Shandaken received a $60,000 grant to continue its participation in a federal program that reduces flood insurance costs for property owners, officials announced at the town’s board meeting on Monday.
The town will use the money to climb the Community Rating System, a tiered system that rewards communities for good floodplain management, said Deputy Town Supervisor Robert Drake.
“The fundamental purpose of the program is basically to prepare communities for flood events,” Drake said.
The system, run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, awards points for steps such as hiring a floodplain administrator and running flood awareness campaigns. Rack up enough points and a community moves up a class, earning residents a bigger discount on flood insurance. Homeowners with federally backed mortgages in high-risk flood zones must carry the coverage.
This system gives town classifications of 10 through one based on their flood management practices.Shandaken is ranked as a Class 8 community,which entitles property owners to a 10% discount. Drake said the town has already met the requirements for Class 7 and expects to “be a seven before the end of the year.” That would lift the discount to 15%.
Shandaken will hire a consultant and upgrade its floodmapping software to aid the town’s record keeping.
The money comes from the Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program, a partnership among Ulster County, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection that funds work to keep streams healthy in the Ashokan watershed. The city department pays for the grants; Cornell administers them. They also cover stream channel restorations, infrastructure improvements, and flood studies.
“The underlying idea is that we can provide assistance and funding to local stream managers, particularly the towns and counties and their highway departments,” said Leslie Zucker, the program’s director.
Shandaken has a history of flooding. Heavy rain from Tropical Storm Irene swamped the town in 2011. Major floods also hit in 2005 and 1980.
Zucker said the program is working with Shandaken on flood reduction projects across the town, particularly in Phoenicia, Pine Hill, and Chichester.
“These funds help decision makers protect community vitality and water quality at the same time through better stream management,” she said.
Kyle Bredberg is an intern and contributing reporter. You can reach him at kyle@theoverlooknews.com.
