Pell City council called a special meeting Monday night to discuss and approve the adoption of a new floodplain ordinance mandated by FEMA.

The floodplain ordinance is designed to provide regulations for flood damage prevention.

“We must adopt the new ordinance to maintain flood insurance,” Mayor Bill Hereford said.

Refusal to adopt the new ordinance could result in the city’s suspension from participating in the National Flood Insurance program (NFIP), a program that provides federal grants and loans for disaster relief.  The city would lose the ability to apply for federal funds to assist with disaster relief.

Mayor Hereford said he and other council members as and other municipalities were opposed to adopting the new ordinance.  

“The truth is we’ve adopted this ordinance more or less at gunpoint,” Hereford said.

FEMA set the new floodplain easement at 475, forcing individuals who live 475 below sea level to adhere to specific federal structure regulations.  An individual looking to purchase or refinance home or other structure under the new easement will be forced to obtain flood insurance before they can be approved for a loan by a mortgage lender.

The city adopted a floodplain ordinance in 1989 and made an amendment to it in 1991, but now the city must start over.

“This is a new ordinance, not an amendment,” councilman Greg Gossett said.

Hereford said he thought FEMA’s flood easement and the easement set by Alabama Power Company should be the same.  Alabama Power’s easement is lower than FEMA’s.

“We’re continuing to press our view through our new congressman, Mike Rogers,” Hereford said.