Guilford County adopts UDO changes: new civil-penalty schedule and updated FEMA flood maps

The Guilford County Board of Commissioners on May 7 adopted two Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) text amendments: a civil‑penalty schedule for UDO violations and an update to floodplain provisions to adopt FEMA's new flood maps.

Planning staff presented the civil‑penalty amendment (UDO case 26‑03 PLBD‑16), which prescribes graduated monetary penalties: "$50 for the first offense; $100 second; $200 third; and $500 for the fourth and succeeding offense," and specifies that each calendar day an offense remains unremedied after notice is a separate offense. Staff said the amendment aligns Guilford County with peer jurisdictions and recommended amending the fee schedule to reflect the change effective July 1, 2026. "We start out with the lower amount . . . to try to bring about compliance," planning staff said during the presentation.

A separate text amendment (UDO case 25‑12 PLBD‑00152) updated multiple ordinance subsections — including the floodplain administrator duties and flood‑damage prevention provisions — and adopted the new flood insurance rate maps and flood insurance study. Watershed staff explained the change was required by FEMA and the Code of Federal Regulations for the county to remain in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and to preserve property owners' eligibility for flood insurance and disaster assistance. Staff described outreach efforts, GIS analysis that identified roughly 46 structures newly added to the floodplain, and technical reasons (improved LIDAR and cross‑section data) for areas where the floodplain increased or decreased.

Both amendments were moved and seconded; the board voted to adopt each measure unanimously. Commissioners asked clarifying questions about maximum penalties, ability to seek legal counsel for fee waivers in extenuating circumstances, and the county's outreach to affected property owners. Staff said the maximum statutorily recommended penalty is $500 for the fourth and each succeeding offense but emphasized a compliance‑focused enforcement approach and that legal counsel would be consulted for individual waiver questions.

The civil‑penalty schedule will be incorporated into the county fee schedule effective July 1, 2026. The flood‑map adoption includes auto‑adoption language intended to preserve compliance with FEMA while retaining appeal rights for citizens.

Next steps: implementation of the updated fee schedule and formal incorporation of the adopted flood maps into county records ahead of FEMA's effective date.