(A) The town is mandated by A.R.S. §§ 48-3604, 48-3609, 48-3610, and 48-3613, to adopt and enforce regulations designed to protect the health, safety, and general welfare of the citizens within the jurisdiction area of the town. In addition, the State of Arizona Department of Water Resources has established “State Standards For Floodplain Management in Arizona”, which the town is required to enforce as a minimum. The current list of these standards is:
SSA 1-97 Arizona Department of Water Resources Flood Study Technical Documentation (1997).
SSA 2-96 Arizona Department of Water Resources Delineation of Riverine Floodplains and Floodways in Arizona (1996).
SSA 2-92 Arizona Department of Water Resources Administrative Floodway Determination for Riverine Floodplains in Arizona (1992).
SSA 3-94 Arizona Department of Water Resources Floodway Modeling Standards for Supercritical Flow (1994).
SSA 4-95 Arizona Department of Water Resources Identification of and Development within Sheet Flow Areas (1995).
SSA 5-96 Arizona Department of Water Resources Watercourse System Sediment Balance (1996).
SSA 6-96 Arizona Department of Water Resources Development of Individual Residential Lots Within Floodprone Areas (1996).
SSA 7-98 Arizona Department of Water Resources Water Course Bank Stabilization (1998).
SSA 8-99 Arizona State Standard for Stormwater Detention/Retention (1999).
(B) The State of Arizona mandates include minimizing public and private losses due to flood conditions in specific areas. The town has chosen to regulate areas of special flood hazards, as defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA supplies the town with Floodway Maps and Flood Insurance Rate Maps, which provide flood risk information and other technical data to be used in administering both floodplain management and insurance aspects of the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
(C) Requirements from both agencies have led to the adoption of the original Town of Payson Drainage Ordinance, Ordinance No. 87, on 14 February 1980. Subsequent revisions have also been adopted, including Ordinance No. 215 (26 July 1984), Resolution No. 394 (12 August 1984), Resolution No. 395 (23 August 1984), Resolution No. 529 (26 March 1987), and Ordinance No. 292 (26 March 1987). The ordinances require that the Public Works Engineer regulate activities within the defined 100-year floodplain.
(D) The Public Works Engineer for the purpose of enforcing the more general Floodplain Regulations contained within the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance has adopted specific regulations. Drainage policies are enumerated within the “Policies” section of each subchapter contained in this chapter. Since Floodplain Regulations and Drainage Policies are periodically modified or amended, the user of this chapter should contact the Public Works Engineer prior to starting on a new project to obtain any new regulations, as well as design criteria and ordinance updates.
(Res. 1637, passed 2-28-02)