit applications for alteration or relocation of a watercourse, the building inspector shall:
a. Notify adjacent communities and the state flood insurance coordinating office prior to such work (and submit copies of such notification to the federal flood insurance administrator); and
b. Obtain written assurances from the building permit applicant that the flood carrying capacity within the altered or relocated portion of the watercourse will be maintained.
3. For the purpose of determining future flood insurance risk premium rates, the building inspector shall maintain records of:
a. The elevation of the lowest habitable floor of all new or substantially improved structures; and
b. Floodproofing certificates (including the specific elevation to which the structures are floodproofed).
C. Permit Issuance; Nonliability Of City Officials: Issuance of a building permit for development within an identified flood hazard area shall not create liability on the part of any city official for any flood damages resulting from reliance upon the provisions of this chapter, or any administrative decision lawfully made thereunder. (1991 Code § 4-15)