The duties and responsibilities of the Floodplain Administrator shall include but are not limited to:
(A) Review applications for permits to determine whether proposed activities will be located in flood hazard areas.
(B) Interpret floodplain boundaries and provide available base flood elevation and flood hazard information.
(C) Review applications to determine whether proposed activities will be reasonably safe from flooding and require new construction and substantial improvements to meet the requirements of this chapter.
(D) Review applications to determine whether all necessary permits have been approved from all applicable federal, state or local agencies from which prior or concurrent approval is required.
(E) Verify that applicants proposing an alteration of a special flood hazard area have notified adjacent communities and MDE (NFIP State Coordinator), and have submitted copies of such notifications to FEMA.
(F) Approve applications and issue permits to develop in special flood hazard areas if the provisions of this chapter have been met, or disapprove applications if the provisions of these regulations have not been met.
(G) Inspect or cause to be inspected buildings, structures, and other development for which permits have been issued to determine compliance with this chapter or to determine if non-compliance has occurred or violations have been committed.
(H) Review elevation certificates and require incomplete or deficient certificates to be corrected.
(I) Submit to FEMA, or require applicants to submit to FEMA, data and information necessary to maintain FIRMs, including hydrologic and hydraulic engineering analyses, within 6 months after such data and information becomes available if the analyses indicate changes in base flood elevations.
(J) Maintain and permanently keep records that are necessary for the administration of this chapter, including:
(1) Flood Insurance Studies, Flood Insurance Rate Maps (including historic studies and maps and current effective studies and maps) and Letters of Map Change; and
(2) Documentation supporting issuance and denial of permits, elevation certificates, documentation of the elevation (in relation to the datum on the FIRM) to which structures have been floodproofed, other required design certifications, variances, and records of enforcement actions taken to correct violations of this chapter.
(K) Enforce the provisions of this chapter, investigate violations, issue notices of violations or stop work orders, and require permit holders to take corrective action.
(L) Administer the requirements related to proposed work on existing buildings:
(1) Make determinations as to whether buildings and structures that are located in special flood hazard areas and that are damaged by any cause have been substantially damaged.
(2) Make reasonable efforts to notify owners of substantially damaged structures of the need to obtain a permit to repair, rehabilitate, or reconstruct, and prohibit the non-compliant repair of substantially damaged buildings except for temporary emergency protective measures necessary to secure a property or stabilize a building or structure to prevent additional damage.
(M) Undertake, as determined appropriate by the Floodplain Administrator due to the circumstances, other actions which may include but are not limited to: issuing press releases, public service announcements, and other public information materials related to permit requests and repair of damaged structures; coordinating with other federal, state, and local agencies to assist with substantial damage determinations; and provide owners of damaged structures information related to the proper repair of damaged structures in special flood hazard areas.
(N) Notify the Federal Emergency Management Agency when the corporate boundaries of Garrett County or any of its municipalities have been modified and provide a map that clearly delineates the new corporate boundaries or the new area for which the authority to regulate pursuant to this chapter has either been assumed or relinquished through annexation.
(O) Upon the request of FEMA, complete and submit a report concerning participation in the NFIP which may request information regarding the number of buildings in the SFHA, number of permits issued for development in the SFHA, and number of variances issued for development in the SFHA.
(Ord. —, passed 8-20-2013)