The Legislature of the Commonwealth of Kentucky has, in Kentucky
Revised Statutes Chapter 100, 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
Fiscal Court of Henderson County, Kentucky, does ordain as follows.
A.
The flood hazard areas of Henderson County are subject to periodic
inundation which results in loss of life and property, health and
safety hazards, disruption of commerce and governmental services,
extraordinary public expenditures for flood protection and relief
and impairment of the tax base, all of which adversely affect the
public health, safety and general welfare.
B.
These flood losses are caused by the cumulative effect of obstructions
in floodplains causing increases in flood heights and velocities,
and by the location in flood hazard areas of uses vulnerable to floods
or hazardous to other lands which are inadequately elevated, floodproofed
or otherwise unprotected from flood damages.
It is the purpose of this chapter to promote the public health,
safety and general welfare and to minimize public and private losses
due to flood conditions in specific areas by provisions designed to:
A.
Restrict or prohibit uses which are dangerous to health, safety and
property due to water or erosion hazards, or which result in damaging
increases in erosion or in flood heights or velocities;
B.
Require that uses vulnerable to floods, including facilities which
serve such uses, be protected against flood damage at the time of
initial construction;
C.
Control the alteration of natural floodplains, stream channels and
natural protective barriers which accommodate or channel of floodwaters;
D.
Control filling, grading, dredging and other development which may
increase erosion or flood damage; and
E.
Prevent or regulate the construction of flood barriers which will
unnaturally divert floodwaters or which may increase flood hazards
to other lands.
The objectives of this chapter are:
A.
To protect human life and health;
B.
To minimize expenditure of public money for costly flood control
projects;
C.
To minimize the need for rescue and relief efforts associated with
flooding which are generally undertaken at the expense of the general
public;
D.
To minimize prolonged business interruptions;
E.
To minimize damage to public facilities and utilities such as water
and gas mains, electric, telephone and sewer lines, streets and bridges
located in special flood hazard areas;
F.
To help maintain a stable tax base by providing for the sound use
and development of flood-prone areas in such a manner as to minimize
flood blight areas;
G.
To ensure that potential home buyers are notified that property is
in a flood area; and
H.
To ensure that those who occupy special flood hazard areas assume
responsibility for their actions.
