| Q: |
Why an assessment? |
| A: |
To pay for maintenance on improved levees. Approximately $400 million is being invested in 29 miles of levee improvements in South Yuba County. A significant portion, or $200 million, is paid for by the state with State Prop 1E and Prop 13 funds. Per signed agreements with the state, TRLIA must ensure the improved levees are maintained to urban standards, which requires more manpower, new equipment, and higher levels of skill than ever before.
Reclamation District (RD) 784 is responsible for maintaining existing levees, but does not have the required funding to provide the maintenance for increased levee maintenance. Also, approximately 9,300 acres of property outside the current RD784 boundary receives benefit from the TRLIA improvements; however, these properties currently provide no funding for levee maintenance. The proposed assessment district will include these 9,300 acres.
An assessment was determined to be the fairest way to pay for urban maintenance on improved levees. An aggressive levee maintenance program will provide stronger flood protection and help keep flood insurance rates as low as possible (see section on FEMA Mapping & Flood Insurance). |
| Q: |
If RD 784 is responsible for levee maintenance, why is TRLIA proposing the assessment? |
| A: |
TRLIA is partnering with RD 784 to protect the $400 million investment in South Yuba County levee improvements. To date, the state has contributed approximately $200 million toward levee improvement efforts. As a condition of that funding, TRLIA is required to ensure the improved levees are maintained to urban standards. The assessment district is designed to provide the resources RD 784 needs to meet those requirements.
Also, approximately 9,300 acres of property outside the current RD784 boundary receives benefit from the TRLIA improvements; however, these properties currently provide no funding for levee maintenance. The proposed assessment district will include these 9,300 acres.
TRLIA is a joint powers authority (JPA) formed by Reclamation District 784 and Yuba County. The JPA Agreement authorizes TRLIA to finance, create community facility districts, assessment districts, or other financing districts, construct/repair, acquire property, and provide for maintenance of levee improvements. It is viewed as an effective agent to implement an assessment district. |
| Q: |
Isn’t the majority of South Yuba County considered rural? Why do we have to maintain levees to urban standards? |
| A: |
For the purpose of flood protection, any area with more than 10,000 residents is considered urban. The population of South Yuba County exceeded this amount prior to development in Plumas Lake. Maintenance requirements for urban levees are much more stringently enforced than those for rural levees, because the levees must protect lives and property. |
| Q: |
How much will it cost to maintain levees to urban standards? |
| A: |
The additional cost for maintaining improved levees to urban standards is $800,000 per year. The improved levees have new features, like relief wells and electronic monitoring equipment. Urban levee maintenance requires more manpower with higher technical skills, improved equipment, new methods of vegetation and rodent control, acquisition of flood fighting and maintenance easements, and resources for immediate repairs. |
| Q: |
Who’s Responsible for Levees? |
| A: |
The State of California owns the levees. Reclamation District 784 (RD 784) handles levee operations and maintenance on behalf of the state. RD 784 is responsible for approximately 37 miles of levees in South Yuba County. Since 2004, the Three Rivers Levee Improvement Authority (TRLIA) has managed major levee construction. In the past four years, TRLIA has improved nearly 29 miles of RD 784’s levees.
TRLIA, a joint powers agency formed by the County and the RD 784, is authorized to:
- finance, create community facility districts, assessment districts, or other financing districts
- construct/repair, acquire property, and provide for maintenance of levee improvements
Per signed agreements with the state, TRLIA is required to ensure the maintenance of improved levees to stringent urban standards.
The levess will be maintained by RD 784 with funding and other support provided by TRLIA. |
| Q: |
How will the assessment be calculated? |
| A: |
Per state law, the assessment is directly related to the benefit each property receives from better, stronger flood protection. The proposed assessment district has been divided into four zones so properties are grouped by similar benefit.
- Benefit within each of the four zones is determined by the risk of flooding and the expected flood damage (prior to the levee improvements)
- Rates within each zone are determined by property type (residential, agriculture, commercial/industrial, office, institutional) and parcel size
|
| Q: |
What are the proposed rates in each of the four zones? |
| A: |
It depends upon the property type, but the proposed single-family residential rates are as follows:
South Zone $148.04 per year
Central A $ 11.33 per year
Central B $ 32.16 per year
East $ 11.12 per year |
| Q: |
Would the new assessment replace the current assessment paid to RD 784? |
| |
No. The new assessment would be in addition to (not a replacement of) the current assessment. |
| Q: |
Will the assessment amount stay the same or increase over time? |
| A: |
The proposed assessment includes an annual cost of living increase of no more than four percent each year. Any increases must be tied to the Department of Labor Consumer Price Index and would need approval in the annual budgeting process. |
| Q: |
How do other jurisdictions' assessments compare to this proposed assessment? |
| A: |
Economic & Planning Systems, an economics consulting firm, has prepared a comparison table to show how the proposed assessment on Single Family Residential property for levee maintenance and improvements compares to similar assessments recently implemented by other local agencies including SAFCA, WSAFCA, and RD 10. On average, TRLIA's proposed assessment for Single Family Residential property is within the ranges of assessments levied in other jurisdictions.
