HomeMy WebLinkAboutN. Sounding Board
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
Meeting Date: Julv 21. 2010
Division: County Administrator
Bulk Item: Yes
No~
Department: County Administrator
Staff Contact PersonlPhone #: Connie Cyr /292-4441
AGENDA ITEM WORDING:
Request to speak to the Board of County Commissioners in regards to - the end of the pilot program in
November, the proposed revitalization of Monroe County's image, and pathways towards local
policies that are more conducive to Keys homeowners - John November.
ITEM BACKGROUND:
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION:
CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES:
STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
TOTAL COST: N/A
INDIRECT COST:
BUDGETED: Yes _No
DIFFERENTIAL OF LOCAL PREFERENCE:
COST TO COUNTY:
SOURCE OF FUNDS:
REVENUE PRODUCING: Yes
AMOUNTPERMONTH_ Year
No
APPROVED BY: County Atty _ OMBIPurchasing _ Risk Management _
DOCUMENTA TION:
Included
Not Required_
DISPOSITION:
AGENDA ITEM #
Revised 7/09
Citizens Not Serfs
To: Monroe County Administrator's Office
From: John November
Citizens Not Serfs
1045 Flagship Drive
Summerland Key Fl, 33042
Dear Government of Unincorporated Monroe County:
Citizens Not Serfs, a nonprofit grassroots organization, is requesting a sounding
board agenda item for the July 21st County Commissioner's Meeting. John November will
be addressing the board regarding the end of the pilot program in November, the proposed
revitalization of Monroe County's image, and pathways towards local policies that are more
conducive to Keys homeowners.
A major step in this transition towards fair treatment will be the end of the pilot this
November, when the final notice ofthe requirement for an inspection is released to FEMA
by the county. At the June Commissioner's meeting Monroe County's Growth Management
Director Christine Hurley concurred that the last notice would be released to FEMA in
November. Our organization would like staff to officially confirm that the last notice will
be released to FEMA in November 2010. Here is a mathematical analysis ofthe Pilot
Program based on numbers provided by Monroe County's Floodplain Management
Department in February 2010:
Number of Homes Targeted at Beginning of Pilot Program: 5068 homes
Number of Homes that have received letters as of Feb 2010: Between 4568 Homes & 4668
Homes
Number of Homes that will receive Letters during 2010: At most 500
Number of Addresses sent out by Monroe County to FEMA/NFIP each month: 50
Months it should take to distribute the remaining 500 homes- 500/50=10 months
10 months after February 2010= November 2010
Some of you may have noticed that the numbers don't exactly match up. There are
approximately 2000 out of those 5068 who are unaccounted for in these numbers. The
pilot only requires homeowners to respond if they wish to renew their flood insurance.
Thus, the wheel numbers should not be used by staff to continue the pilot.
After the release of the final notice in November 2010, the county will have completed its
only "proactive" responsibility within the pilot and therefore the pilot should end in
unincorporated Monroe County at that point in time. This pilot program must come to an
end or it will in effect go on forever- which is clearly unacceptable for our county. Our
county must not allow the sham December 31st 2011 end date to remain because it is
arbitrary. What is going to happen in December 2011? A December 2011 end date just
does not make sense. After November 2010, the responsibility to perform inspections upon
a citizen's request in order to renew their flood insurance will become a local undertaking
and the federal government's extreme intrusion into our local floodplain management can
end and fairer policies can emerge.
In addition, the end of the Pilot will allow our county to revitalize our county's
image and reputation that has unfairly mischaracterized us as being an "outlaw" county.
Fortunately, the fact that we have one of the strictest building and floodplain management
ordinances in the nation, our unique beneficial geological conditions, and the fact that we
have lost only one life in a hurricane in the past 64 years are strong facts that provide
support for the revitalization of our image. The commission's realization that there may
also need to be changes made within the staff to reflect this need for new policy direction
towards fairness and image revitalization is also appreciated.
Equally importantly, the commission seems to finally be willing to take control over
how our county can best end this pilot and its devastating unintended consequences. The
Pilot Program regulation directs that FEMA will consult with the community regarding any
extension. Our organization's conviction to point out both FEMA's and the county staffs
unforgiveable error in not bringing the major policy "consultation" concerning the
extension of the pilot to the commission seems to have fortified the fact that the staff can
no longer be in control of our downstairs enclosure policy destiny. It is imperative that the
commission, not staff, become the interface between the county and FEMA.
Equally distressing was County staffs recent 1316 policy change proposal which
clearly unfairly targeted mortgage holders whom are usually the full time gainfully
employed and retired residents that make up the fabric of our community. The
commission's unanimous denial of county staffs 7 year sham amnesty that would have
effectively guaranteed the continuation of the unanimously unpopular building permit
inspection program was also a step in the right direction. Our county must continue to
strive to have the building permit inspection procedure end. Our organization hopes that
this trend of commissioners taking control of our citizen's desperate request for relief
continues.
Unincorporated Monroe County is the only NFIP community in the US required to
have a Downstairs Enclosure inspection prior to receiving a building permit. In every other
community in the United States, the portion of the home that is the subject of the building
permit is the only portion of the home that is inspected for compliance with the code, not
the inside of a another area of a citizen's home. It will be absurd for FEMA to demand that
unincorporated Monroe County homeowners will be forced to continue to have their
downstairs enclosures inspected prior to receiving a building permit after the FEMA pilot
has ended while at the same time FEMA authorizes homeowners in Key West, Marathon,
Islamorada, Key Colony Beach and Layton (59% of Monroe County's total population) to
pull permits without mandating Downstairs Enclosure inspections. Our Congressional
delegation will come to our assistance related to this obvious inconsistency.
Although our organization's fight to end these unfair intrusive policies is sure to
continue, at least now there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel.
Thanks for your assistance.
Sincerely,
John November
Citizens Not Serfs