Activity 310 – Elevation Certificates (116 pts possible)
• 312 a) ECs since application (38 pts awarded)
San Anselmo requires and maintains completed FEMA Elevation Certificates (ECs) for all buildings constructed, substantially improved, or placed within the 100-year flood zone, or Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) according to Title 7, Chapter 11, Article 5 of the Town municipal code.
A preliminary EC is required based on construction drawings at the time building plans are submitted for review, and another EC is required at the time of final inspection based upon completed construction.
Hard copies of Elevation Certificates are stored in the property building file, which are available to the public for review. Digital versions are attached to the building file in Trakit, our permit tracking software, and hosted on the Town website.
San Anselmo applied to CRS in May 2015.
312a Attachments:
Elevation Certificate Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
Elevation Certificates on record

• 312 b) ECs post Firm (48 pts possible)
San Anselmo has inventoried ECs from its building files and has 74 on record. The earliest ECs on record are from 1980, however it wasn’t required until 1989, and it doesn’t seem to have been widely implemented until 2000.
San Anselmo joined the NFIP in 1976 and our first FIRM was created in 1977.
312b Attachments:
Year Graph

• 312 c) No credit requested- FIRM predates all ECs


Activity 320 - Map Information Services: (90 pts awarded)
322 a) (30 pts)The Town provides and tracks basic FIRM information for anyone that inquires. Trained staff provide basic flood zone information from the most recent Flood Insurance Rate Map (March 17, 2014) in a variety of formats, including:

• In person, during open counter hours, anyone is welcome to come in and receive personal advice with a trained staff on flood zone and elevation information. A flood map is prominently displayed above the counter at the Town Office and informational handouts (including about flood insurance) are on a wall hanger
Attachment: Pictures of Town Office information
Attachment: Flood Map poster above counter

• A Marin County website, MarinMap, (www.MarinMap.org) provides a tool for viewing the current FEMA floodplain information in a GIS, this is also available over the counter at the Town Offices. San Anselmo counter computers have FIRMette software for reading DFIRM maps, but MarinMap is the method that is used
Attachment: MarinMap

• The Town website ‘Flooding and Storm Resources’ page has links to current FEMA flood maps and insurance information and advertises staff contacts available to help interpret flood maps.
Attachment: Screenshot of Flooding and Storm Resources advertising assistance

• The Town maintains the current and all previous FIRMs in a drawer at the front counter available to the public during open hours.
Attachment: Paper Maps

• Map information is included in the resale report of all residential properties prior to listing property for sale, including historical flood information (if available) and floodway information.
Attachment: Building Inspector Letter

San Anselmo has not had annexations or new subdivisions in or near the SFHA since its participation in NFIP.

Letters of Map Amendment (LOMAs) are maintained and documented according to the following SOP.
Current valid LOMAs on record are:
32, 34 & 40 Sir Francis Drake Blvd
239 & 241 The Alameda
154 Meadowcroft
31 Mountain View Ave
100 Alder Ave
20 Berlin Ave
228 Saunders Ave
30 & 34 Sais Ave
222 San Francisco Blvd
64 Fern Ln
Attachment: LOMA SOP

322 b) (20 pts)Town staff regularly help residents determine if their property is within the Floodway, and provide assistance with the building and planning implications of this.
Attachment: Planning Commission Meeting Minutes

322 c) (20 pts)The Town works with neighborhoods on localized flooding and drainage problems, most of which are within the 100-year floodplain. In these cases we send mailers to a selected portion of Town. MarinMap contains a publically available map layer that shows dam failure inundation zones. Dam Inundation zones are focused in Ross, the neighboring Town. One of our streets, Bolinas Avenue, is on the very fringe of the inundation zone.
Attachment: Resolution Establishing Bolinas Ave Neighborhood Coalition
Agenda from Bolinas Ave Neighborhood Coalition meeting


322 d) (20 pts) Since March 2014 (when map with base flood elevations took effect), the Town communicates flood depth data to anyone that inquires based on the FIRM and elevation data. Historic flood depth data is also provided. San Anselmo has high water marks, metal plaques, from the 2005 flood affixed to buildings throughout Town. Additionally the Town is has participated in the FEMA High Water Mark Initiative, which placed signs downtown with high water marks and pictures from two recent flood events. The signs advertise a link to trained staff for help with flood information. If specific depth is requested, engineering staff will calculate depth information from MarinMap, or use nearby Elevation Certificates to estimate depths. A map of flood depths and evacuation area will be forthcoming.
Attachment: High Water Mark Signs

322 e) Special flood related hazards (20 pts). No points requested. Certain special flood-related hazards relating to land subsidence, debris flow source, landslides, liquefaction etc are available as publically accessible layers on the MarinMap system.

