[StBernard] road home to halt parish grants? FEMA guidelines notadopted

[Westley Annis]

TO ALL,
 
many people have questioned the logic behind the resisting of adopting the
ABFE's (Advisory Base Flood Elevations).  There are numerous issues related
to this so I wil try to be succinct but it may bring up more questions than
answers.  The resistance has been based on the poor science used to
establish these elevations and the result initially being that virtually all
homes needing to be raised three feet above the adjacent ground elevation or
above the current Base Flood Elevation, whichever is greater.  The parish
established a permitting process to give people an opportunity to begin a
repair process and an effective date for a permit that grandfathered a
property as compliant.  The LRA conceded some ground and allowed individual
applicants to the Road Home Program eligib ility to the program even if the
parish did not adopt the ABFEs but required anyone that receives LRA money
to abide by the ABFE, unless they began repair work prior to the LRA
deadline of October 2006 (that meant any work that was documented as having
started and the permits that were made available on line and the will call
permits that many people received).  A downside to this was that FEMA
refused to provide written support for the permitting process so there was
no definitive answer that FEMA was in line with LRA in accepting an
effective date of permitting.
 
The plans that we submitted to LRA representatives included enforcing an
elevate or relocate zone within areas that were at elevations below sea
level- this plan was presented to a LRA Liaison and was favorable to the
concept and suggested that we enforce this plan but refused to provide any
written documentation that appropriate funding would be gauranteed and later
we discovered that the LRA Board took the position that since the plan was
not presented to them, it was not considered.  The same scenario took place
when a subcommittee proposed that if the LRA would tie the adoption issue to
the completion of LRA Road Home program for St. Bernard Residents that we
would adopt the ABFEs contingent upon that- there wa s a verbal agreement to
that concept but no written confirmation was received.  Additionally, FEMA
presented different information at every stage of the process that involved
varying interpretations of the results of not adopting or adopting the ABFE,
many of the scenarios placed the financial burden of elevation on the
homeowner without adequate assistance.
 
Currently, the LRA has returned to the table and we have requested a set of
written confirmations about the effects on residents relative to the
adoption of the ABFEs- as these confirmations are received they will confirm
the protection to residents for flood insurance rating and that the current
FIRM will remain in place until the anticipated new FIRM (D-FIRM) is
published this fall(?) and the process that will follow relative to adopting
that elevation.  The LRA has also agreed to put into writing the
acknowledgement of the permits that have been received and those that
started the repair process.  In addition, we have asked them to revisit the
elevation support and the valuation issue for properties that has been such
a fiasco for people to this point.
 
In summary, please be aware that the resistance by the council in adopting
the ABFE has had no impact on the individual resident receiving Road Home
money- that has been a problem in and of itself without local government
being involved at all.  We may mess things up, but the Road Home program
isn't one of our's.
 
I will keep everyone posted as the written confirmations that we are
awaiting is received- the current proposal is that if what we have asked for
is received we will then have two public hearings and then adopt the ABFE
with a 90 day implementation period after the effective date of the
ordinance- 
 
The confirmations that are being sought include effects of ABFE on ratings
on residents, acknowledgement of permitting process as valid, current FIRM
stays in effect until new FIRM is adopted, if new FIRM is below ABFE, ABFEs
are automatically rescinded, LRA will make all public funds available (not
that any other community that adopted the ABFEs are receiving money); people
who were compliant remain compliant.
 
Please know that this is on the table but we have been here before and will
have to see what is returned.  I am providing this information on behalf of
Mark Madary, Judy Hoffmeister, Kenny Henderson, Joey DiFatta, myself, Ricky
Melerine, and Jr. Rodrigues, all of whom are involved in these discussions
and negotiations.
 
Good luck and God Bless,
Craig