DAPHNE, Ala. — With the start of hurricane season less than three months away, the City Council approved a resolution during Monday’s regular meeting encouraging Congress to immediately approve the Multiple Peril Insurance Act, intended to restore access to affordable wind and flood coverage for homeowners living in coastal areas.

The resolution reads in part: “…as one of the states most notoriously affected by wind-oriented natural disasters, it is in Alabama’s compelling interest that all of her citizens have access to affordable and dependable insurance coverage.”

Specifically, the Multiple Peril Insurance Act of 2009 would amend the National Flood Insurance Program to permit homeowners the option of purchasing wind and flood insurance in a single policy, typically required during the event of a hurricane, tornado or other such disaster.

The bill is also designed to reduce the overall taxpayer burden by providing for prompt and full payment for wind and water damage, effectively reducing the need for catastrophe victims to rely on government support for survival in the wake of such an occurrence.

City Clerk David Cohen said Mayor Fred Small and Councilman John Lake were in Washington, D.C., during Monday’s meeting, but the remainder of the council was present and passed each of the following measures without significant discussion.

The council: