R94-009RESOLUTION NO. R94-~
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF
THE CITY OF BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA,
OPPOSING HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES BILL
3191 AND SENATE BILL 1405 REGARDING THE
NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE REFORM ACT OF
1993 AS THEY ARE CURRENTLY WORDED AND
RECOMMENDING REVISIONS THERETO; AND
PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the current Bills referenced above are being
deliberated in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate as
the National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1993; and
WHEREAS, the
present national.
actuarially sound,
Bills recognize the need for reform of the
flood insurance program to be more
and
WHEREAS, the Bills would require mapping the entire U.S.
coast'line at a cost of twenty-five million dollars
($25,~00,000.00) to be paid from policy premiums in order to
establish thirty (30) year and sixty (60) year erosion zones;
and
WHEREAS, the establishment of said thirty (30) and sixty
(60) year erosion control zones is arbitrary and unpredictable
throughout the United States and is highly controversial; and
WHEREAS, these Bills do not permit flood insurance for
any new construction or additions to existing structures
located in the thirty (30) year zone; and
WHEREAS, the Bills do not permit flood insurance for any
non-residential structure or residential structure not readily
movable that is located in the sixty (60) year zone; and
WHEREAS, these Bills would prohibit federally backed
mortgage financing institutions from financing structures
within flood-prone areas unless such structures were insured
under the national flood insurance program; and
WHEREAS, these Bills would, therefore, greatly diminish
the value of property within virtually every coastal community
in the nation because owners could not insure the structures
on their property or sell to buyers who desire to finance the
purchase of such property; and
WHEREAS, the Property Appraiser of Palm Beach County has
determined that the proposed Bills could potentially put at
risk the amount of tax revenues collected from taxable coastal
property located in Palm Beach County; and
WHEREAS, the amount of property at risk represents 8.8
billion dollars ($8,800,000,000.00) of taxable value which, in
turn, would represent a potential loss of two hundred million
dollars ($200,000,000.00) per year in tax revenues to local
governments and taxing entities in Palm Beach County; and
WHEREAS, these Bills would impose no similar prohibitions
on the insurability of structures within other areas of the
nation which are chronically and predictably flood prone, such
as the riverine areas, even though statistics show that the
number and value of flood insurance claims from riverine areas
have exceeded those from coastal areas; and
WHEREAS, the severe economic impact of the Bills on
coastal tax bases has not been considered, and this impact far
exceeds the intent of the Bill; and
WHEREAS, the Senate should not enact these Bills in their
current form due to this inequity and fundamental unfairness
to coasta~ property owners.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COMmiSSION OF
THE CITY OF BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA THAT:
Section 1. The City Commission of the City of Boynton
Beach urges the U.S. House and Senate to reject HR Bill 3191
and Senate Bill 1405 in their current form due to the
devastating impact on the tax base in Palm Beach County and
the entire St-ate of Florida, and due to the fundamental
unfairness to the nation's coastal property owners, in
particular, those in Florida who make up approximately forty
(40%) per cent of all national flood insurance program policy
holders.
Section 2. The City Commission of the City of Boynton
Beach strongly recommends that the actuarial soundness of the
national flood insurance program be significantly increased by
enforcing regulations to mandate that a significant number of
uninsured structures in federally designated flood areas be
brought into compliance.
Section 3. The City of Boynton Beach further
recommends that the controversial mapping to create thirty
(30) and sixty (60) year coastal zones of erosion be deleted
until it can be proven that this mapping will have a
beneficial impact on the fund and that the policy holders will
derive some benefits from this exercise.
Section 4. The city of Boynton beach recommends that
the House and Senate enact compromise Bills which:
A. Delete the controversial erosion control measures
delineated in HR Bill 3191 and Senate Bill 1405, specifically
the mapping of the thirty (30) and sixty (60) year erosion
control zones and the denial of insurance to properties
located within those zones;
B. Call for a broad-base economic impact study to
determine the impact on the local communities; and
C. Allow the local communities to address local erosion
problems in a rational manner as opposed to utilizing the
arbitrary mapping concept.
Section 5. The City Clerk is hereby directed to
submit copies Of this Resolution to all members of the U.S.
Senate and House Banking Committees, Florida U.S. Congressmen
Alcee Hastings, Harry Johnston, Tom Lewis, and Clay Shaw,
Florida U.S. Senators Connie Mack and Bob Graham; all cities
within Palm Beach County; and to the Board of County
Commissioners of Palm Beach County.
SeCtion 6. This Resolution shall take effect
immediately upon passage.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this /~ day of Janaury, 1994.
CITY OF BOYNT~gN BEACH, FLORIDA
ATTEST.
' Cit~Cle~k ' ~ -
· (Corporate Seal)
Authsig. WP5
Flood. Con
1/14/94