Post-Sandy community meeting brings more questions than answers

Written by Ann Richardson Sunday, January 27, 2013 11:37 am

Ann Richardson / Surrounded by a standing-room only crowd, city officials and representatives of the Federal Emergency Management Agency fielded questions from the public at a meeting hosted by the Ocean City Community Association at the library on Saturday, Jan. 26.

OCEAN CITY — Surrounded by a standing-room only crowd, city officials and representatives of the Federal Emergency Management Agency fielded questions from the public at a meeting hosted by the Ocean City Community Association at the library on Saturday, Jan. 26. 

There were more questions than answers thanks to a directive issued by Gov. Chris Christie on Thursday, stating that New Jersey would adopt FEMA’s advisory base flood elevation maps as the basis for regulations guiding new construction in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

“What the governor did the other day got us all going crazy,” Mayor Jay Gillian said. “Nobody knows what’s going on and nobody knows why he did what he did. It’s a perfect example of ‘one size fits all, the North Jersey, South Jersey thing. It’s entirely different down here. 

“It’s disappointing and upsetting,” he said, adding that he hoped that common sense would prevail and Christie would change his mind.

Gillian said he was all about safety, but the new regulations would be a nightmare for Ocean City as some homes in the expanded V zone would have to be elevated.

The cost of elevating some of these homes or putting pilings underneath exceeds the value of the home.

“Again, we need answers,” he said. “Rest assured, we will be working on this 24/7; it affects every single person.”

Christie said that his intent was to provide the necessary guidance for homeowners to rebuild homes destroyed by Sandy. Gillian said the new rules would make it impossible for many of them to do so. 

FEMA representative Virginia Holt said base flood elevation maps were last update 15 to 20 years ago when “there were rotary phones and no answering machines.”

“Technology has improved so much,” she said. “We are trying to get the maps to you before you rebuild, so you do so on solid ground.”

Holt said the maps were advisory, or “preliminary,” and could be appealed.

“I understand you are in shock mode because of these heights, and there may be some problems with them,” she said.

FEMA’s Doug McDonald, a hazard mitigation grant fellow, said there was help for beleaguered property owners. Grant funding was available for elevation, acquisition and retrofitting of structures, as well as constructing floodwalls and bulkheads. FEMA will allocate a percentage of the funding to the state and the state department of emergency management decides on priorities. The bulk, he predicted, would go towards elevation.

Property owners must apply through the city. The deadline is Feb. 8.

“You as individual homeowners are eligible for the program, but I have three cautions,” he said.

The biggest impediment, he said, is the length of time it takes to receive the grant.

“We can’t say 18 months or two years, but we want it as fast as we can, so we can go home,” he said. “You cannot begin the actual elevation, though you can begin some repairs before you receive the grant.”

Frank Donato, the city’s emergency management coordinator, said he would oversee the program. He said that homeowners who can live in their homes and wait for the money could benefit from the grant. The grants are competitive, he said, and there is no guarantee.

“The money does not turn around very quickly,” he said.

About 100 people have applied.

“Call City Hall. A lot of information has yet to unfold, but we will get it fast out the door. Grants are available for primary and second homeowners,” Donato said.

Rich Subota, an insurance specialist for FEMA Region 3 said he understood the frustration.

“The best answers we have may not be the answers you want to hear,” he said.

Sandy, he said, was the largest meteorological event in the history of the flood insurance program.

“We quite honestly have been overwhelmed by the sheer number of losses,” Subota said. Despite cutting red tape and streamlining bureaucracy, he acknowledged it was “taking a long time.”

“We’re doing the best we can under the circumstances,” he said.

As far as escalating flood insurance costs, he said it was best to go as high as possible.

“The higher you go, the less expensive your flood insurance will be,” he said.

In July 2012 the federal government passed the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Act.

He said the national flood insurance program was designed to be affordable, and had been “pretty heavily subsidized.” Before long, the program was “$20 billion in the hole.” So the subsidies, Subota said, are being phased out.

“The higher you go the more you benefit,” he said. “You’ll end up with a structure that is safer the next time and yes there will be a next time.”

The increased cost of compliance is $30,000 imbedded in flood insurance policies. Subota said it was designed to help elevate homes to a safer level, but the insured has to pay first and then be reimbursed.

If the damage to a home from the storm totals more than 50 percent of the assessed value of the structure, the home must be elevated before renovations can be completed.

As questions started coming in, it was decided that each person in the room was suffering from a unique situation and individual concerns would best be solved one-on-one.

City business administrator Mike Dattilo said city officials are analyzing everything and would do everything possible to help residents.

“The maps are flawed for Ocean City, in many ways, and it’s why the governor’s action is of such serious concern,” he said.

“You don’t have to wait to raise your house,” Dattilo said, adding that depending on where people live, the governor’s action may make that more difficult. There would be a moratorium on building in some areas, he said.

Zoning issues, particularly on small lots, would arise as stairs would have to be added.
“As we sit here now, a lot of these folks are in a situation where they are going to have to go before the zoning board, which adds cost and time,” Dattilo said.

City officials promised they would try to make whatever changes they could to streamline the process.

“It will vary neighborhood by neighborhood,” Dattilo said.

Holt said accessibility issues would not be taken into consideration when it comes to height, suggesting elevators and building stairs underneath homes.

Bill McMahon of the McMahon Insurance Agency said both his office and the Heist Agency encouraged people to get claims in right away after they saw how North Jersey was affected by Sandy.

“We’re working as quickly as we can,” he said, adding that adjusters don’t get paid until the insured does, so they, too, are working hard. “Right now it’s a little uncomfortable to walk down the street knowing some of you haven’t gotten paid.”

The meeting ended before many questions had been answered because FEMA officials had another engagement. Kevin Redmond, president of the Ocean City Board of Realtors, did not have a chance to speak or answer questions.

Denise Semptimphelter, who owns a second home at 2460 West Ave., was severely impacted by the storm.

“We have to elevate,” she said. “What do we do, knock it down and rebuild, or elevate? We want to do it right. On Thursday, Gov. Christie changed everything.”

Gillian promised swift action.

“There are a lot of hurting families out there,” he said. “How do you raise a house for $30,000? We will do everything we can, we are going to have to work as a municipality and come up with a program.”

To comment on this story, see oc.shorenewstoday.com

---

< Prev		Next >