Sea Isle City Town News ~ FEMA Hazard Mitigation Program

March 12, 2013

FEMA Hazard Mitigation Program:

The City of Sea Isle City will be making applications through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. This Grant would allow qualified homeowners, who wish to elevate their homes or implement other mitigation projects that would reduce damages in the event of future disasters, to seek partial reimbursement.

FEMA repetitive loss property owners, who have living areas that are prone to flooding, are advised to consider this funding. Please note that this is a reimbursement grant; homeowners will be asked to fund the elevation of their property and submit their expenses to the City. The homeowner would still be responsible for 25% of total costs. Residents who may have already started this process would not be eligible for these funds.

While FEMA has released its advisory flood maps post Sandy, their final determination has yet to be determined. To view the flood zone maps as proposed, please visitwww.region2coastal.com/sandy/table.

If you would like to participate in this program or have questions regarding funding, please email sicoem@police.seaislecitynj.us or call (609) 263-4311 ext. 7207 with the following information:

--Name of owner

--Address of property

--Block and Lot number

--Personal contact information

--Description of your mitigation project

--Estimated costs of your project

While it is anticipated that funding will not be available until the spring of 2014, interested residents are asked to contact the City without delay to help ensure acceptance into this program.

For more information about Sea Isle City, contact The Landis Co., Realtors at (609) 263-3400 or info@LandisCo.com . Check us out online at www.LandisCo.com 

Sea Isle City Mayor's message - FEMA Flood Elevation Info

MAYOR’S MESSAGE: 
The recently issued FEMA Advisory Maps have become a cause for concern among property owners at the Jersey shore.  Be assured that we are working hard to obtain the facts so we can keep Sea Isle’s homeowners accurately informed.  Toward that end, I will soon be travelling to Trenton with other Cape May County mayors to meet with the Governor’s cabinet and FEMA representatives to discuss our concerns and gain substantive information that I will pass on to you.  We are grateful for the efforts of Senator Jeff Van Drew in facilitating this important meeting.  Please use the links in the “FEMA Flood Elevation” section below to learn more about this issue.

Through the cooperative effort of the City, the Tourism Commission, and the Chamber of Commerce and Revitalization, we’ve embarked on an exciting campaign to expand our marketing area.  A picture of a billboard that was rented by the Tourism Commission near Lincoln Tunnel is found below in “Recent Photos.”  Tools like this will get the message to our North Jersey and New York neighbors that our gem of an island to their south is open for business and ready to offer visitors the vacation of a lifetime.  Please note that the expense for the billboard was funded entirely by the Tourism Commission with no taxpayer dollars spent.

The largest ribbon-cutting ever held in New Jersey will take place on Friday, February 15, on the promenade.  The ribbon will stretch the entire length of the promenade and the cutting will officially launch Polar Bear Plunge Weekend and Sea Isle City’s 2013 visitor season.

Saturday, February 16, is Sea Isle’s much-anticipated Polar Bear Plunge.  We expect this year to be the best ever with several brand new additions to the festivities.  Safety, of course, always comes first and, in the interest of your safety, we ask that plungers only enter the water in the designated plunge area.  Also, in the interest of your safety, you are reminded that the promenade is closed north of 32nd Street.  The last three blocks of the promenade are blocked off to secure that area for repairs necessary due to damage caused by super storm Sandy.  Contractors are being lined up and repairs will begin shortly after Presidents’ Day Weekend.  Rest assured that the north end of the promenade will be safe for your strolling pleasure well before the 2013 summer season.

Sunday, Day Three of Polar Bear Plunge Weekend, is highlighted by the Annual Run/Walk for Autism.  Please support this important event, knowing that all proceeds go to Autism research.

Smile…You’re in Sea Isle!

Leonard C. Desiderio, Mayor of Sea Isle City 

FEMA FLOOD ELEVATIONS: 

There is a lot of information – and misinformation – circulating around town concerning upcoming changes to the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM).  Sea Isle City’s Administration and City Council are working in close consultation with State and Federal agencies to clarify and bring the most up to date information available to our property owners and residents.  City officials will continue to bring you the latest and most accurate information regarding this very important subject as it becomes available.  

