Flood Plain Administration
Since 1980 , the City of Petaluma has made a concerted effort to protect it’s floodplain and manage its development by the adoption of various ordinances, regulations and practices. The City has incorporated floodplain management goals into the City’s General Plan and created development regulation within it’s Zoning Ordinance (pdf). The City of Petaluma joined the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program in 1983 and adopted its first Floodplain Management Plan (FMP) in 1995. The current Floodplain Management Plan was approved in October of 2001 and will be updated in October of 2006.

The City of Petaluma participates in the Community Rating System (CRS) as one of its efforts to reduce the potential losses due to flooding for its citizens. This program, created by the NFIP, encourages communities to become proactive in their flood management planning activities. Under this program, participating communities receive a point rating reflective of their efforts in undertaking these activities. The CRS ratings result in reduced flood insurance premiums to floodplain residents.

In 1995, the NFIP conducted an audit of the City’s floodplain management efforts and awarded the City a Class 6 rating, thus reducing flood insurance premiums throughout the City by 20 percent. There are approximately 1,100 flood insurance policies currently in effect, with an annual premium of over $550,000. It is estimated that the City’s participation in the CRS program saves insured residents $110,000 per year.