Foster City Levee Improvements for Safety and Savings
March 7, 2018
Foster City is one of the safest places to live. Low crime rates, quick response times from police and firefighters and a City Council that prioritizes residents’ safety all make our city a desirable place to call home.
Safety is and always will be a top priority in Foster City.
Safety is more than protecting residents from crime; it also includes protecting the City from natural disasters. The havoc that storms cause on communities, as we saw in Houston, Florida and Puerto Rico last year, can be detrimental. Foster City has taken steps to improve outdated infrastructure and maintain our bridges and roads to keep the City safe during unpredictable times.
As we evaluate our infrastructure and public safety needs, the project that stands out the most is the Levee Protection Improvements Project. The improvement of Foster City’s levee is the biggest infrastructure investment of our generation.
In July 2014, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) determined that Foster City’s levee does not meet minimum requirements for flood protection. The Council and City staff have spent the last three years since that determination extensively exploring all levee improvement and funding options.
During the February 20, 2018 City Council meeting, the City Council was faced with making an important decision about these levee improvements. The City Council held a public hearing and the first reading on an ordinance to call for a General Obligation Bond Election. By a unanimous vote, City Council passed to second reading the ordinance to place a $90 million bond measure to locally fund mandatory levee improvements on the June 5, 2018 ballot.
This decision was not made lightly. We made sure we did not decide on the easiest or the quickest solution, but the solution that provided a long-term fix to a complicated issue. City staff has worked with financial and legal advisors, engineering teams, environmental agencies and local elected officials, among others, to find a solution to fix the levee. We left no possibility unconsidered and thoroughly explored, researched and debated every option to improve and strengthen our levee to meet FEMA standards.
Without action, the City would be designated as a special flood hazard area, causing homeowners and businesses with federally insured loans to purchase expensive, mandatory flood insurance, while remaining at flood risk. Flood zone designation would not only endanger our residents but negatively affect our property values.
A bond measure will cost the average homeowner approximately $272 for the first year of the assessment rather than $2,000-$3,000 per year in flood insurance indefinitely.
All funds from this bond measure would stay local and would have strict fiscal oversight from a citizens committee to ensure that all funds are used solely to upgrade the levee.
The consideration of this bond measure is the culmination of years of community outreach and thorough examination of the City’s options to fund levee improvements. We have considered every factor and been conscientious of what we are asking residents to pay. The amount of the bond was firmly decided to be what was needed after in-depth analysis of our finances, our reserves, our future financial needs and balancing this important investment with other investments Foster City will need in the future.
The City does not take this task lightly. The City’s Public Works Department has been working with engineers and architects to find the best solutions to meet safety standards, increase recreational opportunities and maintain the natural beauty that our levee provides. Investing in our City means not only protecting the safety of our residents and essential city services in the event of a strong storm, but also protecting our property values and maintaining our quality of life.
The Foster City City Council and staff are dedicated to keeping Foster City safe, and we are proud of our decision to put this critical measure on the ballot to ensure our levee continues to protect homes, schools and our City services and keeps Foster City out of a flood zone. The need for levee upgrades is apparent and urgent, and we know that this measure is the right choice for our City. We hope the community will join us in supporting this levee improvement measure in June.
