Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 09171996 - C82 V C.81 and C.82 THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Adopted this Order on September 17, 1996 by the following vote: AYES: Supervisors Rogers, Bishop, DeSaulnier, Torlakson and Smith NOES: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None SUBJECT: Cormspondence C.81 LETTER dated September 5, 1995, from Captain R. B. Lanning, Commanding Officer, Department of the Navy, Naval Weapons Station Concord, 10 Delta Street, Concord, CA 94520, transmitting a copy of the Navy Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact pertaining to the transshipment of foreign spent nuclear fuel through the Concord Naval Weapons Station. ****REFERRED TO COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND HEALTH SERVICES DIRECTOR C.82 LETTER dated September 4, 1996, from Charlotte Powers, ABAG President and San Jose City Councilmember, Association of Bay Area Governments, 101 Eighth Street, Oakland, CA, 94607-4756, requesting the Board to send a letter to Governor Wilson in support of establishing the California Earthquake Authority (CEA) as provided in SB 1993 (Calderon), AB 2086 (Knowles), and AB 3232 (Knowles). ""REFERRED**REFERRED TO COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR IT IS BY THE BOARD ORDERED that the recommendations as noted (****) are approved. 1 hereby certify hat this is a true and correct copy of an action take and entered on the minutes of the Board of Su �RCI h� P. ATTESTED: 1119 PHIL !ilTthe oard of Superyisors ancIpounty Administrator By ,Deputy c. c. County Administrator Health Services Director Correspondents ASSOCIATION OF BAY AREA GOVERNMENTS Representing City and County Governments of the San Francisco Bay Area ABAG September 4, 1996 RECE Jeff Smith, Chair/Supervisor,District 2 ,;�, IVED� County of Contra Costa a County Administration Building SEP — 9s 651 Pine Street, Room 108A Martinez, CA 94553 CLERK BOARD OF SUPERVfSORS CONTRA COSTA CO. Dear Supervisor Smith: I am writing to provide you with a status report on earthquake insurance legislation, and to ask that you immediately send a letter to Governor Wilson in support of this issue. The Legislature has recently approved three bills to establish the California Earthquake Authority (CEA). AB 2086(Knowles) and SB 1993 (Calderon)contain the language to make the CEA operational. AB 3232 (Knowles)was recently approved as a trailer bill to address several concerns with the CEA proposal; one of those concerns related to the anticipated insurance rates for homeowners in the Bay Area. Upon learning that the proposed rating structure for the CEA would require residents of the Bay Area to pay premiums that would reportedly be, on the average, 150%higher than those for residents of Los Angeles,the Association's Legislation& Governmental Organization Committee sent a letter to Bay Area legislators asking them to fight for a better deal. The Executive Board also passed a resolution on July 18, 1996 renewing its support for the CEA,but also underscoring the expectation that the final legislation would include a rating structure equitable to all homeowners throughout the state-- north and south alike. Language to address our concerns was amended into AB 3232 (see attachment). We are hopeful that 'the amendments lay the foundation for fair treatment for Bay Area residents, and that the Governor will sign AB 3232 in order establish the CEA and ensure that every homeowner and homebuyer will have access to affordable earthquake insurance. We now urge you to join us in supporting the CEA legislation. Please send a letter to the Governor requesting his signature on the three related pieces of legislation: SB 1993,AB 2086,and AB 3232. A sample letter is attached for your convenience. The Governor must sign bills by the end of September; please send your letter as soon as possible. You may review these bills and relevant legislative analyses on the Internet at http://www.sendte.ca.gov. If you have any questions,please contact Michelle Fadelli at 510/464-7922 or e-mail MichelleF@abag.ca.gov. Sincerely, C Charlotte Powers ABAG President and San Jose City Councilmember Enclosure cc: County Administrator Mailing Address: P.O.Box 2050 Oakland,California 94604-2050 (510)464-7900 Fax:(510)464-7970 info@abag.ca.gov Location: Joseph P.Bort MetroCenter 101 Eighth Street Oakland,California 94607-4756 SAMPLE LETTER TO THE GOVERNOR September 9, 1996 Governor Pete Wilson State Capitol Sacramento, CA 95814 Re: Support for AB 3232�Knowles). AB 2086 (Knowles) and SB 1993 (Calderon) Dear Governor Wilson: I am writing in strong support of the California Earthquake Authority (CEA) and to request your signature on AB 3232, AB 2086, and SB 1993. As the (mayor/chair of the Board of Supervisors) of(Town/City/County), representing a population of(XX thousand people) in the Bay Area, I am well aware of the difficulties homeowners and homebuyers face in finding or renewing affordable earthquake insurance in California. Earthquake insurance is vital to our citizens-- homeowners and prospective homeowners around the state. Earthquake insurance is vital to our cities and counties-- especially those in Los Angeles and the Bay Area which are home to the bulk of the population and are at risk for future seismic activity. Earthquake insurance is also vital to our business community-- we cannot expect to attract and retain valuable employees if they are unable to find or keep earthquake insurance on their homes. With insurers refusing to write new policies, or even to renew existing policies, it is essential that the California Earthquake Authority be established to fill the void. The (City of/County of) supports AB 2086 and SB 1993, specifically as amended by the trailer bill, AB 3232. It is our expectation that the language in AB 3232 will ensure fair and equitable treatment for the residents of the Bay Area under the proposed CEA. We urge your signature on these three bills. Sincerely, (Mayor/Chair XX) AB 3232 was amended to address, in part, the concerns with the rating structure as expressed by the Association of Bay Area Governments and others. The final version of the bill included the following language: If scientific information from geologists, seismologists, or similar experts that assesses the frequency or severity of risk of earthquake is considered in setting rates or in arriving at the modeling assumptions upon which those rates are based, the information, assumptions, and methodology used are consistent with the available geophysical data and the state of the art of scientific knowledge within the scientific community. [Proposed Insurance Code Section 10089.40(b)(1)] Scientific information from geologists, seismologists, or similar experts shall not be conclusive to support the establishment of different rates between the most populous rating territories in the northern and southern regions of the state unless that information, as analyzed by experts such as the United States Geologic Survey, the California Division of Mines and Geology, and experts in the scientific or academic community, clearly shows a higher risk of earthquake frequency, severity, or loss between those most populous rating territories to support the differences. [Proposed Insurance Code Section 10089.40(b)(2)] This language is intended to prevent the insurance industry from imposing drastically higher premiums upon Bay Area residents based on their own assumptions about the Hayward Fault or San Andreas Fault, for instance. However, as with the earlier legislation, the specific rates to be charged for each designated territory in the State are not expressly designated in the bill; they would, instead, be established by the CEA.