Novato adjusts rules to meet FEMA flood program standards

Callie Rhoades, The Marin Independent Journal, Novato, Calif.Marin Independent Journal

Novato has updated its municipal code to meet a Federal Emergency Management Agency program standard that lowers the cost of flood insurance.

The council voted unanimously on Aug. 25 to pass an ordinance requiring a 1-foot freeboard standard on residential buildings, including manufactured homes, that are being constructed or going through substantial improvements. The standard requires homes to be built or raised 1 foot above the water level that could occur in a 100-year flood, or the kind so severe it has only a 1% chance of happening in any given year.

The city participates in the National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System, a voluntary program that encourages floodplain management through insurance incentives. The program places communities into classifications between one and 10 based on their flood preparedness, regulations, public outreach and responses, and provides various levels of insurance discounts based on their ratings.

A class of one is the best score. Novato has a ranking of six.

“By adding this 1-foot freeboard, we receive CRS credits, so by doing this we are going to stay in class six and people who live in a flood zone and have flood insurance, they’re going to get 20% from their flood insurance,” said Manijeh Larizadeh, assistant engineer.

While the city mainly followed the 1-foot freeboard standard from the California building code already, it did not meet more stringent language requirements needed in its municipal code and did not apply the regulation to mobile homes. If the city did not update its code, it would have been downgraded to a classification of eight and residents in the designated flood areas would lose 10% of their discount.

“So the folks in Bahia or in Hamilton who are theoretically below sea level, they would have to adhere to this new rule of elevating their home?” Councilmember Pat Eklund asked at the meeting.

“Yes, they will have to adhere to this the same as everybody else,” said Chris Benigni, public works director.

Eklund expressed concern about older homeowners in the mobile home parks who will now be required to raise their homes when applicable. She asked for the city to conduct more efforts to inform them about the requirements.

Mayor Rachel Farac asked about how the city could improve its flood planning to receive both a better score and be more prepared for potential El Niño flooding this rainy season.

“I know the county had a presentation about the heavy rain that is expected to come in the fall,” Farac said. “I think it would be good to start thinking about that, since a lot of other jurisdictions are planning for that.”

“Actually, one of the requirements for CRS program is maintaining creeks and drainage way, and that’s what we are doing, and we get some points for doing that,” Larizadeh said.