In 2005 the Federal Emergency Management Agency began a “community assessment visit” to see if the city was meeting its code regulations for structures in a flood zones.

“Being in Gulf Shores, a low-lying area, we have a huge number of structures in flood zones,” said Building Official Brandan Franklin. “In March 2005 we sat down with FEMA after they had just performed a community assistance visit. More or less an audit of our Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance to make sure we’re updating buildings correctly, that we’re imposing all the right regulations for every structure in the flood zone.”

That daunting task and ongoing work came to an end on Friday when Franklin received a letter from FEMA.

“They have closed this community assessment visit,” an obviously happy Franklin told the City Council on Monday. “They have found that the city is in compliance with all our regulations which is a huge step for us in getting this closed.”

Franklin says the next step is to apply for a re-evaluation of the city with an eye toward a lowering of insurance premiums for residents.”

“I feel confident on a five percent reduction, possibly 10,” Franklin said.

“That could have great impact on our community as far as insurance premiums,” Mayor Robert Craft said.

It’s been a long, slow process and Franklin is glad it’s finally over.

“We started out with five pages of possible violations they’d come up with,” Franklin said “ The majority was down Fort Morgan that we had inherited when we annexed that area.  And some in Gulf Shores.

“After five years of correspondence back and forth, several different meetings and then having another staff coming in and look over what we have done in the past five years and providing information to FEMA, they have closed this community assessment visit.”