Commission accepts regional flood insurance promotion plan; plan helps secure community discount under National Flood Insurance Program

The City Commission accepted the region-wide Flood Insurance Promotion Plan on Feb. 18, a document used by communities participating in FEMA’s Community Rating System (CRS) to earn insurance-credit points and reduce premiums under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

Cindy Cahill, the city's floodplain manager (participating remotely), told the commission the plan documents public-information activities and the program-for-public-information (PPI) efforts that earn credits under CRS; she said that participation produces a 25% premium discount for NFIP policies within the city. Cahill said the document covers the broader county, including Venice, Longboat Key and Northport, and staff will publish a web version (with active links) and a print version for the public and the library.

Commissioners discussed how the plan highlights risk-area statistics — including the share of households that lack flood insurance despite being in flood-prone areas — and encouraged the public to make use of the guidance. Commissioner Ahern Koch called the document “incredibly valuable information for our community” and praised the short web version the city distributed in advance.

The commission voted to accept the report; staff said they will update the plan annually as part of CRS requirements and will post the web and printed copies so residents can access the information.

Why this matters: Acceptance keeps Sarasota’s CRS credit current and supports the 25% NFIP premium reduction for policyholders inside the participating jurisdictions; it also consolidates outreach material the city uses to encourage flood-insurance purchases and resilience actions.