For a list of “Frequently Asked Questions” and a link to the Governor’s Rule, please read the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s February 5 press release by clicking HERE.  For additional information and copies of the new advisory base flood elevation (ABFE) maps, please visit www.region2coastal.com/sandy.

Regulations to Allow Residents and Businesses to Rebuild Faster, Stronger and Safer from Hurricane Sandy

For more information about FEMA rules and flood insurance issues contact The Landis Co., Realtors. at info@LandisCo.com or (609) 263-3400.   www.LandisCo.com 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJanuary 24, 2013 Contact: Larry Ragonese (609) 292-2994 Governor Christie Outlines Regulations to Allow Residents and Businesses to Rebuild Faster, Stronger and Safer from Hurricane Sandy Standards Will Ensure Lower Premiums In The Long Term, Protecting Residents From Out Of Control Costs (13/P6) TRENTON – Taking action to give New Jersey families, businesses and local governments the best available guidance to quickly and more durably rebuild from Hurricane Sandy, Governor Chris Christie today signed emergency regulations to adopt the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) updated Advisory Base Flood Elevation (ABFEs) maps as the rebuilding standard for the entire state. These regulations establish requirements and more efficient procedures for residents and businesses to construct, reconstruct, relocate and elevate buildings and other structures in flood hazard areas. Using the best available science and data as reflected in these advisory maps will give families, businesses, and communities the best assessment of their risk – allowing them to better mitigate damage from future flood events, avoid higher flood insurance costs, and begin the rebuilding process immediately. Because of federal reforms to the National Flood Insurance Program to move towards increased flood insurance rates that reflect actual risk, families who rebuild their properties in a manner that does not conform to updated base flood elevations will see significant premium increases. By acting today to use the latest available information and data from FEMA to set rebuilding standards for New Jersey, Governor Christie is helping homeowners and small businesses rebuild properties that are less at-risk, while also helping them avoid potentially massive, out-of-control flood insurance costs over the long-run. While each property and rebuilding situation is unique, an example provided by FEMA illustrates the dramatic impact new standards can have on flood insurance rates, in addition to the issues of increasing the risk to the safety of the property and its inhabitants. If a property owner is currently in an "A zone" at 4 feet below the BFE elevation and are reclassified as a higher threat "V zone" and take no action, that property will be rated at a higher risk and be subject to an approximate annual premium (phased in) of up to $31,000. In addition to the threat posed by being 4 feet below the BFE in elevation, the property owner will be non-compliant with V zone construction standards. In contrast, if the owner were to rebuild to the suggested BFE and appropriate construction standards, the annual premium (phased in) would be approximately $7,000. If the resident rebuilds 2 feet above the BFE with the construction standards for their new zone, the annual premium would be approximately $3,500. A savings of up to $27,500 annually. "It is absolutely critical that we take this opportunity to rebuild New Jersey smarter and stronger in the aftermath of Sandy. That's why today I am approving emergency regulations being proposed by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to help fast-track the rebuilding process," said Governor Christie. "By doing so, we're helping residents and businesses who have endured so much, to get back on their feet while at the same time ensuring that rebuilding occurs as quickly as possible, without costly red tape slowing this process down for our families and small businesses. As New Jersey recovers from Sandy, utilizing the best available data provided in these FEMA maps will give our communities the ability to rebuild with the least possible risk from future storms moving forward." With over 8.4 million residents in its 8,721 square mile area and approximately 3.8 million residents in flood hazard areas, without swift and immediate action, the state is presented with a risk of continued severe impacts during the next flood event. The DEP is adopting an emergency rule with common-sense provisions for rebuilding stronger structures, more quickly: Adopts the height and construction requirements in FEMA's Advisory Base Flood Elevation (ABFE) maps as a state standard for reconstruction. The ABFEs reflect the best available, most current scientific data about 100-year floods. Allows property owners who rebuild to the ABFEs (plus one additional foot, as has been required by the New Jersey Flood Hazard Area Control Act since 2007) to do so via Permit By Rule (PBR). This eliminates the need for thousands of property owners to apply for DEP's Flood Hazard Area permits, saving them at least $500 in permit fees plus the design and engineering costs associated with an application, and allowing them to begin reconstruction without waiting for department review as part of the rebuilding process. Allows "wet floodproofing" for non-residential buildings. Wet floodproofing means that a building may flood but will structurally withstand the water, and enables reconstruction in urban areas in a safe and less costly manner than requiring elevations or dry floodproofing. This is especially important in highly developed areas like Hoboken or Jersey City. Without this change, residents and small businesses would have to comply with the existing rules, which could significantly drive up costs and make some redevelopment impossible. Eliminates requirements that now allow certain building foundations to have only three walls –a potentially unsafe construction method. By adopting the ABFEs as the state standard immediately, the state will ensure that coastal communities are reconstructed using the best elevation guidance that is available, preventing the level of damage experienced in Sandy. The emergency rules also bolster DEP construction requirements to make structures more storm-resilient, to prevent the level of destruction caused by Sandy. "Unfortunately many of the structures that were hardest hit by Sandy were built decades ago, prior to the establishment of much more protective state and federal building elevation requirements," said DEP Commissioner Bob Martin. "If homes had been built to these standards prior to Sandy, it is fair to say that property damage would have been significantly less. It is critical that we have the statewide elevation standard and a permit by rule process in place before large numbers of permit applications for rebuilding start coming in and reconstruction of our state begins in full force." In many cases, FEMA flood maps for coastal areas of New Jersey were more than two decades old and did not reflect real hazards. FEMA was in the process of updating the flood insurance maps, upon which the ABFEs are based, when Sandy struck. The agency released the ABFEs December 15, 2012 for some 200 communities affected by tidal waters. The maps use modern technology, modeling and updated topographical maps to better define storm risks. They are designed to help state and local governments employ mitigation actions that ensure structures are rebuilt stronger, safer, and less vulnerable to future flooding events. Adoption of the emergency Flood Hazard Area Act rule using the ABFEs as the base elevation standard will ensure that every development in every municipality will apply the appropriate elevation standards across the board. Otherwise municipalities might adopt a patchwork of local standards that might be implemented while FEMA works to finalize the flood maps based on the new ABFEs. This process could take many months and cause significant delays as New Jersey recovers from its worst-ever natural disaster. The rule will become effective immediately upon filing with the Office of Administrative Law. Copies of the emergency rules and the DEP statement of imminent peril are attached to the release. For more on ABFEs, visit: http://www.region2coastal.com/sandy/abfe

