REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Introduce an Ordinance Repealing Chapter 16.62 (Prevention of Flood Damage), Adopting Chapter 16.62 (Floodplain Management) of Title 16 (Buildings and Construction), Amending Section 1.04.010 (Violation-Misdemeanor or infraction) of Chapter 1.04 (General Penalty) of Title 1 (General Provisions) of the Sunnyvale Municipal Code, and Find that the Action is Exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21080(b)(1) and CEQA Guidelines Sections 15061(b)(3), 15268, and 15308
Report
BACKGROUND
The City of Sunnyvale is an active participant in the National Floodplain Insurance Program's Community Rating System (NFIP-CRS). Participation in the program is voluntary, and the City currently holds a rating of 7. In communities that participate in the Program, flood insurance premium rates are discounted to reflect the reduced flood risk resulting from the community's efforts to address the three goals of the Program. Ratings are from 1-10, with 10 being the lowest, and 1 being the highest. Sunnyvale's rating of 7 entitles residents to have a 15% discount on flood insurance. The highest discount of 45% is available for communities with a rating of 1. Each 500 points translates to one change in tier rating. At the last verification visit, Sunnyvale received 1,741 points for its efforts supporting CRS. There are about 1,500 communities participating in the program: about 1% have a rating of 1-4; 51% have a rating of 5-7 and 48% have a rating of 8-9 (a rating of 10 means a community is not participating). Most of the cities near Sunnyvale have a rating of 7.
Activities performed by the staff in support of the program are tallied as points, and points are then translated to the rating system. The Floodplain Manager duties are a function of Community Development, while the CRS functions are housed within Public Works. Staff work collaboratively each year to maintain the status in the program...
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