By BEN GRAFTON
The first order of business at the Freeport Planning Board meeting on Nov. 3 was to administer the oath of office to Sheriff’s Lt. Eddie Farris so that he could serve as a member of that board.
E.J. Gomes and Marion Cook of the Eglin Air Force Base presented an overview of the Air Installations Compatible Use Zones Program (AICUZ) used by the Air Force. The program is designed to meet objectives to protect the health, safety and welfare of residents living near the air station; encourage compatible land development; and inform the public about the program. The program included discussions about analyzing and dealing with noise problems, defining accident potential zones, height and obstruction concerns, electronic interference and unshielded lighting on the ground that affects flight safety. Residents with complaints can call Eglin Public Affairs at 882-3931 or 883-4020 after hours.
City Planner Latilda Henninger advised the Board that the city had received a notice from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that its flood plain ordinance needed to be up-dated to reflect changes in policies and procedures. Henninger said the changes include revisions affecting insurance eligibility for recreational vehicle (RV) and mobile home owners whose properties are in flood plain areas. She commented about the number of times owners can reinsure their properties after filing the first claim for flood damages and described the procedure, based on a licensed surveyor’s report, for removing a property from FEMA flood zone maps by proving that the map is based on inaccurate flood plain data.
