2013-0358
INTRODUCED BY: V.J. ST. PIERRE, JR., PARISH PRESIDENT
ST. CHARLES PARISH COUNCIL
RESOLUTION NO.
Title
A resolution requesting the members of the Louisiana Federal delegation to request President Barack Obama to issue an Executive Order to delay the implementation of Sections 205 and 207 of the Biggert-Waters Reform Act of 2012 for four years to allow FEMA to complete the congressionally mandated affordability study on proposed NFIP rate increases, subsidy elimination, and the revoking of grandfathered policies.
Body
WHEREAS, St. Charles Parish is currently in the process of revising the revised version of the Flood Insurance Rate Maps; and,
WHEREAS, the National Flood Insurance Program provides homeowners with property coverage in the event of flooding and is required for many homeowners in St. Charles Parish; and,
WHEREAS, the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2012, contains provisions for phased-in automatic premium rate increases for certain policyholders; and,
WHEREAS, Sections 205 and 207 will unfairly affect hundreds of thousands of policyholders throughout the country who purchased or constructed their homes to the current building codes at the time; and,
WHEREAS, FEMA released the unaffordable and non-actuarially calculated proposed annual premium rates effective October 1, 2013 ranging from $5,830.13 to $19,352.55 for average homes located in Flood Zone AE; and,
WHEREAS, many areas of the country will be negatively affected by these actuarial risk-based premium rate increases that are anticipated to rise an average 20 to 25 percent each year for the next four to five years and such increases will place tremendous burdens on the budgets of average Americans that may lead to personal bankruptcy and foreclosure; and,
WHEREAS, it is the intention of the members of the Coalition for Sustainable Flood Insurance to reduce or delay these automatic NFIP rate increases until further study can be done into their impacts on our homeowners; and,
WHEREAS, it is the intention of the Parish to maintain participation in the vital National Flood Insurance Program; and,
WHEREAS, St Charles Parish is currently participating the NFIP Levee Analysis and Mapping Procedures (LAMP) Pilot Program for non-accredited levees to recognize the protection afforded to the citizens of St. Charles Parish by existing and proposed flood protection structures located within the Parish; and,
WHEREAS, the National Association of Counties (NACo) passed a national resolution urging Congress to reinstate grandfathering of properties (not policies) that were built to code, have maintained insurance, have not repeatedly flooded, etc. and to implement rate structures that reflect an economically reasonable and slower increase in rates to actuarial rates; and,
WHEREAS, the Parish asks the Louisiana federal delegation to request President Barack Obama to issue an Executive Order to delay the implementation of Sections 205 and 207 of the Biggert-Waters Reform Act of 2012 for four years to allow FEMA to complete the congressionally mandated affordability study on proposed NFIP rate increases, subsidy elimination, and the revoking of grandfathered policies.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, THAT WE, THE MEMBERS OF THE ST. CHARLES PARISH COUNCIL, do hereby request the members of the Louisiana federal delegation to request President Barack Obama to issue an Executive Order to delay the implementation of Sections 205 and 207 of the Biggert-Waters Reform Act of 2012 for four years to allow FEMA to complete the congressionally mandated affordability study on proposed NFIP rate increases, subsidy elimination, and the revoking of grandfathered policies.
Vote
The foregoing resolution having been submitted to a vote, the vote thereon was as follows:
And the resolution was declared adopted this day of , 2013, to become effective five (5) days after publication in the Official Journal.
CHAIRMAN:
SECRETARY:
DLVD/PARISH PRESIDENT:
APPROVED: DISAPPROVED:
PARISH PRESIDENT:
RETD/SECRETARY:
AT: RECD BY: