Duluth UDC § 828

It is hereby determined that: 1. The flood hazard areas of the city are subject to periodic inundations which may result in loss of life and property, health and safety hazards, disruption of commerce and governmental services, extraordinary public expenditures for flood relief and protection, and impairment of the tax base, all of which adversely affect the public health, safety and general welfare. 2. Flood hazard areas can serve important stormwater management, water quality, streambank protection, stream corridor protection, wetland preservation and ecological purposes when permanently protected as undisturbed or minimally disturbed areas. 3. Effective floodplain management and flood hazard protection activities can: a. Protect human life and health; b. Minimize damage to private property; c. Minimize damage to public facilities and infrastructure such as water and gas mains, electric, telephone and sewer lines, streets and bridges located in floodplains; and d. Minimize expenditure of public money for costly flood control projects associated with flooding and generally undertaken at the expense of the general public. 4. Article IX, Section II of the Constitution of the State of Georgia and O.C.G.A. § 36-1-20(a) has delegated the responsibility to local governmental units to adopt regulations designed to promote the public health, safety, and general welfare of its citizenry. Therefore, the city does ordain this Code Division and establishes this set of floodplain management and flood hazard reduction policies for the purpose of regulating the use of flood hazard areas. It is determined that the regulation of flood hazard areas and the prevention of flood damage are in the public interest and will minimize threats to public health and safety, as well as to private and public property. 230 | P a g e Article Eight. Environmental Protection