The Athens County Commissioners discussed a series of changes to the county flood-plain regulations Tuesday with county Planner Bob Eichenberg after flood-plain maps for the area were altered.

The biggest factor in these changes, Eichenberg said, was for people who are going to be in a flood plain if they weren't before. These people have a chance to save on insurance costs if they purchase their policies in time.

"Anytime you have to refinance your house or go through a lending institution, they're going to require flood insurance," Eichenberg said. "If you purchase it before 30 days in advance of the maps becoming effective "“ so that would be Nov. 18 "“ you'll get a reduced rate."

If a person thinks he or she is going to need flood insurance, Eichenberg said, that person is better off to have it at the reduced rate as opposed to the bank forcing it at a higher rate.

"This is for people who don't have insurance right now," he said. "If you've already got it, then you're probably at the lowest rate you're going to get. If you're not in it and the new maps put you in it, you might not get a good rate, depending on where your house is and how low it is in the flood plain."

He suggested citizens who suspect they might be affected by new flood-plain maps to contact his office at 594-6069.

"Hardly anybody gets interested in this until the banks say they need flood insurance," Eichenberg warned. "We might be able to reduce their costs."

The county went through a process called map modernization, Eichenberg explained, resulting in the updated flood maps. Because the flood maps have been updated, the county has been holding public hearings to get comment. The county also made some other minor changes to the flood-plain resolution because of the new maps.

"We do it all at once because it all requires public hearings," Eichenberg said.

With the adoption of the new maps, changes to the resolution included changing the statement of purpose as preventing hazards such as "parking of inoperable or unlicensed vehicles in the floodway." Another change is switching the label from "100-year flood area" to "1 percent chance flood area." This is so the resolution reflects actual probability, Eichenberg explained.

Another change to the resolution is the elimination of the prohibition of using asphalt as fill in the area.

Prohibited fill material includes any waste considered by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to be solid waste or demolition debris. Asphalt is no longer prohibited, as long as it is cured, Eichenberg said.

"It basically has to meet the EPA definition of what is acceptable fill material," he said.

In areas where it's not quite so critical, Eichenberg said, if the asphalt is cured out and the EPA considers it acceptable, the county isn't in a position to evaluate whether it's a good rule or not.

"The flood-plain rules are really to protect people and property, not so much an environmental protection," Eichenberg said.

Another additional change is the requirement that "all other vehicles stored in the open or in an enclosed building in a floodway shall be operable and capable of independent propulsion in the event of flooding."

The public hearing on Tuesday was the second of two public hearings on these changes.