The residents of Slidell are recipients of a rare occurrence — good news from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

During the Slidell City Council meeting Monday night, Mayor Ben Morris said he has received a letter from FEMA stating the city’s flood rating has changed, and as a result, residents are entitled to a 10 percent reduction in their National Flood Insurance Program premiums.

The Nov. 10 letter from FEMA Acting Assistant Administrator and Mitigation Directorate Michael K. Buckley stated the city’s Community Rating System, used by the NFIP to rate communities, has gone from a Class 9 to a Class 8. The rating system assesses communities for flood risk with 10 being the highest risk. In 2007, the Insurance Services Offices Inc., whose data is used by insurance companies to assess risk, made an inspection of Slidell and its risk for flooding. The risk assessment company looked at 13 areas the city should address to lower its rating, and after FEMA looked over the March 12, 2008, report, decided Slidell had done enough.

“This is a great deal for the city and the residents,” Morris said.

Slidell was commended for its efforts to mitigate flooding by FEMA. The CRS survey is a volunteer incentive program, according to the FEMA Web site, www.fema.gov. The risk assessment is done to encourage cities to exceed regulations set up by the NFIP.

According to FEMA, Slidell has exceeded requirements in several areas, the most important in setting elevation standards for buildings.

“Our elevation certificates show that our elevation requirement goes 1 foot higher than FEMA regulations,” Morris said.

The city also rated high on its public education to residents to promote the NFIP by providing maps of flood zones and evacuation maps at all public buildings and forming an outreach program to residents who live in high-risk or Special Flood Hazard Areas.

Morris cited the city’s new GIS system as the reason for the maps and knowing where high-risk residents live. He also said when Slidell incorporated the International Building Code into the permit and inspection process, that went above NFIP regulations and helped to get the new rating.

Slidell also gained points in the assessment survey by preserving at least five acres in flood hazard areas as green space, which lowers the risk of flooding. Slidell was also credited for maintaining and inspecting its storm water management and drainage systems.

Slidell has also done a lot to reduce the number of repetitive losses. Currently, the city is considered a Category C community, which means there were more than 10 repetitive losses paid by the NFIP. According to FEMA, the repetitive losses have been lowered to 757 because the city has instituted a floodplain management plan that has decreased risk of repetitive losses.

Though most residents have standard flood insurance policies and will see a 10 percent reduction in their flood insurance premiums, Buckley said that residents who have preferred risk policies, that is those in high-risk flood zones, will not get the discount. Standard rate policy holders have already seen a reduction in price that will be further decreased by the Community Rating System discount.

Buckley also cautioned the city not to rest on its laurels because Slidell still has to submit yearly reports to the NFIP, and the city will be subject to another inspection in several years.