Part III — Administration

The Planning Director, or designee, is the Floodplain Administrator. The Floodplain Administrator may delegate performance of certain duties to other employees, such as plans examiners and inspectors.

(Ord. 5350 § 1, 2020)

The Floodplain Administrator is authorized and directed to administer and enforce the provisions of this chapter. The Floodplain Administrator shall have the authority to render interpretations of this chapter and to establish policies and procedures in order to clarify the application of its provisions. Such interpretations, policies and procedures shall be consistent with the intent and purpose of this chapter.

Such interpretations, policies and procedures shall not have the effect of waiving requirements specifically provided for in this chapter without the granting of an exception pursuant to Part IX of this chapter.

(Ord. 5350 § 1, 2020)

The Floodplain Administrator, or their designee in coordination with other pertinent offices of the jurisdiction, shall:

• (A) Review applications to determine whether proposed new development will be located in flood hazard areas;

• (B) Review applications for modification of any existing development in flood hazard areas for compliance with the application requirements of this chapter;

• (C) Interpret flood hazard area boundaries, provide available flood elevation and flood hazard information;

• (D) Determine whether additional flood hazard data shall be obtained or developed;

• (E) Review applications to determine whether proposed development will be reasonably safe from flooding;

• (F) Issue floodplain development permits when the provisions of this chapter have been met, or disapprove the same in the event of noncompliance;

• (G) Coordinate with the Building Official to ensure that applications for building permits for buildings and structures comply with the requirements of this chapter;

• (H) When a damaging event has occurred, regardless of the cause of damage, coordinate with the Building Official to inspect areas where buildings and structures in flood hazard areas have been damaged and notify owners of damaged buildings and structures in these flood hazard areas that (1) permits may be required prior to repair, rehabilitate, demolish, relocate, or reconstruct; and (2) buildings and structures that are determined to have

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County of Santa Cruz, CA

ENVIRONMENTAL AND RESOURCE PROTECTION

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16.13.230

sustained substantial damage are subject to the requirements of the building codes and this chapter.

• (Ord. 5350 § 1, 2020)

For applications for permits to modify existing structures in the special flood hazard area, including additions, repairs, renovations, and alterations, the Floodplain Administrator, in coordination with the Building Official, shall:

• (A) Estimate the market value, or require the applicant to obtain a professional appraisal of the market value, of the structure before the proposed work is performed and/or before any unpermitted improvements. When repair of damage is proposed, the market value estimate or appraisal shall be of the structure's value before the damage occurred;

• (B) Require, during review of discretionary applications, a preliminary cost estimate. If the preliminary cost estimate exceeds 40 percent of the market value or if the Floodplain Administrator determines that a more detailed estimate is needed, require a detailed cost estimate and detailed plans with the discretionary application;

• (C) Require, prior to issuance of a building permit, a detailed cost estimate from the licensed contractor who is contracted by the owner of the property to perform the work, or a qualified licensed contractor who has submitted a proposal to perform the work. If the work will be performed by someone other than a licensed contractor, the detailed cost estimate will still be required to be completed by a licensed contractor. Alternatively the Floodplain Administrator may estimate the costs;

• (D) Require the contractor to certify that the detailed cost estimate includes all costs associated with the work as shown on the referenced plans, or described in the permit description if plans are not required by the Building Department;

• (E) Require the property owner to certify that the contractor's estimate includes all project costs associated with the work shown on the referenced plans, or described in the permit description if plans are not required;

• (F) Compare the cost to perform the proposed improvements, the cost to repair the damaged building to its pre-damaged condition, or the combined costs of improvements and repairs, as applicable, to the market value of the building or structure as established in subsection (A) of this section;

• (G) Determine and document whether the proposed work constitutes substantial improvement or repair of substantial damage;

• (H) Determine and document whether the proposed work constitutes a cumulative improvement and/or repair of damage;

• (I) Notify the applicant of the results of the determination and whether compliance with the requirements for new construction is required; and

• (J) Maintain a record of the value of all permitted improvements and repairs to existing structures to facilitate the determination of cumulative improvement.

• (Ord. 5350 § 1, 2020)

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County of Santa Cruz, CA

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY CODE

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Modifications of the strict application of the provisions of the building codes.

The Floodplain Administrator shall review requests submitted to the Building Official that seek approval to modify the strict application of the flood load and flood-resistant construction requirements of the building codes to determine whether such requests can be considered for an exception pursuant to Part IX of this chapter.

(Ord. 5350 § 1, 2020)

The Building Official shall issue all necessary notices or orders pursuant to the County's adoption of the Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings to ensure compliance with this chapter.

• (Ord. 5350 § 1, 2020)

The Floodplain Administrator or designee shall make the required inspections specified in Parts VII and VIII of this chapter. The Building Official shall make the required inspections of buildings and structures specified in Parts VII and VIII of this chapter. (Ord. 5350 § 1, 2020)

The Floodplain Administrator shall have other duties, including but not limited to:

• (A) Establish, in coordination with the Building Official, written procedures for administering and documenting determinations of substantial improvement and substantial damage made pursuant to SCCC § 16.13.220, including cumulative substantial improvement;

• (B) Require that applicants proposing an alteration of a watercourse in a mapped FEMA flood hazard area notify adjacent communities, the California Department of Water Resources, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA);

• (C) Require applicants who submit a hydrologic investigation or a floodway encroachment analysis to support permit applications to submit to FEMA, the data and information necessary to maintain the flood insurance rate maps if the analyses propose to change base flood elevations, flood hazard area boundaries, or floodway designations; such submissions shall be made within six months of such data becoming available; and

• (D) Notify the Federal Emergency Management Agency when the corporate boundaries of the County of Santa Cruz have been modified.

• (Ord. 5350 § 1, 2020)

Regardless of any limitation on the period required for retention of public records, the Floodplain Administrator shall maintain and permanently keep and make available for public inspection all records that are necessary for the administration of this chapter and the flood provisions of the building codes, including flood insurance rate maps; letters of map amendment and letters of map revision; records of issuance of permits and denial of permits; determinations of whether proposed work constitutes substantial improvement or repair of substantial damage; required

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County of Santa Cruz, CA

ENVIRONMENTAL AND RESOURCE PROTECTION

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16.13.270

certifications and documentation specified by the building codes and this chapter, including but not limited to elevation certificates, floodproofing certificates, and V Zone certificates; notifications to adjacent communities, FEMA, and the State related to alterations of watercourses; assurance that the flood-carrying capacity of altered watercourses will be maintained; documentation related to exceptions, including justification for their issuance; and records of enforcement actions taken pursuant to this chapter and the flood resistant provisions of the building codes.

(Ord. 5350 § 1, 2020)

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County of Santa Cruz, CA

ENVIRONMENTAL AND RESOURCE PROTECTION

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