CAPE MAY – Cape May City Council heard from Community Rating System (CRS) Coordinator Lou Belasco and Floodplain Manager Jason Dilworth Feb. 4, regarding the city’s CRS efforts.
The CRS process allows municipalities to gain federal flood insurance discounts, based on the level of prescribed activities undertaken to protect the community from flood damage. Cape May has a rating of six, which entitles property owners to a 20% discount.
Council was told that at the last Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) community visit, in 2018, the city accumulated enough points to qualify for a four rating, but the lack of some of the prerequisites for the level was not met, making the city ineligible to move up in rating.
A score of four would’ve moved the property owner discount from 20% to 30%. Dilworth said gaining those prerequisites is an important priority, which would require council’s involvement.
At a January meeting, Deputy Mayor Patricia Hendricks proposed keeping a series of city-owned vacant lots as open space to gain CRS points (http://bit.ly/3bkBK5s). The issue was not raised during the CRS discussion with Dilworth and Belasco.
