Federal agency recognizes city of Shelby

Mayor Steve Schag is celebrating a Shelby success.

"We have received another notable recognition from the Federal Emergency Management Agency," Schag announced at Shelby City Council's concluding meeting of February.

The city received a plaque from FEMA, which recognized Shelby for successfully participating in a National Flood Insurance Program community rating system.

"The community has undertaken a series of meaningful activities to protect its citizens from losses caused by flooding and has significantly exceeded the requirements for NFIP participation and effective floodplain management,"

Schag said in reading from the plaque.

"This is very, very good for our city," the mayor added.

He thanked city of Shelby project coordinator Joe Gies for his work behind the scenes as a floodplain manager.

"This is yet another proof of his stellar efforts," Schag said.

According to FEMA, the National Flood Insurance Program provides flood insurance to property owners, renters, and businesses.

"...Having this coverage helps them recover faster when floodwaters recede," the agency details on its website. "The NFIP works with communities required to adopt and enforce floodplain management regulations that help mitigate flooding effects."

Flood insurance is available to anyone living in one of the 23,000 participating NFIP communities, FEMA said.

"Homes and businesses in high-risk flood areas with mortgages from government-backed lenders are required to have flood insurance," the agency added.

Gies confirmed that the FEMA recognition Shelby received is related to a floodplain issue he had previously discussed.

In April, 2022, he told City Council's Public Works and General Operations Committee that all material had been submitted by Shelby's municipal government for the city's Community Rating System. Every five years, an insurance services organization comes and does a review to make sure the city is doing everything correctly on floodplain regulations, Gies said.

More than 1,500 communities participate nationwide, according to FEMA.gov.

"The Community Rating System (CRS) is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management practices that exceed the minimum requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program," FEMA said.

In CRS communities, FEMA also said, flood insurance premium rates are discounted to reflect the reduced flood risk resulting from the community's efforts that address the program's three goals. FEMA.gov identifies them as:

* Reducing and avoiding flood damage to insurable property

* Strengthening and supporting the insurance aspects of the National Flood Insurance Program

* Fostering comprehensive floodplain management

In separate updates Feb. 21, Mayor Schag noted that he had joined four other city officials taking a CPR class put on by the Shelby City Health Department.

Jeanne Coovert, Shelby's director of nursing and educator, is a certified CPR instructor.

"The class presentation was par excellent with a nice blend of instruction and literal hands-on training," Schag said.

Mrs. Coovert is available to teach classes in groups of any size, he said. "So I encourage our community to please feel free to reach out to her by email or at 419-342-5226," the mayor added.

Mayor Schag also:

* helped facilitate the city of Shelby Health Department staff meeting of Feb. 7

* participated on Feb. 9 in a Zoom meeting as a board member of the Community Action Commission of Erie, Huron and Richland County

* held a ribbon cutting Feb. 17 on behalf of Troy Baker "as he unveiled the spectacular renovations" at his Edward Jones building at 19 W. Main St.

"It's beautiful" both inside and out, Schag said.

On Feb. 18, Schag represented the city at the Jess Rath Award Banquet held at the First United Methodist Church.

In the aftermath of the council meeting, Councilman Garland Gates offered further comments involving passage of new Shelby legislation that will affect the city's mayors.

Council on Feb. 21 unanimously held a third reading and approved on Ordinance 4-2023 enacting section 230.08 (wedding fees) of chapter 203 (mayor) of the codified ordinances of the city of Shelby.

This legislation involves marriage ceremonies that would be performed by Shelby mayors.

"The former mayor of the city of Dover, Ohio, was indicted, tried, convicted, and sentenced for theft in office," Gates said via social media. "He pocketed $9,200 in fees received for performing marriages. Those moneys should have been deposited into the Dover city treasury, not into his wallet."

Shelby's new legislation, sponsored by Councilman Gates, seeks to head off any ambiguities.

"I can assure everyone that when I was mayor of the city of Shelby back in the 1980s, any fee or gratuity that I received for the 168 weddings that I performed was taken right down the hall at City Hall and given to Finance Director John DeVito," Gates wrote Feb. 23.

"The present mayor has chosen not to officiate at civil weddings," Gates said of Schag. "I disagree with that choice, but it is his to make."