322 f) (20 pts) The Town provides available historical information on past flooding when requested and on the Report of Residential Building Record that sellers obtain prior to listing on property for sale. San Anselmo has numerous high water marks from the 2005 event throughout Town and has mounted High Water Mark Initiative signs in four places downtown with pictures from historic floods.
San Anselmo's Historical Museum has compiled and hosts this web page.
Attachment: See 322d HWM signs

322 g) (20 pts) Information about protecting areas for Natural Floodplain Functions. San Anselmo’s SFHA flows through the heart of downtown and is fully developed. Steps are being taken to restore a more natural urban hydrograph through bioretention requirements (see sections 430 and 450) that mitigate hydromodfication. These bioretention projects have water quality benefits as well, and are the best we can do to promote natural floodplain functions in most of the SFHA. In June 2015 San Anselmo Town Council adopted a resolution regulating the creation of impervious surfaces down to 100 square feet.
Attachment: Staff Report and resolution revising Urban Runoff ordinance

Riparian properties are also subject to a 15-foot development setback from the creek bank (muni code Title 7, Chapter 12.06), which was implemented to preserve and restore the natural character of the creek, as articulated in the 1989 General Plan. See Objectives 16 & 17 of the Land Use Element as well as the Conservation Goals of the Open Space Element:
Attachment: 1989 General Plan

The regional Flood Control District is also based upon Natural Floodplain Function principles including Do No Harm, Multiple Benefits, and Protecting the Natural Environment.
Attachment: Flood Zone 9 Principles

Activity 330 – Outreach Projects:
332.a. (OP) (200 pts)
• As part of joining CRS, San Anselmo will begin sending an annual outreach letter to residents and building owners of SFHA. Marin County has produced a mailer that we will include with our cover letter and Winter Storm Prep handout.


• The Town Managers weekly newsletter is emailed to 3,050 addresses every week and printed in the Ross Valley Reporter -a free weekly local newspaper. Every year the newsletter provides information on mapping services, flood insurance, winter storm preparation such as clearing drainages, flood safety, and environmental stewardship such as protecting creeks and water quality.

• A flood map, framed pictures of historic flooding, and many brochures are displayed and available at the Town permit office and cashier

• Every Year San Anselmo Public Works Department has a booth at the Country Fair Day with information on 5 flood-related topics

• San Anselmo has four High Water Mark signs displayed prominently downtown. The kickoff event was in December 2014 in collaboration with our flood control district and FEMA region 9

• Stormdrain catch basins in San Anselmo are affixed with metal disks stating “No Dumping Flows to Bay”. This was a recent Eagle Scout Project and over 600 inlets were marked.

• San Anselmo uses social media (nixle, facebook, nextdoor, twitter) to convey flood-related topics.

• 332.b. (FRP) Flood Response Preparations
(50 Points Available, none requested)

• 332.c. (PPI) Program for Public Information
(80 points available, no credit requested)

• 332.d. (STK) (50 points available)
Several stakeholders deliver information about flooding in San Anselmo. This includes letters to merchants from the Chamber of Commerce, Newsletter articles by the Friends of Corte Madera Creek, and High Water Marks installed by the Ross Valley Flood Mitigation League.

Activity 340 – Hazard Disclosure: (80 pts)
(California Uniform Credits, 46 pts)
• 342. a. (DFH 25 pts) The state of California requires Natural Hazard Disclosure (NHD) reports for all houses being sold. The first hazard listed in these reports, and prominently mapped, is the SFHA. These reports have to be signed off by the buyer. This practice is routine here in San Anselmo. NHD documents are not posted here for privacy reasons.

