AnonymousBy Denice Spangler Adams
Dear Supervisors Adam, LaVagnino, Wolfe, and Hartmann,
Tuesday you must delay action on the Montecito FEMA hazard area zone map set for a vote during your Santa Maria weekly meeting. There are too many known errors and omissions that will forever damage Montecito, and terminate continued residency by too many particularly those of us in the middle and working class.
This FEMA Map will be used by Insurance Companies deciding whether to continue to underwrite in Montecito.
You care about our County and its contributing residents. Help us by waiting a few weeks to give us time to become informed to effectively participate in the process.
The map that came out on Thursday contains documented errors. The public has not yet had any opportunity to review and comment, plus review the errors and omissions already identified by pros who care about our futures.
There is NO RUSH for you to vote on Tuesday. Stakeholder review and recommendations are essential before BOS adoption. As per two of dozens of examples, one man’s swimming pool is deemed a flood zone, Randall Road is deemed “safe”.
Highly regarded architect and Riven Rock neighbor Tom Bollay has publicly disclosed dozens of errors to our Supervisor Das Williams, who still supports a Tuesday vote. I don’t get it.
Why the rush other than to further penalize fire and mudflow victims? What’s going on between inside traders or the flow of FEMA money into the County? Why expose the County to future litigation from property owners by rushing this through?
Again, FEMA maps will impact insurance underwriting decisions. The CEO of Chubbs has said as much. Post Tea Fire my neighborhood forever changed when insurance became unaffordable to anyone requiring to obtain a mortgage. Ignorance by politicians damages constituents forcing us to leave town from neglect and the unintended consequences of poor decisions.
Only you decide it you want an oligarchy of super wealthy and a servant class of professional physicians, accountants, nurses, teachers willing to double and triple up to cash out a single family UNINSURABLE home. We’ll have 2 special basic aid schools with fewer students, if the middle class is forced out.
Fire and disaster victims are already overwhelmed with demands. Delay your vote on Tuesday to give us a chance to review the map and respond.
Thank you for showing victims you really do care about our future.
Please VOTE TO PAUSE to allow stakeholder review time.
FYI- Sadly, I must add, I’ve concluded with others our supervisor is under informed, has never owned a business or worked outside of government, and chooses to represent interests of donors only, over mortgaged homeowners dependent on insurance. Do not follow his lead because he may represent others but not Montecito’s middle class.
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You expected differently from Das?