TRLIA $81.70 (average of all zones)
SAFCA $63.83 (average of all zones)
WSAFCA $94.27 (only one zone)
RD 10 $90 (only one zone)
NOTE: Each Agency represented assesses property within its district for a varied combination of levee operations and maintenance services and capital improvements. To the extent there are additional assessments for like services by other entities that overlap these districts, and the assessments are known, these additional assessments have been included in this analysis. Therefore, the analysis is intended to compare the total annual burden on property assessed in each district for levee operations and maintenance and capital improvements and it does not reflect the actual assessments imposed by the referenced districts. |
| Q: |
Which of the four zones are protected from flooding by which levees? |
| A: |
East Zone – Yuba River Levee; Central A – Yuba River Levee and Feather River Levee; Central B – Yuba River Levee and Feather River Levee – depth of flooding is less than Central A; South – all levees. |
| Q: |
Shouldn't the measure of benefit be applied only to those who are the intended beneficiaries of the project? |
| A: |
Proposition 218 requires that assessments be applied to all who actually benefit. Properties within the proposed assessment district receive special benefit from improved levees. |
| Q: |
Why do the graphics in the draft Engineer's Report show areas flooding that would not actually flood? Why are the high ground not excluded? |
| A: |
The area benefited by the levees was identified by analyzing a series of levee breaches and removals to determine areas that would be covered by flood waters if the levees were ineffective. TRLIA consultants used hydraulic models and topographic information to establish the best estimate of benefit area. A more specific answer to the question can be given with a more specific identification of the "high ground areas" that should be considered for exclusion. |
| Q: |
TRLIA's Joint Power Agreement states that TRLIA can't do operations and maintenance, so isn't this proposed assessment illegal? |
| A: |
TRLIA General Counsel reviewed the controlling documents and concluded that TRLIA may raise these funds and apply them to operations and maintenance. The JPA Agreement was designed to prevent TRLIA from supplanting RD 784 historical work prior to TRLIA's improvements. Instead, TRLIA will be supplementing RD 784's revenues so that RD 784 may properly maintain the levees improved by TRLIA. The JPA agreement has been amended to remove any doubt. |
| Q: |
Maintenance of the levee is an RD 784 problem, so shouldn't this assessment be handled by RD 784? |
| A: |
TRLIA has a legal obligation to ensure maintenance of the levees it has improved and thus maintained. It is required to do so by the permits it has received from the State, and pursuant to the funding agreement whereby the State contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to the program. Additionally, TRLIA is a joint powers authority of RD 784 & Yuba County, so it is an agent of those entities. |
| Q: |
Why is there no Developer money for levee operations and maintenance? |
| A: |
The Developers' only commitment was to fund capital improvements (with the exception of the limited $500,000 for operations and maintenance). |
| Flood Mapping and Flood Insurance |
| Q: |
How does the FEMA mapping process work? |
| A: |
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is responsible for evaluating flood risk throughout the United States. Recent catastrophic floods provided new information about how and why levees fail. FEMA is using this information to reevaluate the safety of levees nationwide, including those in South Yuba County.
Results from these evaluations will be used to update FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Rate Maps, the maps that show high-risk and low-risk flood zones. Flood insurance is much less expensive in low-risk flood zones. In high-risk communities, most property owners are required to purchase flood insurance at much higher rates. |
| Q: |
How are levee operations and maintenance linked to FEMA mapping and flood insurance? |
| A: |
In order to maintain low-cost flood insurance rates, levee improvements must be accredited by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
To receive FEMA accreditation, levees must be backed by a properly funded operations and maintenance program. The proposed annual assessment will provide the money needed to pay for levee maintenance and operations.
If the levees are not accredited, FEMA may map South Yuba County into a high-risk flood zone as early as fall 2009. In that case, flood insurance would become mandatory for most property owners, and development would not be allowed (including commercial and retail development). |
| Q: |
How do rates for the annual assessment compare with rates for low-risk and high-risk flood insurance? |
| A: |
If costs for the South Zone assessment ($148/year) and voluntary, low-risk flood insurance ($388/year) were added together, it would amount to approximately $536 per year. In low-risk flood zones, flood insurance is recommended, but not required.
Generally speaking, the cost for one year of mandatory high-risk flood insurance ranges from $1,200 – $2,766 per year. Those who purchase flood insurance prior to the adoption of updated FEMA maps can secure a preferred low-risk premium of $388 for one year. But, the standard rate of $1,200 takes effect after the first year. Worse off are those who fail to purchase insurance prior to the adoption of maps: they pay $2,766 per year.
*$250,000 coverage for residential structure; source: National Flood Insurance Program
Visit FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program Web site at www.floodsafe.gov, or contact your insurance agent. For more information on FEMA floodplain mapping, visit http://rmc.mapmodteam.com/rmc9/. |
