A. Statutory authorization. In A.R.S. § 48-3610, the Arizona legislature enabled the town to adopt regulations in conformance with A.R.S. § 48-3603 designed to promote the public health, safety and general welfare of its citizenry.
B. Findings of fact.
1. The flood hazard areas of the town are subject to periodic inundation which may result in loss of life and property, health and safety hazards, disruption of commerce and governmental services, extraordinary public expenditures for flood protection and relief and impairment of the tax base, all of which adversely affect the public health, safety and general welfare.
2. Flood losses may be exacerbated by the cumulative effects of obstructions in special flood hazard areas, which increase flood depths and velocities and, when inadequately anchored, cause damage in other areas. Uses that are inadequately flood proofed, elevated or otherwise protected from flood damage, also contribute to the flood loss.
C. Statement of purpose. It is the purpose of this chapter to promote the public health, safety and general welfare, and to minimize public and private losses due to flood conditions in specific areas by provisions designed:
1. To protect human life and health;
2. To minimize expenditure of public money for costly flood control projects;
3. To minimize the need for rescue and relief efforts associated with flooding and generally undertaken at the expense of the general public;
4. To minimize prolonged business interruptions;
5. To minimize damage to public facilities and utilities such as water and gas mains, electric, telephone and sewer lines, streets and bridges located in special flood hazard areas;
6. To help maintain a stable tax base by providing for the sound use and development of areas of special flood hazard so as to minimize blight areas caused by flooding;
7. To ensure that potential buyers are notified that property is in a special flood hazard area;
8. To ensure that those who occupy the special flood hazard areas assume responsibility for their actions; and
9. To participate in and maintain eligibility for flood insurance and disaster relief.
D. Methods of reducing flood losses. To accomplish its purposes, this chapter includes methods and provisions for:
1. Restricting or prohibiting uses which are dangerous to health, safety and property due to water or erosion hazards, or which result in damaging increases in erosion or in flood heights or velocities;
2. Requiring that uses vulnerable to floods, including facilities which serve such uses, be protected against flood damage at the time of initial construction;
3. Controlling the alteration of natural floodplains, stream channels and natural protective barriers, which help accommodate or channel flood waters;
4. Controlling filling, grading, dredging and other development which may increase flood damage; and
5. Preventing or regulating the construction of flood barriers that will unnaturally divert flood waters or which may increase flood hazards in other areas.
Ordinance 2022.006 amended Section 17-15-1 B. and C.