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HomeMy WebLinkAboutR-93-54RESOLUTION NO. R-93-54 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SEBASTIAN, INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA, OPPOSING SENATE BILL 1405 REGARDING THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSUI~NCE REFOR~ ACT OF 1993 AS IT IS CURRENTLY WORDED, AND RECOMMENDING CERTAIN CHANGES WHICH WOULD MAKE THE PROPOSED LAW ACCEPTABLE; PROVIDING FOR THE REPEAL OF RESOLUTIONS OR PARTS OF RESOLUTIONS iN CONFLICT HEREWITH; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS, the current Bill is being deliberated in the U.S. Senate as the National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1993; and WHEREAS, the Bill recognizes the need for reform of the present National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to be more actuarily sound; and WHEREAS, the Bill would require mapping the entire U.S. Coastline at a cost of $25-million from policy premiums to establish 30 year, and 60 year erosion control zones; and WHEREAS, the establishment of said 30 and 60 year erosion control zones is arbitrary and unpredictable throughout the entire coast of the united States on a standardized basis and is highly controversial; and WHEREAS, the Bill does not permit flood insurance for any new construction or additions to existing structures located within the 30 year zone; and WHEREAS, the Bill does not permit flood insurance for any nonresidential structure or residential structure that is not readily movable within the 60 year zone; and WHEREAS, existing structures are grandfathered into the Bill but will ultimately be denied insurance after two claims totaling 50% within ten years; and WHEREAS, this Bill would greatly diminish the value of property within virtually every coastal community in the Nation because owners could not insure the structures of their property or sell to buyers having to finance the purchase of such property; and WHEREAS, this Bill would impose no similar prohibitions on the insurability of structures within the Riverine areas of the nation which are chronically and predictably flood prone, even though statistics show that number and value of flood insurance claims from Riverine areas have exceeded those from coastal areas; and WHERE&S, the severe economic impact of the Bill on coastal tax bases has not been fully considered; and WHEREAS, the Senate should not enact this Bill in its current form due to this inequity and fundamental unfairness to coastal property owners. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF SEBASTIAN, FLORIDA, THAT: SECTION 1. The City Council urges the Senate to reject Senate Bill 1405 in its current form due to its devastating impact on the tax base and fundamental unfairness to the nation's coastal property owners and, in particular, those in Florida who make up more than 43 percent of all NFIP policy holders. SECTION Z. The City Council strongly recommends that the actuarial soundness of the NFIP be significantly increased by enforcing regulations to mandate that the other 8.5 million uninsured structures to federally designated flood areas be brought into compliance. SECTION $. The City Council recommends that the controversial and scientifically unreliable mapping to create 30 and 60 year coastal zones of erosion be deleted until the chronic and repetitive Riverine losses are addressed. SECTION 4. CONFLICT. Ail other resolutions or parts of resolutions in conflict herewith are hereby repealed. SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption. The foregoing Resolution was moved for adoption by councilmember J J The motion was seconded by Councilmember~~,.~/~) ~4~J~and, upon being put to a vote, the vote was as follows: Mayor Lonnie R. Powell Vice-Mayor Frank Oberbeck Councilmember Carolyn Corum Councilmember Norma J. Damp Councilmember Robert Freeland The Mayor thereupon declared this Resolution duly passed and adopted this ~day of ~~ /~1993. ~-l~ffn-ie R k.~l~, M~yor ATTEST: Kathryn M. O'Halloran, CMC/AAE City Clerk Approved a~o Form and Content: Charles Ian Nash, di~Y Attorney