Commissioners took a break from their regular board meeting to hold a public hearing on the ordinance. Both urged passage. As he brought the issue before the board once it reconvened, Chairman Harold Corbin acknowledged the long road that led up to the historic vote. It's time this board has the guts to pass this ordinance. After citizen protest in the 1970s, Franklin dropped its flood-plain ordinance.
City officials remain skeptical about the chances for enacting it again.
I don't know if just educating the public is going to solve this problem. Commissioner Janet Greene suggested sending notices to any property owners considering building in the ETJ flood-plain areas. The pressure will be placed on the city rather than us. Under the new ordinance, which took effect immediately, individuals are required to build at least 50 feet from the top of streambanks with a floor level at least two feet off the ground. For the first time, Macon County homeowners will be able to purchase flood insurance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.