By Danny Teigman
Concern arose when several trustees thought a yes vote would force village residents to buy flood insurance even if they did not want to. According to Village Administrator John Giordano, however, residents can choose not to opt in.
"The board was concerned that there were out-of-state banks not familiar with Long Island," Giordano said, "and once they knew that a homeowner had property in a community that voluntarily participates ... [it] would send up a red flag to the bank and mandate a homeowner buy flood insurance."
Established in 1968, the NFIP has been directed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency since 1979. It seeks to provide homeowners and businesses with cost-effective protection from severe flooding, according to the agency's Web site. Giordano stressed that coverage does not include damage from typical rain storms or snow melt, but rather focuses on overflows of bodies of water, including tidal areas, lakes, rivers and streams. According to FEMA, coverage is offered for flooding from any water source that causes "unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff." Post-Katrina worries have caused insurance providers to drop many of their flood-prone customers, Giordano said, making the Federal plan - for those who want it - even more beneficial.
"I feel that there's no downside to this," said Mayor Eugene Scarpato.
The option of joining the program, however, may become a moot point if FEMA chooses to re-draw flood plain maps -- a process being considered, according to a village insurance consultant, Jeff Silverstein, who did not have a detailed timetable. "Before anything is initiated, it will be subject to public hearings," Silverstein said. "From what I understand, south of Sunrise Highway may be in for some changes."
The average NFIP entrance cost for residents is $350 per year, while private insurance can cost three times as much, Giordano said. If the map is redrawn, he added, it is likely that new admittance rates would not be as reasonable as they are now.
Susan Wall, a resident who has been an outspoken proponent of joining the plan, was pleased that the year-long effort had finally paid off, and attributed much of the leg work to Trustee David Penso. "I'm just happy that Trustee Penso was able to get this done for us," Wall said. "The community owes him a debt of thanks. I'm pleased that we have an opportunity to opt into a program that would otherwise be much more expensive through private insurance."
Trustee William Hendrick said that any perceived delay on the part of the board was due to its concern for taxpayers and not to political maneuvering. "When the issue arose, my original concern was the effect that such a program would have on other residents who were not looking to enter the program," Hendrick said. "... I did my research -in two or three weeks I was on board. It's not up to me to explain why it took so long for everyone else to get on board."
Comments about this story? Dteigman@liherald.com (516) 569-4000 ext. 246.
