Measure P to raise $90M for levee

The Federal Emergency Management Agency notified the city in 2014 that its existing levee system lining the San Francisco Bay would no longer protect the community from a 100-year flood, and needed to be raised. The move came after FEMA released a new map placing the Bayfront community into the flood zone and questioned the sufficiency of the levee that protects 9,000 Foster City properties and another 8,000 in San Mateo. The existing levee ranges from 12 feet to 13 feet and FEMA’s highest requirement is for it to be raised 16 feet in certain areas.

To avoid being pulled into the flood zone, the city is striving to meet the requirements outlined by FEMA. Failing to meet those requirements would force property owners with federally backed mortgages to purchase thousands of dollars of flood insurance every year. It could also lead traditional lenders to require property owners to secure insurance if they’re located in the flood zone.

If approved by two thirds of voters, all property owners — residential, office and commercial — would see their tax rates increase about $41 per $100,000 of assessed property value. Councilman Charlie Bronitsky said the median resident would pay about $270 per year.

“The flood insurance won’t keep the water out of your house, but the levee will and it’s also cheaper,” he said.

Many critics of the measure feel such a costly investment is unnecessary so many years before they say sea level rise will actually threaten Foster City.

“We should be prepared, but to do it now and create this fear factor I think is irresponsible,” said Linda Koelling, a former Foster City mayor and opponent of the measure.

Koelling said local control is being usurped by regulatory agencies like FEMA.

“Foster City is responsible for its own destiny,” she said. “We want these regulatory agencies out of our backyard.”

Art Kiesel, also a former Foster City mayor, suggested a regional approach to sea level rise, which affects the entire Bay Area, and not just Foster City.

Bronitsky said the city does not have time to wait for San Mateo County to address sea level rise as the city will be placed in a flood zone by FEMA by October.

“Eventually, everyone will get hit by this but now it’s our turn,” he said, adding that construction will only cost more the longer the city waits.

Koelling also said Foster City officials haven’t been transparent with residents since the issue came up years ago, specifically about the role of the Bay Conservation and Development Commission, which required Foster City’s levees to be 2 feet taller than what FEMA originally mandated to protect the city through 2050. She also said the city should’ve fought BCDC.

Bronitsky said city officials have been entirely upfront about BCDC’s requirements and simply refer to the agency as such and not by name because most people aren’t familiar with it, adding that BCDC made it abundantly clear it wasn’t going to budge on their levee requirements.

“Do I like it? No. Can I do anything about it? No,” he said. “We could spend our entire lives fighting them, but it doesn’t make sense to do so.”

As for the issue of contributing the city’s reserves to the project, Bronitsky said that would put the city at risk as the first 30 days of an emergency costs $45 million, which is more than current reserve numbers.

“I’m not a big fan of taxes, I have to pay some taxes as everyone else does, but no one can reserve on a long-term basis for these kind of things,” he said.

zachary@smdailyjournal.com

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