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Bill 151 Flood Management -Brenda Ford Presentation -Transcription Kona Community Meeting - 700PM -October 9, 2007 -State Pavilion -Old Airport Page 3 of 3 I've confinued to have, even despite the fact that I've compromised dramatically on this bill, I'm still getting massive amounts of opposition from the development community. All I can say is that we need to support higher standards. The NFIP, National Flood lnsurance Program, has minimum standards to keep is in their hazard insurance program by FEMA. And they have recommendations, and I have probably 12 inches of material that I have from FEMA that recommends, certainly in the A-V zones, which is the FEMA flood ways and flood planes and on the coast, that we should raise the elevation at least 1 ft above their required minimums. My position is in the X zones, which are the rest of the island. We need to raise those elevations on new developments, new subdivisions, the extra foot. Unfortunately, I believe that I have talked to the Mayor, this is Tuesday, I talked to him on Monday, and he's not going to be very supportive of raising the elevations in the X zones, in certain areas of the island. And I will be working with Mr. McClure and his staff to see if we can come up with some kind of formula or some way to assist those areas that the Mayor believes never flood. But I'm telling you that we have a big problem in this County. And every new house, every new business, every new impervious surface that's put down are going to cause additional flooding. And we are not going to get less, it's going to be more. And there's not enough money in any of our pockets to pay for massive flood control projects that are going to be required to take care of development generated run off. We need to start doing this on a house-by-house basis. There are places on the mainland that say you have to contain a 100% of the rainfall on your property, a 100%. We aren't requiring that. So I'm open to questions and I see some of those same engineers and architects in the audience. And I'll be glad to answer any questions, but that's the position I have taken. I believe that we need to do a whole lot more. FEMA supports bill 151 because they know it's going to cause less damage. And they're supporting it even in the X zones, despite what everyone else is saying. And the NFIP has said that both bills meet the minimum standazds. So the minimum standards are going to be met no matter what. But my bill has higher standards for more protection. This is a public safety issue, and we need to do this public safety. We need our critical services, fire, police, hospitals. These are all new things. We don't have to go back and lift anything up. But all the new facilities that are critical facilities and that help with any type of public safety, need to be meeting a much higher standard, even in the one I'm requiring or asking to have in this bill to be passed.