Adrienne Culpepper: December 2008 Archives

Safe travel to all and a fabulous Christmas to all IBCs!!!

It is truly hard to believe that only 1 week ago this was the very same site of a scene dressed in garland, Victorian ladies and gentlemen, bagpipers and (God save her), the Queen in a horse drawn carriage for Dickens on the Strand.

As Mikie said while we walked down the Strand this evening, we are so lucky to live in such an amazing, diverse place that can successfully play host to such different events. 

The best part?  Running into our friends we saw last week who were wearing top hats, velvet and petticoats that, today, were decked out in leather chaps, boots and jackets. 

Galveston is on her way back, and her engine is revving strong, Mondo!

Did you attend this year's Lone Star Rally?  What did YOU think?  Please post it here!
 

Thanks very much to our city council representative for her perserverence getting us an answer regarding elevating using the ICC insurance coverage... Please see the following email below that I received from Mrs. Beeton this week:

Elizabeth,

            Immediately below is the answer to your question from our subject matter expert, Diana Herrera.  The basic answer is yes, a historical designated home can qualify for Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC).  In order to do that the house, not including the land value, has to be found to be substantially damaged, that is over 50% damaged according to tax assessment value.  Since this property is located in the historical district and since there was no requirement to do the substantial damage assessments in that area none were done.  So how does one accomplish this?

            The property owner has to show the City Planning and Permitting folks that the damage to their home "by flooding" was in excess of 50% of the home's CAD value plus 5%.  The best way to do that is for the home owner to obtain an estimate for the repair costs to bring the home back to the pre-storm condition with out considering any improvements, and also not considering the cost of elevating it, and present that estimate to the City Planning Department.  I believe it would also behoove the homeowner to check with Lori Schwarz or David Ewald at the Planning and Inspection Department because I think they may also be requiring the home owner to provide a fair market appraisal of the property by a certified appraiser to be consistent with what everyone else must provide.  The appraisal is the other way to establish the value of the home for the purposes of determining substantial damage by flooding.

            Once the city has made a decision that the home is substantially damaged as a result of flooding, it can issue a letter to that effect to the home owner.  The home owner then files a claim for the ICC with his or her insurance company and includes a copy of the substantial damage letter from the city.  My understanding is that the ICC claims process is the same it is for a flooding claim.

            Furthermore, as Diana has noted, the City Planning Department and the State Historical Preservation Officer (SHPO) must determine what it will take for the home to retain its historical designation and can require certain things be done in the elevating process to achieve that end result; for example, using shrubs and vegetation to hide the piers that are used to raise the property.  So I would also suggest that this homeowner consult with Lori Schwarz, the city's historical preservation expert, to determine what has to be done to meet the SHPO and the City's historical preservation requirements.

            The final area of your concerns is the question of Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding to assist with elevating a home.  As Diana noted, and as you have heard from Shirley Mayes, the State Hazard Mitigation person for this region, the state's primary emphasis for HMGP grants is for "buy-outs", not for any of the other HMGP grant programs.  However, one of the other HMGP grant areas is for grants to elevate properties above the base flood elevation.  But, convincing the state that it should use the HMGP monies given to it by FEMA for this type of grant is up to the local jurisdiction, we have no direct influence on that.  So we cannot guarantee you or your constituents that there will be money from the HMGP program for elevating homes, only that such grants are authorized. 

Respectfully, Terry 

Terry McArdle
FEMA Liaison to the City of Galveston
AFO-Galveston DR-1791-TX
 

Council Appoints Galvestonians to Island's Long Term Community Recovery Committee

Galveston, Texas
December 11, 2008

Galveston 's City Council appointed members to the Island 's Long Term Community Recovery (LTCR) Committee at their regular meeting tonight.  The Council is still seeking to involve additional members from the public.  Anyone wishing to serve on the committee should call the City Secretary's Office to have their name added to the roster.  Council will make their final appointments at their first meeting of 2009.

Betty Massey, LTCR Committee Chairwoman, presented an overview of the committee's goals, structure, timeline, and described her commitment to creating an inclusive group that will develop a unified community vision for a recovered Galveston .  Massey, as well as several Council members, expressed their sincere hope that all citizens will engage and participate in the process. 

Galveston 's Long Term Community Recovery Committee will convene its first meeting on Monday, December 15, 2008.  The meeting is open to the public.

WHAT: Long Term Committee Recovery Committee Meeting

WHEN: 3:00 p.m. Monday, December 15th

WHERE: Council Chambers, 2nd Floor City Hall 823 Rosenberg

If you would like to serve on Galveston 's Long Term Community Recovery Committee please call the Office of the City Secretary's Office at (409) 797-3510.
 

So, thanks to Alicia, best Public Information Officer EVER, we were invited to visit with the folks at Fox26 in Houston this morning.  The few things we WANTED to say, but didn't get to (nerves - they are NOT you're friend in front of a camera!) included a big thanks to everyone who came to Dickens to support the Island, GHF, etc and to all the store owners for working so hard to get ready for the big weekend.  Every place that was open looked fantastic! 

If you missed this morning's coverage, click here to watch!

What did you think of 2008 Dickens on the Strand????  Please post!