Payran neighborhood residents seek flood-insurance relief

<p>While the Payran neighborhood hasn't flooded in several years, and protection is now provided by the nearly completed Petaluma Flood Improvement Project, residents say their mandatory flood insurance continues to rise.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>The $40-million-plus improvement project, authorized by Congress after the flood of 1986, has been carried out in five stages. But according to local officials, until the project is finalized, the neighborhood will remain a part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Special Flood Hazard Area, and flood insurance must be paid. </p><p>Ellen Webster, a Rocca Drive resident, said flood insurance for her home cost about $1,000 this year, more than her homeowners' insurance. She contacted the members of the City Council regarding her concerns in July, but received no firm response.</p><p>“No one really knows what's going on,” Webster said. “I've been living in this house for seven years, and I've seen the city do nothing.” </p><p>Webster said that when she moved into her house, she was told the area would be out of the flood zone within two years. Her home hasn't flooded since she moved in, but her flood insurance bills have increased each year. </p><p>“I keep waiting and waiting and waiting,” she said. “It's really annoying.”</p><p>Local officials say they hope the project will be completed soon, but that much of it relies on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. </p><p>“The bulk of the corps of engineers flood fix has been completed for some time,” said Councilmem-ber Mike Healy. “There are still a couple of punch list-type items remaining until the project is regarded as finished, however, and the city has been having trouble getting the corps to fund those final projects.” </p><p>Healy said the unfinished items include a transition from one channel to another and dredging in the lower part of the flood-fix project. According to Healy, the items were funded at one time, but the work wasn't completed and the funding expired. </p><p>“It would be nice to get this completed and not have this insurance requirement on folks,” he said. </p><p>Mike Ban, director of water resources for Petaluma, said he expects the project to be completed within the next couple of years. </p><p>“FEMA needs to update their maps, but in order for that to happen, the flood-control project needs to be completely finished,” Ban said, adding that after the project is finished, the corps of engineers must complete an operations and maintenance manual for the project.</p><p>According to Ban, the city submitted a map-revision request to FEMA in November 2008, and the agency provided preliminary comments in June and July.</p><p>“It's just a very lengthy process to have FEMA take an area out of a special flood zone,” he said. “It's probably going to be at least another three years.” </p><p>However, Ban said, the city is considering pursuing an A99 designation, which applies to areas where flood-control projects under construction have achieved “adequate progress,” according to FEMA, but are not complete. This could provide relief in flood-insurance rates for residents of areas protected by the project. </p><p>Under Zone A99 designation, residents would still have to buy flood insurance, but at rates that assume the project is complete. </p><p>FEMA has said that the Zone A99 designation could only be approved if the corps of engineers provided documentation that the completed portions of the project meet FEMA regulations. According to Ban, the city is working with the corps to get that documentation to FEMA.</p><p>But for the time being, Ban said, residents will still have to buy flood insurance at regular rates.</p><p>(Contact Susan Dickson at argus@arguscourier.com)</p>