July 31, 2026
Christopher Hakes
Chief of Watersheds
Valley Water
5750 Almaden Expressway
San Jose, CA 95118-3686
Dear Mr. Hakes:
The purpose of this joint letter from the various Community Rating System (CRS) communities in Santa Clara County is to request that Valley Water reconsider its June 2026 decision to conclude its participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) CRS program and transition from its longstanding leadership role to that of a partner. Our understanding is that in addition to eliminating its CRS program, Valley Water will no longer administer and lead the Santa Clara County Multi-Jurisdictional Program for Public Information (PPI).
First, we would like to share our appreciation and thank you for Valley Water’s role as a CRS community and for also leading the PPI for so many years. Valley Water has provided exceptional leadership, technical expertise, and regional coordination that have been instrumental in the success of the Santa Clara County CRS Users' Group.
As the only flood control district participating in the CRS in this capacity, Valley Water has established a unique and nationally recognized model for regional collaboration.
This leadership has helped local jurisdictions improve their CRS ratings, reduce flood risk, and deliver meaningful flood insurance premium savings to thousands of residents and businesses throughout Santa Clara County.
The collaborative framework that Valley Water has cultivated extends beyond administrative coordination. It has fostered consistency in floodplain management Subject: Request for Reconsideration of Valley Water’s Participation in the Federal Emergency Management Agency National Flood
Insurance Program Community Rating System Program
Re: Request for Reconsideration of Valley Water’s Participation in the Federal Emergency Management Agency National Flood Insurance Program Community Rating System Program July 31, 2026
practices, promoted the sharing of technical resources, strengthened relationships among participating agencies, and enhanced public outreach and education. These regional benefits are difficult to replicate without a central coordinating agency possessing Valley Water's expertise and countywide perspective.
As you can imagine, Valley Water’s recent announcement came as a significant surprise to the agencies participating in the CRS and PPI programs. Collectively, we believe this change will have an adverse impact on flood insurance premiums for property owners throughout the Santa Clara Valley and undermine the regional progress that has been made toward a more coordinated and effective approach to floodplain management.
We respectfully request that Valley Water reconsider its June 2026 decision to conclude its participation in CRS and PPI to allow for further discussion with participating jurisdictions and stakeholders.
Sincerely,
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Craig Mobeck
Director of Public Works
City of Santa Clara
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Matthew Loesch
Director of Public Works
City of San Jose
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Chris Ghione
Public Services Director
City of Morgan Hill
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Christian Di Renzo
Director of Public Works
City of Milpitas
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Chad Mosley
Director of Public Works
City of Cupertino
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Brad Eggleston
Director of Public Works
City of Palo Alto
Re: Request for Reconsideration of Valley Water’s Participation in the Federal Emergency Management Agency National Flood Insurance Program Community Rating System Program July 31, 2026
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John Doughty
Director of Public Works
City of Gilroy
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Victor Chen
Director of Public Works
City of Los Altos
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Jennifer Ng
Director of Public Works
City of Mountain View