LAKEPORT — Water Resources Director Scott De Leon presented a commendation to Water Resources Engineer Tom Smythe during Tuesday”s Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting, praising Smythe”s work with the county”s flood insurance program.
“Just doing my job,” Smythe said after receiving the commendation.
Lake County recently received a classification upgrade in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS). The upgrade moved the county from a Class 8 rating to a Class 7.
In October, flood insurance policies for the unincorporated areas began receiving a 15-percent discount, an increase of 5 percent from the 10-percent discount that had been applied to all county policies since 2005 because of the county”s Class 8 status.
De Leon told the BOS that the recent upgrade would result in a premium reduction of nearly $50 per year for applicable policies, based on the average costs of county policies. The annual overall savings to the Lake County community would be $208,500, he said.
“It”s because of his dedication that we”ve gotten this far,” District 2 Supervisor Jeff Smith said.
Smythe is the primary person responsible for maintaining the county”s flood insurance program, De Leon said.
Smythe also serves on the Board of Directors of the State Floodplain Management Association and has taken an active role on the Middle Creek Marsh Project, seeking out and securing grant funding, De Leon said.
Contact Jeremy Walsh at jwalsh@record-bee.com or call him at 263-5636, ext. 37.
