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From: Kim Garrison [kimgarrison700@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2012 3:07 PM
To: Connelly, Bi11; Wahl, Larry; Kirk, Maureen; BOS District 4;
Yamaguchi, Kim
Subject: Farmer with desperate plea regarding FEMA flood zones
My name is Kim Garrison, alife-long 52-year resident of Chico and I am
writing this email with a desperate plea for some type of assistance
regarding moving/removing FEMA's "AO" flood zone from my property.
The article in today's Enterprise-Record by Roger Aylworth is prompting
my plea for assistance.
I have lived at 616 Crouch Ave. in Chico for my entire life. The
property just under 10 acres, 8 of it planted to walnuts. There is my home
and a small rental next door (600 Crouch Ave.).
Bank of the West is our mortgage holder and requires us to carry flood
insurance. For two policies (my home and the rental}, flood insurance is
currently approximately $1,800.00 per year (my farm master policy for
f re, etc, is only $1,230.00 per year). I received a letter from Bank of the
West that now I do not carry enou h flood insurance and if I do not add
additional coverage, they will purchase it for me and add it to my mortgage
payment.
Supervisors, my husband and I are just surviving at this time. The walnut
orchard is beginning its "fourth leaf' and we have not realized any orchard
income for four years (with this year's harvest we may break
even...expenses vs. harvest income). My husband works heavy construction
and has been on unemployment since October (he hopes to go back to work
in April). My Customer Service job at Smucker's (RWKnudsen) was
outsourced to their corporate headquarters in Ohio as of July 29, 2011 and I
have been on unemployment since. We were able to obtain a loan
modification from Bank of the West last year, but with their new request of
wanting additional flood coverage, I am afraid of what this will do to us
financially.
Several years ago my property was in Flood Zone "X" and my premium
was approximately $300 per year. I looked on the Butte County Flood Map
website and FEMA's Flood Map website last week and technically, my
rental is in Zone X, but the majority of my property is is Zone AO. Who
dr s these maps? My property acutally sits higher than the 30-acre walnut
ouch arcel next doom
-CG , Gam, ~~
Page 2 of 2
Supervisors, there has never, ever been any type of flooding on Crouch
Avenue during my 52-year residency. Am I being penalized by someone
randomly taking a pencil and dxawing a flood zone line where he/she thinks
it looks best? I apologize if I sound frustrated, but I am beyond frustrated
with this Flood Zone and FEMA issue.
Is there any help, any assistance, anyone who can help or direct me to ask
for help? You don't know what it would mean to my family, a small family
farmer, for help. I thank you in advance for anything you can do or assist
with.
Kim Garrison
d 1.6 Crouch Ave.
Chico, CA 95928
(530} 3423884