Council Updated on Flood Plain Map

The Moorpark City Council was brought up to date at Wednesday's council meeting about a revised 100-year flood plain map, to be used by FEMA to determine which residents will be required by the federal government to obtain flood insurance.

An appeal was filed last June by the city and a final determination by FEMA is expected to be received before the end of the year. Mayor Janice Parvin said once that approval has been received, a public meeting will be scheduled within 30 days to discuss how residents will be affected by the requirement to purchase flood insurance. She said a representative from FEMA will be in attendance.

A 100-year flood plain is an area adjacent to a body of water that has a 1 percent chance of flooding in any given year within 100 years.

The issue of exactly where the flood zone lies has been the center of controversy for more than five years.  It stretches back to 2005 when the flood zone maps drawn by FEMA were updated from 1986. At that time, approximately 50 structures in Moorpark were affected.

The revised map included several hundred homes, and homeowners were taken by surprise when told they needed to purchase flood insurance. The insurance required by the federal government is expensive, running more than $1,000 per home annually.

The city of Moorpark appealed the flood zone to FEMA and a revised map was approved by FEMA in January 2008.

Six months later, in June 2008, FEMA threw a wrench into the plans when it refused to certify a levee owned by Villa del Arroyo Mobile Home Park, placing an additional 240 mobile homes into the flood zone and requiring the residents to purchase flood insurance before a deadline of Jan. 20, 2010. Most of the homeowners complied.

Adding to the confusion, on Jan. 20, 2010, the Ventura County Water Protection District requested that the levee be certified and that the mobile homes be removed from the flood plain map. In March 2010 that appeal was approved. That meant that residents of the 240 mobile homes no longer were required to purchase flood insurance.

When those residents who had paid for the additional flood insurance attempted to get refunds for the insurance that was no longer required, the insurance companies refused to pay. Rep. Elton Gallegly was contacted by the city to work with FEMA to obtain refunds for those residents.

FEMA responded in May to Gallegly's request, refusing to allow refunds on the grounds that no refunds could be given to those who had purchased their insurance before the date the appeal was filed, on Jan. 20, 2010.

In essence, that meant that residents who were mistakenly placed in the flood plain by FEMA and who had met the deadline to buy insurance were stuck with insurance they no longer needed, because the Water Protection District had belatedly certified the levee and filed the appeal.

Regarding the original flood zone map, which was reworked in 2009 and included 1410 structures, an expert consultant was hired by the city to reevaluate the actual 100-year flood plain boundaries. It was determined to be inaccurate and an alternative map was sent to FEMA that removed 507 homes while retaining 433 within the boundaries of the flood plain.

That appeal is expected to be approved by FEMA before the end of this year. However, hundreds of homeowners remain on the hook for expensive insurance.

David Klotzle, Moorpark's interim city engineer and public works director, said that these actions will not be the end of the process.

"The good news is that there are additional measures that can be taken to remove as many of these remaining structures from the flood zone as possible," Klotzle said.

Klotzle explained why the 100-year flood plain changes. He gave three situations that would change the boundaries.

"Revisions to flood maps can be prompted by commercial and residential development on previously vacant land, which can change the storm runoff volumes and patterns," he said, noting, "There has been significant development of vacant land since the 1986 flood map became effective."

Also, new and/or improved elevation data may have an effect on the flood map when it is updated and flood channel improvements and bridge improvements can also prompt changes."