• 342.b. (Other Disclosure Req’s 5 pts each)
San Anselmo Municipal Code (Title 10, Chapter 5) states that prior to selling a house, the owner must obtain from the Town a resale inspection report filled out by the Town Building Inspector. The FEMA SFHA information, including the 100 year floodplain, floodway, and flood insurance requirements, is on the first page. Other hazards such as Wildland Urban Interface (fire hazard), storm drains, and frontage maintenance are also called out in this section.
Attachment: Resale Planning Template

• 342.c. (Real Estate Agent’s Brochure, 8 pts)
No credits requested.

• 342.d. (Disclosure of Other Hazards, 9 pts)
California Law requires realtors to disclose knowledge of other hazards
Attachments: Marin County disclosure Disclaimer, Seller Property Questionnaire

Activity 350 – Flood Protection Information:
352.a. (Library 10 pts)
Of the ten FEMA publication listed in the CRS Coordinator’s Manual, San Anselmo Library has the following five in-house. The other five are all located in our Marin County library at the Civic Center, and available to San Anselmo library card holders.
Above the Flood: Elevating Your Floodprone House (1)
Protecting Manufactured Homes From Floods and Other Hazards: A Multi-Hazard Foundation and Installation Guide (6)
Protecting Building Utilities From Flood Damage: Principles and Practices for the Design and Construction of Flood Resistant Building Utility Systems (8)
Protecting Floodplain Resources: A Guidebook For Communities (9)
Reducing Damage From Localized Flooding: A Guide For Communities (10)

Attachments: Screenshot of SA Library search showing 5 publications, screenshot of Marin County library database with other publications.

352.b. (Locally Pertinant Documents, 1 pt each)
The San Anselmo Library contains videos of edited footage from each of the last two major flood events here: 1982 and 2005
Attachments: Library search engine screenshots
The Marin County Library contains many more available documents about the Corte Madera Creek flood control projects (link)

352.c. (Flood Protection Website: 76 points)
San Anselmo’s website has a flooding and storm resources page with a variety of information and informational links, including:
(WEB1) Flood hazard awareness, protection of people and property, and responsible building
(WEB2) Winter preparedness and emergency information (possible update for more pts)
(WEB3) Real-Time creek levels
(WEB4) Elevation Certificates are coming
Attachments:
Flooding and Storm Resources page
Ross Valley Fire Department -Realtime Creek Levels


Activity 360 – Flood Protection Assistance: (110 pts)
362.a. (Property Protection Advice, 25 pts)
Town engineers and DPW staff regularly provide property protection advice. One example cited in the attachment here occurred in October 2014. Gerhard Epke was conducting a routine vegetation maintenance survey in the creek and noticed a heavily degraded building pier footing in the creek. Gerhard alerted the owner to the situation and advised him on a simple fix.
Documentation not included here to protect privacy.

362.b. (Property Protection Site Visit, 30 pts)
See 362.a. Another example of property protection advice including a site visit occurred in November 2013 in which a resident was having drainage/flooding problems and in a misguided attempt to address them, built a dam of cement bags across a drainage channel in her yard. Both Gerhard Epke and Sean Condry visited the site on different occasions and offered advice. The resident received advice and financial assistance to correct the problem


362.c. (Financial Assistance Advice, 10 pts)
San Anselmo provides financial advice and assistance to individuals. The Public Works Department has a program wherein the Town will pay for up to half of a drainage or flood related project on private property. The Town often helps design and contract the project, and lets the individual reimburse the Town with three payment installations.
Attachment: TSA Financial Assistance Application Package for Drainage Projects

San Anselmo also assist residents with disaster recovery where possible. After the 2005 flood all building permit fees were waived for flood affected parcels. Additionally, one residence was eligible for the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service grant program and the Town fronted the construction cost and provided a 10% match.

Attachment: Resolution waiving permit fees for flood-damaged properties after 2005 flood

Activity 370 – Flood Insurance Promotion: (110 pts)
San Anselmo promotes flood insurance according to the risk assessed at individual parcels. Generally this means we promote flood insurance in the SFHA, however when the map or elevation certificate seem to underestimate the risk, we promote elective insurance and encourage caution.

372 a)
San Anselmo Public Works has conducted a flood insurance coverage assessment. The maps are not posted online due to Privacy Act conflicts, however summary information is listed on the 200 Series page.