Flood insurance reduction possible if city gets rating

CRISFIELD - With City Council approval Grants Administrator Jennifer Merrit will apply for a $50,000 technical assistance grant from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development to cover the salary of a Community Rating System (CRS) coordinator who will work on the steps necessary to have Crisfield designated a CRS community so property owners can receive a reduction in flood insurance premiums.

Crisfield participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) but just 10% of Maryland counties and municipalities participate in the Community Rating System. And according to FEMA, those that do, can receive 5% to 45% reductions in flood insurance premiums based on floodplain management practices that exceed minimum standards of the NFIP.

If the grant is awarded the city must provide $5,000 in indirect costs. It would also provide an opportunity for the city's housing coordinator, a position now held by Dominique Parks, to transition to a new role when her grant-funded position ends next year.

The Somerset County Commissioners on May 7 approved a letter of support for the city's grant request. They have been trying since 2017 to achieve CRS status with that effort being overseen by its Department of Technical and Community Services.