Report on floodplain management plan implementation and community outreach efforts.

April 2, 2026


City of Sanford Progress Report on Implementation of Credited plan


From: City of Sanford Community Rating System Coordinator


Subject: Local Mitigation Strategy - Floodplain Management Plan 2020-2025
Plan Adopted October 14, 2025 and Expires October 1, 2030


Background:
During extreme events, the City of Sanford is subject to flooding from the St. Johns River as well as multiple local lakes and streams. As part of an effort to reduce the impact and exposure to this threat, the City has entered into a Local Mitigation Strategy (LMS)  Floodplain Management Plan with Seminole County and seven other County municipalities. The City Commission adopted the Local Mitigation Strategy  Floodplain Management Plan on December 14, 2015. City Specific Goals and strategies can be found in Municipal Annex E of the LMS.


In addition to the LMS, the City also took steps to join the Community Rating System (CRS) of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Sanford officially joined the CRS on October 1, 2016 with a rating of Class 7. One of the steps in joining the CRS was to adopt a Floodplain Ordinance in line with FEMA regulations and the Florida Building Codes. This ordinance was adopted January 11, 2016. An update to the Ordinance (4613) was adopted on June 28, 2021. The ordinance includes increased standards over and above the minimums set by the State & Federal Government. The City also completed its first five year program renewal. This is a major review of all aspects of our program by the Insurance Services Office that monitors the CRS for FEMA.


Report Preparation:
This report has been prepared by Prince Bates, PE, CFM, Designated Floodplain Administrator and CRS Coordinator for the City of Sanford. The report is based on notes and emails from multiple meetings with City and Seminole County Staff.


Distribution:
Copies of this report will be available for viewing at the City Administration building at 300 N. Park Avenue, Sanford, Florida and will be provided to our City Commission during an upcoming public meeting. It will also be sent to the Sanford Herald for publication.


Goals & Objectives:
Goal 1 - Engage in risk-based mitigation planning resulting in sustainable actions that reduce or eliminate risks to life and property from flooding.


Objective 1.1- Participate in Local Mitigation Strategy meetings and communicate concerns and issues.


The City of Sanford was represented on the Local Mitigation Group by attending quarterly meetings and special meetings as requested. The representatives for the City of Sanford are: the Deputy Fire Chief; the Public Works Engineer; the Parks & Grounds Operations Manager; and the Planning Engineer. The Group completed the five year update to the Mitigation Strategy Plan which replaces the previous plan which has expired. The Planning Engineer represented the City in a group focused on the Floodplain Management portion of the plan and changes were made that were adopted in the plan. The City continues to place projects on the priority list and is awaiting funding opportunities on other projects currently on the list.


Objective 1.2-Coordinate with the County and other local government agencies to develop and administer outreach programs to gain participation in mitigation programs by business, industry, institutions and community groups.


The City continues to provide outreach/education via the Utility Billing System and placing placards in public locations within the City. Placards can be found at: Sanford City Hall; the Westside Community Center; Seminole County Public Library  North Branch; the Historic Sanford Welcome Center; and the Jeff Triplet Community Center. The City is also working to include the placard information in the Sanford Connects App. Our Floodplain webpage provides valuable information and links to other informational sites. At the end of 2018 we went live with our Citizenserve electronic permitting and information system. The system allows citizens to request Flood Zone Determinations online as well as apply for permits to work in flood prone areas. The coming year we will assess our ability to add programs to hopefully reach a larger audience.


Goal 2 - Enforce proper building and stormwater objectives and practices.


Objective 2.1- Continue training and review of building codes.


The Sanford Building Department has adopted the latest version of the Florida Building Code and is enforcing the higher standards required by our floodplain ordinance. All building permit applications are routed to the Planning Department for review and sign-off. Staff has been trained to look for Substantial Improvement/Substantial Damage when processing applications. The City Floodplain Manager provides a Floodplain Assessment for each new home application as well. We do annual mailings to HVAC and Gas/Propane vendors to inform them of code requirements. The City Adopted Ordinance 4613 which is an update to our Flooding & Floodplain Management Ordinance. This addressed several issues to bring it into consistency with the new Florida Building Code. We also updated Schedules O and N of the Land Development Code (Stormwater, Subdivisions) to address City Commission concerns with flooding and design requirements for new subdivisions. The City has a total number of CFMs to five (5) certified floodplain managers.


Objective 2.2- Perform ongoing maintenance of city streets, storm drains, street culverts, and storm water pond inlets and outfalls.


The City of Sanford Public Works Department Stormwater Division continues to provide comprehensive service, including a maintenance program for drainage facilities throughout the City. City streets are cleaned by mechanical sweepers on three-week intervals to help reduce contaminants entering Lake Monroe. The City also uses major rainfall events to evaluate the performance of existing drainage systems and identify areas requiring further attention once flood waters recede.


Two major stormwater capital improvement projects were completed last year: the Georgetown Drainage and Roadway Improvement Project Phase 1 and the Mellonville Avenue  Washington Avenue Drainage Project.


The Georgetown project was completed to address flooding within the existing Pump Branch basin and the northern portion of the Mellonville Avenue basin. Pump Branch currently discharges to Lake Monroe through an 8-foot by 5-foot box culvert, while the Mellonville Avenue system discharges through an existing 24-inch RCP pipe. As part of the project, a new trunk line connection to Lake Monroe was constructed using a pair of 54-inch RCP pipes. These pipes connect to a new stormwater system installed through the Georgetown community from 4th Street to 13th Street, between Locust Avenue and Mellonville Avenue. The new system removes a significant amount of runoff from both existing basins, which is intended to improve the operation of the overall drainage network. Several repetitive loss homes exist within this basin.


The Mellonville Avenue  Washington Avenue Drainage Project was completed to address residential flooding and significant roadway flooding, including flooding at the intersection of Mellonville Avenue and Randolph Street. The project included installation of new upsized storm piping along North Street from Mellonville Avenue to Summerlin Avenue and along Mellonville Avenue from North Street to Randolph Avenue, discharging to a new wet detention pond constructed on Washington Avenue. The upstream portion of the system was extended to 20th Street to address specific home flooding occurring near that intersection. This project also includes at least one repetitive loss property.



Publish: April 15, 2026
LN3268