BRIMFIELD — A Special Town Meeting on May 22 unanimously passed the amendment of several flood plain bylaws and acceptance of the new FEMA maps that warranted these changes.

Being familiar with the new maps and bylaws is important to homeowners, Planning Board Chair David Killian previously told Reminder Publishing, as it could affect them and have serious consequences if homeowner’s floodplain status has changed.

“Article 1 proposes to amend the town of Brimfield Zoning Bylaws Section 3.0 District Use Regulations, subsection 3.10 Flood Plain District-Purpose through subsection 3.18 Other Use Regulations, as set forth in the warrant. The purpose of this article is to assure that the town’s Flood Plain District Bylaw meets the requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program,” Administrative Assistant to the Select Board Theresa Cofske said.

Article 1 was worth paying attention to, Killian said. The town is currently working with FEMA on map changes of the flood plain areas in the town, and Killian said that cooperating with FEMA on these changes by passing the article changing flood plain bylaws was crucial for homeowners who want to make sure they are covered by insurance.

Killian said that in the new FEMA maps for flood plain areas, “Some areas are pulled back and some extended, so people should be checking to see what their status is if they are near a body of water.”

“The important part here is those people who are currently applying for flood insurance should be aware of FEMA’s changes,” Killian said.

Planning Board Secretary Patricia Plasse said the reason the Special Town Meeting took place so early is because the bylaw amendments have to be finalized by June 7.

The town worked with the Department of Conservation and Recreation on the new bylaws, Plasse said.

“In order for DCR to have the floodplain program in place the town needs to amend the bylaws by a certain date. If you don’t have that finalized by state, you [the town, property and homeowners] can’t get flood insurance,” Plasse said.

The town recommends that once the new maps and bylaws are officially in place on June 7, homeowners contact their insurance agent or DCR to find out if their property zoning has changed, and make sure they have the proper insurance in place in case of an emergency. Residents who currently are not in a flood plain zone should find out if this status changed, as they may now need insurance.

The FEMA maps and information can be found at the town clerk’s office. To learn more, visit mass.gov/guides/floodplain-management. There are also people available from DCR to walk residents through floodplain insurance and management, these individuals and contact information is found at the bottom of the website.