HomeMy WebLinkAbout0599.000December 6, 1990
THE HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
Palo Alto, california
· /'
status Report on Apolication to FEJI.A's COmmunity Rating System
(CRS) Program
Members of the Council:
Report in Brief
This is an
application
Program.. No
b£sround
infortllational report on the status of the city's
for joininq FEMA's Community Rating System (CRS,)
Council action is required.
On June 11, 1990, council received information describing FEMA's
Community Rating System {CRS) Progr-am (CMR:346:-0) .. The CRS proqra"m
lowers flood insu~ance premiums for ~esidents in communities ~hose
floodplain %!".anagement activities exceed the minimum FEY..A
requirements.. On September 24, 1990 1 Council was provided with an
infonaational report" which stated that staff would postpone
proceedinq with a CRS application until FEMA. comple.ted a final
community assistance report verifying the City/s current compliance.
with re~~irements of the National Flood Insurance Proq~am.
Discussion
Although staff has still not received the final community
assistance report outlining the results of F~'s audit of the
City's existing floodplain management activities, a FEMA
repres~ntative has given preliminary indications that the City is
in substantial compliance with National Flood Insurance Pr';:,qram
requirements.. Staff ~ill provide council with more detailed
information on the audit after the final report has been received
and reviewed~ In the meantime, based on the positive verbal
feedback, staff will submit an application for joininq the CRS
Program to FEMA prior to the December lS, 1990 deadline.
Acceptance into the CRS Program will result in lower flood
insurance premiums for Palo Alto residents depending upon the level
of City performance on specified activities that reduce flood
losses, :facilitate accurate insurance ratings and promote
awareness of flood insurance 4 A predetermined number of credit
points are qiv~n for each activity, according to its effectiveness
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QIR:599:0
in reducing flood lo~ses and its level of implementation in the
community.. 8ased on the provisions of the CRS Program, the maxim.um
possi~le reduction in flood insurance premiums for the first year
of participation is five percent.
St~tt Is identifying and documenting sUfficient city activities to
qualify for the maximum first year credit, subject to FEYA review
cf the application.. This effort can be accomplished without
additional resources, as staff is 6eekinq credit only for
activities that are cur-rently being performed or can easily be
incorporated in t.."te existinq workload. If the application is
approved by FEMA, the five percent insurance premium reduction for
City residents would take effect on October 1, 1991.. Staff vill
k~p Council informed of the statuB of the application.
FUrther insurance premium reductions may be available in later
years of the ProqraJII. However. many of the activities required for
additional insurance discounts may not be applicable to Palo Alto
or are not feasible with current staffing levels. Staff can apply
for a~ditional credits during the annual CRS program
recertification process .. beginninq in Oecember 1991~ Prior to
then", staff will return to council with a recommendation on
purS\dng additional discounts and the resulting impact.
Respectfully submitted,
bYV
Assistant Director of Public W?rks
DAVID G. AOI\HS
.Director of PUblic Works
/C l .. /,
\. "'--,..--,-: -'" ~
JUNE FLEKING .
Assistant City ~~.~~ger
Related CMRs: 346:0 and 508:0
cc: P.A. Board of Realtors
FrieDds of San Francisqu1to Cree\
City of Menlo Park
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CMR!599!O
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