To: Pete McGowan, Supervisor
Town of Islip
655 Main Street
Islip, NY 11751

Fm: FHCA

Re: FEMA / New York State Flood Mitigation Assistance Program (FMA)

Dear Supervisor McGowan:

FEMAs Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) program provides funding to assist States and communities in implementing measures to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk of flood damage to buildings, manufactured homes, and other structures insurable under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

Two types of grants are available to communities:

• Planning Grants: to develop and update Flood Mitigation Programs
• Project Grants: to implement measures to reduce flood losses including elevation of structures, acquisition of structures and real property, demolition, dry floodproofing, minor localized projects, and beach nourishment.

The funds come generally 75% from FEMA and 25% from the State or local municipalities.

Since many of the structures in the areas south of Montauck Highway are AE 7-10ft and most structures in Fair Harbor are in zones AE 9-10 feet and also V-Zone it may be worthwhile for the Town of Islip to try to obtain some of these funds. The benefits to the Town of Islip would be:

1. A comprehensive flood mitigation plan for its floodprone areas and the Beach.
2. A safer community in case of flash floods and quickly developing storms.
3. Grant monies to develop this plan for the benefit of all its residents.
4. An increase in tax-rolls due to an increase in property values and greater stability of the tax-rolls in disaster times such as we had in 1993/94
5. A return of Federal Taxes paid by the community to the community.
6. Participation reduces Flood Insurance premiums to large parts of the Town of Islip.

There seems to be a deadline of November to be able to obtain funds for the year 2000. The production of a flood mitigation plan can be completed in about 5 to 6 months. The Towns contact person at the NY State EMO is Mr. Rad Anderson tel. (518) 457-8917. FEMA Region II: Ms. Jaye Sutton (212) 225-7201.

Please give me a call to discuss this matter and how we can help getting this program to benefit Islip. My telephone numbers are (deleted by ). Mr. Eugene Levy, FHCA President is also available to receive your call.