6.080 Duties and Responsibilities of the Community Development Department.

It shall be the duty of the Community Development Department to:

• A. Review all development permits to assure that the permit requirements of this ordinance have been satisfied, and to insure that construction of development sites are reasonably safe from flooding.

• B. Review permits for proposed development to assure that all necessary permits have been obtained from those Federal, State or local governmental agencies from which prior approval is required.

C. All records required to be kept pertaining to the provisions of this Chapter shall be maintained in the office of the Planning Department shall be open for public inspection. In regard to this item, the following information is required to be submitted by the applicant:

1. Elevation in relation to mean sea level, of the lowest habitable floor (including basement) of all structures as certified by a registered professional engineer or licensed land surveyor;

2. Elevation in relation to mean sea level to which any structure has been floodproofed;

3. Certification by a registered professional engineer or architect that the floodproofing methods for any nonresidential structure meet the floodproofing requirements stated in Section 6.070(E); and

4. Description of the extent to which any watercourse will be altered or altered or relocated as a result or proposed development.

D. Require as a condition of development approval that maintenance is provided within the altered or relocated portion of any watercourse affected or disturbed by the project so that the flood carrying capacity is not adversely affected. For purposes of this article, “adversely affected” means that the cumulative affect of the proposed

The Petaluma Implementing Zoning Ordinance is current through Ordinance 2907, passed September 8, 2025.

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Ch. 6 Floodway and Flood Plain Districts | Petaluma Implementing Zoning Ordinance

development, when combined with all other existing and anticipated development, will not increase the water surface elevation of the base flood more than one foot at any point.

E. Use of Other Base Flood Data. When base flood elevation data has not been provided in accordance with Section 6.020, the Floodplain Administrator shall obtain, review, and reasonably utilize any base flood elevation and floodway data available from a Federal, State or other source, in order to administer Section 6.070(F). Any such information shall be submitted to the City Council for adoption.

• F. Whenever a riverine is to be altered or relocated:

  1. Notify the California Department of Water Resources prior to such alteration or relocation of a watercourse, and submit evidence of such notification to the Federal Insurance Administration;

  2. Require that the flood carrying capacity of the altered or relocated portion of said watercourse is maintained.

• G. Obtain and maintain for public inspection and make available as needed:

  1. The certification required in Section 6.080(C) (floor elevations);

  2. The certification required in Section 6.070(D) (elevations in areas of shallow flooding);

3. The certification required in Section 6.070(E) (elevation or floodproofing of non-residential structures).

   4. The certification required in Section 6.070(F)(3) (wet floodproofing standard);

   5. The certified elevation required in Section 6.070(F)(5) (subdivision standards);

   6. The certification required in Section 6.050(A) (floodway encroachments).

H. Make interpretations where needed, as to the exact location of the boundaries of the areas of special flood hazards (for example, where there appears to be a conflict between a mapped boundary and actual field conditions). The person contesting the location of the boundary shall be given a reasonable opportunity to appeal the interpretation as provided in Section 24.090.

• I. Take action to remedy violations of this article as specified in Section 6.070(A) herein. (Ord. 2811 § 4, 2022.)