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IN INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA MEMORANDUM TO: Jason E. Brown, County Administrator FROM: Richard B. Szpyrka, P.E., Public Works Director SUBJECT: Class 8 Pre -requisite for CRS/ NFIP Participation DATE: February 21, 2022 DESCRIPTION AND CONDITIONS Floodplain Management Changes On July 3, 1978, Indian River County was accepted for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The Stormwater Management and Flood Protection Code under Chapter 930 was first established in 1990 under Ordinance 90-16. The Board of County Commissioners subsequently adopted Ordinance No. 2012-036 on November 6, 2012 to revise the floodplain management regulations to coordinate with the Florida Building Code. The Board of County Commissioners understood the need to reduce vulnerability to future flooding. Proposed changes will serve to improve resiliency to the potential of more frequent and potentially more severe flooding. Participation in the NFIP's Community Rating System (CRS) is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management activities that exceed the minimum program requirements. Indian River County has achieved a CRS rasing Class 6 out of 10 with 1 being the best. In 2020 the NFIP Community Rating System established certain minimum prerequisites for communities to qualify for or maintain class ratings of Class 8 or better. The floodplain management revisions will serve to improve the groundwork laid to maintain or improve the County's Class 6 rating. In January 2021, the CRS implemented a new Class 8 prerequisite for freeboard for all participating and new CRS communities. The change will require communities to change 2 items to become or remain a Class 8 community. In order to be a Class 8 or better... (1) The community must meet all the Class 9 prerequisites. (2) The community must adopt and enforce at least a 1 -foot freeboard requirement (including machinery and equipment) for all residential buildings constructed, substantially improved, and/or reconstructed due to substantial damage, throughout its Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) wnere base flood elevations have been determined on the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) or in the Flood Insurance Study (FIS), except those areas that receive open space credit under Activity 420 (Open Space Preservation)." 69