Butler Township commissioners reviewed a floodplain ordinance at Monday's meeting.

The ordinance would adopt the new Federal Emergency Management Agency floodplain map, which designates risk areas for insurance purposes. The new map would replace the FEMA map from 1995.

The premise of the ordinance allows building in FEMA-designated areas with the restriction that the building's first floor must be 18 inches above the estimated elevation of a 100-year flood, said Daniel Deiseroth, township engineer.

“I don't think there's anything in here that scares me,” Desieroth said.

Desieroth said some areas, including areas that have flooded in recent years have been removed.

“(FEMA) actually took away a number of areas that they considered floodplain before, which is really unusual,” he said. “It's probably based on their knowledge of the drainage areas.”

Deiseroth said 220 properties, which had at least a piece of land in the designated area of the 1995 map, were removed and about 15 were added to the 2018 map. He said the removal will not affect anyone's ability to get flood insurance.

“They can still obtain flood insurance,” Deiseroth said. “Anybody can obtain flood insurance, maybe get a better rate.”

Jesse Hines, the township's zoning officer, said the township could designate properties left out of the FEMA map, on a local map, which would also not affect the property owner's insurance rates like a FEMA map designation would.

Hines said the ordinance verbiage comes from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, which provided the ordinance.

“We have to keep current with the new map and the new ordinance,” Hines said. “There's not a lot of room for municipalities to work with in this (ordinance.)”

Hines said not accepting the new ordinance would increase rates for people who own property in the designated areas.

Commissioners voted to have a public hearing regarding the ordinance at 7 p.m. on May 21.

Hines said anyone with questions may contact him at the zoning office, 724-283-3430, Ext. 216.