BACKGROUND
The Building Department manages all development activities in the Village, including permitting, inspections, and review of construction projects. It is also responsible for creating and maintaining building permit files and administrative documents such as ordinances, building guides, applications, forms, and outreach materials related to building and development. All inspections, permit and plan reviews, and permit approvals are carried out by the Building Department or by a Village-approved thirdparty consultant.
PURPOSE
This document explains the Village's management procedures for reviewing Elevation Certificates (ECs) and other floodplain-related construction certificates, such as Floodproofing Certificates and Engineered Opening Certificates. It details the required certificate types, the process for collecting and reviewing them, how corrections should be handled, where the certificates are stored or archived, and how these certificates are made accessible to the public.
TYPES OF CERTIFICATES REQUIRED
When any new construction, substantial improvement or repair for a substantially damaged building is conducted in the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) , the Building Department shall require an EC, Copy of the National Flood insurance Program (NFIP) Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), FEMA Flood Insurance Study Profiles; and any other floodplain-related certificate that is appropriate (Substantial Improvement, Substantial Improvement Worksheet for Floodplain construction, and Engineered Opening Certificate for all proposed Flood venting) for the development.
WHEN CERTIFICATES ARE REQUIRED
The applicant shall submit an EC marked "Construction Drawings" with the Building Permit Application. If no EC is provided, a review letter requesting the additional documentation will be sent to the Permit Applicant. This EC shall be used to determine if the proposed design complies with the Village Ordinance 94-8-9, 8-23- 1994. After the foundation is built and the elevation of the lowest floor is determined, another EC shall be submitted that is marked, "Building Under Construction". This will document the elevation of surrounding grades and the lowest floor to ensure they comply with the approved plans before further construction is allowed. Once construction on the building is finished and all adjacent grading is finalized, the applicant must submit a complete and correct "Finished Construction" EC to show the as-built characteristics of the building. A "Finished Construction" EC must be received, reviewed, and corrected (if necessary) before a Final Certificate of Occupancy (FCO) is issued. At this point, all other required certificates must also be submitted and reviewed. If a Floodproofing Certificate for Non-Residential Structures is required for a floodproofed non-residential building, the Village will also require an EC to be submitted to help verify compliance with Village Ordinance 94-8-9, 8-23- 1994. A complete and correct Floodproofing Certificate must be submitted to the Building Department once construction is finished on the building and prior to issuing an FCO.
A Residential Basement Floodproofing Certificate is required for a building with a basement that is floodproofed. An EC is also required to help verify compliance with Village Ordinance 94-8-9, 8-23-1994. A complete and correct Residential Basement Floodproofing Certificate is required to be submitted to the Building Department once construction is finished on the building prior to issuing a CO.
When engineered flood openings are installed in the foundation of a building, and the EC indicates that they were installed (Sections A8d and A9d on the EC), an Engineered Opening Certificate is required to be submitted with the EC to help verify compliance and the insurance rate. The developer submits either the International Code Council® Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) form for the engineered opening or an individual certification. Individual certifications must cover the following at minimum:
a. it must identify the building (address) with the installed engineered openings;
b. the design professional's name, title, address, type of license, the state issuing the license, signature and seal;
c. a statement certifying the design of the openings will automatically equalize hydrostatic load loads on exterior walls by allowing for the automatic entry and exit of floodwaters; and
d. a description of the range of flood characteristics tested or computed for which the certification is valid, such as rates of rise and fall of floodwaters.
WHAT DEPARTMENT OR OFFICE COLLECTS/REVIEWS
All Finished Construction ECs shall be submitted initially to the Building Department for tracking and initial review. The Community Services Coordinator logs the EC into the permit tracking system, which is then forwarded to the Floodplain Manager and Director of Community Services, who review the EC and all supporting documentation for initial compliance. It is then sent to the Village Engineer for their review and approval. Both review the EC and supporting documentation, along with all other required certificates, to ensure all applicable building and development ordinances and standards are met. Upon receipt of the EC from the Village Engineer, the Floodplain Manager then reviews all permit application information to determine approval for the EC. It is then forwarded to the Director of Community Services for final approval for all parts of the building permit. The Certificate of Occupancy will not be issued until all problems with an EC and supporting documentation are resolved.
HOW CERTIFICATES ARE CORRECTED
The Floodplain Manager should consult the CRS EC Checklist when reviewing an EC to ensure all required fields are completed correctly. When an error is noticed on an EC, there are three ways to correct it:
- For any inaccurate or incomplete information in Section C2, the Floodplain Manager should request a new certificate from the applicant or their representative (surveyor/engineer/architect) who certified the form.
- If incomplete or inaccurate information is found in the other sections, the Floodplain Manager can do the following. As a general rule, and as law in some states, the local official SHOULD NOT mark up a signed and sealed form.
- The forms may be returned to the applicant (or their representative) with instructions on what needs to be changed or corrected;
- The Floodplain Manager can prepare a separate memo with the correct information and attach the Memo of Correction. When the certificate is provided to an inquirer, the memo must be included with it; or
- The Floodplain Manager can note the changes or corrections in Section G.
All "Finished Construction" ECs that had errors on them should be returned to the applicant within 10 business days for immediate correction. In no case shall we accept a "Finished Construction" EC until all Corrections deemed appropriate by the Floodplain Manager are addressed. In no case shall a Final Certificate of Occupancy for a permit be granted until the Floodplain Manager, the Director of Community Services, and the Village Engineer have all approved the permit.
The Floodplain Manager must ensure the homeowner receives a copy of the corrected EC in case the correction(s) would affect their insurance rating.
HOW AND WHERE THE CERTIFICATES ARE MAINTAINED
All ECs and all required construction certificates, as well as all other permit application documentation, shall be stored in the address file in the Building Department in addition to being stored electronically in project archives. Copies of the "Finished Construction" ECs along with the other required construction certificates (if applicable) shall also be placed in a separate folder containing all EC information for CRS purposes, labeled "Activity 310," and organized by CRS recertification date. (Additionally, electronic copies will be stored in the Village's CRS File database in a folder titled Activity 310). ECs and other required certificates for buildings located outside the SFHA are to be filed with the address file in the Building Department, just like all building permit documents, but copies should also be made and placed in a separate CRS folder labeled "Activity 430," and stored electronically in a similar manner for Activity 310.
HOW CERTIFICATES ARE MADE AVAILABLE TO INQUIRERS
When a member of the general public requests a copy of an EC, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request or form must be submitted by the requesting party. The request shall be initiated with the Community Services Coordinator. The Technician shall act on the request immediately, if time permits, but at the latest, according to the guidelines listed within the FOIA documentation.