here - City of Montpelier, Vermont

Montpelier 2012 / Annual Report / 38
Floodplain Management – Community Rating System
(CRS): The Planning & Zoning Administrator serves as the
Floodplain Manager and CRS Coordinator.
The City of Montpelier participates in the National Flood
Insurance Program (NFIP), and as a participating community,
the City is committed to the following minimum NFIP
activities:
• Issuing or denying floodplain development permits.
• Inspecting all development to assure compliance
with the local floodplain ordinance.
• Maintaining records of floodplain development.
• Assisting in the preparation and revision of floodplain
maps.
• Helping and assisting residents obtain information on
flood hazards, floodplain map data, and flood
insurance and proper construction measures.
Additionally, the NFIP’s Community Rating System (CRS) is
a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages
community floodplain management activities that exceed the
minimum NFIP requirements. As a result, flood insurance
premium rates are discounted to reflect the reduced flood risk
resulting from the community actions meeting the three goals
of the CRS: (1) reduce flood losses; (2) facilitate accurate
insurance rating; and (3) promote the awareness of flood
insurance.
For CRS participating communities, flood insurance
premium rates are discounted in increments of 5% - i.e., a
Class 1 community would receive a 45% discount, while a
Class 9 community would receive a 5% discount. The City
of Montpelier is one of three communities in Vermont –
including Bennington and Brattleboro – that participate in the
CRS program. The City of Montpelier is currently a Class 9
community and we receive an insurance premium discount of
5%. The CRS classes for local communities are based on 18
creditable activities, organized under four categories:
1. Public information,
2. Mapping and Regulations,
3. Flood Damage Reduction, and
4. Flood Preparedness.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
embarked on an effort to digitize the Flood Insurance Rate
Maps (FIRM) called the Digital Flood Insurance Rate
Maps (DFIRM). Flooding events in 2007 stalled efforts
for the adoption of these DFIRMs. Furthermore, the City
of Montpelier prevailed in an appeal of the DFIRM and
Preliminary Flood Insurance Study (FIS) for Washington
County in 2009.
In the interim, the City has also revised and adopted its
floodplain regulations to maintain minimum compliance with
the NFIP requirements – see 2008 and 2011 revisions.
Next steps: FEMA will issue a Letter of Final Determination
(LFD), which will establish an effective date for the Preliminary
FIS report and DFIRM. FEMA and VT ANR-River Management
expect the FIS and DFIRM to be adopted by the end of
2012.
Floodplain information is available online: http://www.
montpelier-vt.org/community/344/Flood-Information.html
Certified Local Government (CLG) – Montpelier Historic
Preservation Commission (MHPC): The Planning &
Zoning Administrator serves as the CLG Coordinator and
provides staff support to the MHPC. The City of Montpelier
recently finished Phase II of the Montpelier Historic District
Amendment. The Montpelier Historic District is the largest
in the state of Vemont – 563 properties. It is worth noting that
in 1978 approximately 87% of the buildings and structures
were contributing (i.e. historic) to the National Register
of Historic Places in the Montpelier Historic District, and
approximately 89% are contributing according to the most recent
amendment.
The MHPC received grant funding for website and brochure
materials in relation to the Phase II National Register Update.
The MHPC continues to refine these materials in order to
provide education and outreach to the citizens of Montpelier.
Since CLG certification the City has received $22,931 in grant
funding for historic preservation.
The Montpelier Historic Amendment must first be reviewed
by the VT Division of Historic Preservation (DHP) and the
National Park Service (NPS) before it is accepted and adopted
as final. Additionally, there will be a public process to present
the amendments to the citizens of Montpelier in the winter
and spring of 2012. There will be several public meetings and
members of the Montpelier Historic District (MHD) will be
notified by mail of the disposition of their property.
All of the information regarding the MHD is available online:
http://www.montpelier-vt.org/department/68.html
The MHPC is comprised of 5 community members:
• Anthony Otis was reappointed and serves as chair –
term expires 9/14/14.
• James Duggan – term expires 9/22/12.
• Eric Gilbertson – term expires 9/22/12.
• Helen Husher was appointed to fill an unexpired
term – expires 9/22/13.
• Tim Senter – term expires 9/22/13.
DEVELOPMEnT REVIEW – LAnD USE REGULATIOn
The Planning & Zoning Administrator provides staff support to
the Development Review Board and Design Review Committee.
During 2011, approximately 140 zoning permits were issued.