Sea Isle City ~ Rebuilding the Jersey Shore

Smart thinking and smart growth could equal sustainability for the Jersey Shore

Is it possible to rebuild the Jersey Shore so that it is more resilient to extreme storms like Hurricane Sandy? 

By Tom Johnson, December 13, 2012 in Energy & Environment 

Related Links

Ten Years to Rebuild a Smarter, More Resilient Jersey Shore, Experts Say

That issue could qualify as Topic No. 1 for many local and state officials as they struggle to decide where and what to do about rebuilding a coast devastated by what most call the worst storm to hit New Jersey.

It was also Topic No. 1 when Tom Johnson, NJ Spotlight's cofounder and energy and environment writer, sat down and talked with WHYY/NewsWorks about the plans and policies that are being considered -- particularly a comprehensive dune system that will reshape the Shore and remake its communities.

Download Podcast 

For more information about FEMA, flood insurance, and other Sea Isle City building issues contact 

The Landis Co., Realtors, (609) 263-3400 or info@LandisCo.com . wwww.LandisCo.com

SEA ISLE CITY INFORMATION FOR PROPERTY OWNERS:

Sea Isle City - December 20, 2012, Property owners who sustained material damage  to structures subject to real property assessment may qualify for a reduction in  assessment pursuant to NJSA 54:4-35.1. Owners must fill out a Material Damage from  Storm Assessment Review form, which is available on the official Sea Isle City website  (via the "City Departments/Downloadable Forms/Tax Assessor Documents" tabs) or  in person from the Tax Assessor’s Office, located at 4501 Park Road (inside the  former Sea Isle City Public School). The Assessor’s Office may also be reached by  phone at (609) 263-4461 ext. 1228.bThe completed form must be returned to the  Assessor’s Office by January 9, 2013. For more information about what to do  contact The Landis Co., Realtors, (609) 263-3400 or info@LandisCo.com www.LandisCo.com