Clarksville approves flood insurance plan

Clark County

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August 22, 2012

Clarksville approves flood insurance plan

Town council president objects to details of insurance committee’s recommendation

By MATT KOESTERS matt.koesters@newsandtribune.com The News and Tribune Wed Aug 22, 2012, 06:06 PM EDT

CLARKSVILLE — The Clarksville Town Council corrected a long-standing oversight and approved new flood insurance policies for several town-owned properties, including some that sit inside the flood plain at the council’s regular meeting this week.

The insurance policies cover the Interpretive Center at Falls of the Ohio State Park, the restroom facility at Ashland Park, two town-owned properties — including one scheduled to be torn down — and all other town-owned properties not in the flood plain.

The town had not carried flood insurance on any of its properties. Without flood insurance on its properties, the town would not get any assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency if there were to be a flood-related disaster that affected town-owned properties.

“We’ve been lucky so far,” said Brittany Montgomery, town project coordinator.

The town will pay an estimated annual premium of $9,270 for the flood insurance.

Montgomery discovered the lack of flood insurance while trying to get the town qualified for the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program’s community ratings system, which would lower insurance premiums on town-owned properties.

Despite being valued at $3.2 million, the Interpretive Center was insured for $500,000. Montgomery said she was unsure whether regulations required the building to be insured for its full value.

“This is required even if we don’t participate in the [community ratings system],” Montgomery said. “This is one of those things that I think has just gotten overlooked over the years, and so even if we choose not to participate, we’re still required to insure [the properties].”

The town insurance committee’s recommendation was approved by a 6-1 vote, with Council President John Gilkey casting the dissenting vote.

“I had an issue in regard to insuring a building such as the Interpretive Center for $500,000, when it’s valuated at $3 million. To me, that’s not even enough money to tear it down if it gets totally flooded,” Gilkey said after the meeting. “One of the two homes that the town owns that is in the affected area, we’re getting ready to tear down. It didn’t seem necessary to insure a building you’re going to tear down, and our agent of record says unoccupied homes can’t be insured anyway. So I didn’t see any benefit there.

“I probably supported the concept of all properties not deemed to be in the flood zone [being insured], but the overall recommendation that was presented didn’t seem to be the way to go.”

DEER RUN ACCEPTED

The town council unanimously approved the acceptance of roads in the Deer Run subdivision into the town.

Prior to acceptance, the town had not been able to perform street or sidewalk repairs in the subdivision. Gilkey said that even though the town will have to pay for the maintenance, it was a necessity.

“We couldn’t even post speed limit signs in the subdivision,” he said.

NO FOOTBALL FIREWORKS

On the advice of Town Attorney Chris Sturgeon, the town council took no action on a request from the Clarksville High School Athletic Department for special permission to discharge fireworks at the high school’s first home football game, scheduled for this Friday.

The town council banned the use of fireworks in the town limits, except on days fireworks must be permitted by state statute, at a recent meeting.