DATE: April 23, 2019
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Jean M. Rousseau, County Administrative Officer / Emergency Services Director
David Pomaville, Director, Department of Public Health
SUBJECT: Updated Fresno County Multi-Jurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Adopt Resolution for the Fresno County Multi-Jurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan and incorporating it into the Safety Element of the County General Plan; and,
2. Authorize the Emergency Services Director to implement future updates to the Fresno County Multi-Jurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan in compliance with local, State or Federal codes.
REPORT
Approval of recommended actions will update the County’s Multi-Jurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (Plan) and add it to the Safety Element of the County General Plan. The second recommended action will allow the Emergency Services Director to implement future revisions, as necessary. The update will allow the County to remain eligible for State and Federal pre-disaster mitigation funding. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
There is no viable alternative action. The Plan must be updated to allow the County to remain eligible for pre-disaster mitigation funding and enhanced California Disaster Assistance Act (CDAA) reimbursement.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. Without an adopted Plan, in a disaster event, the County will not be eligible for possible additional CDAA funding, conditional CDAA funding would only provide minimal compensatory cost-share. Future funds allocated for pre-disaster mitigation funding will be presented to your Board for approval.
DISCUSSION:
The Federal Disaster Act of 2000, Assembly Bill 2140 (Chapter 739, Statutes of 2006), became effective in January 2007 and required local jurisdictions to adopt their current, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved local hazard mitigation plan into the Safety Element of their General Plan. This action allowed the jurisdiction to be eligible for consideration of part or all of its local costs on eligible public assistance provided by State funding through CDAA. The Board adopted the initial Plan on December 1, 2009.
The updated Plan was prepared pursuant to the requirements of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, Public Law 106-390, so that the County would be eligible for FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grants, including Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) and Hazard Mitigation Grant programs as well as lower flood insurance premiums.
In October 2016, the County was awarded a FEMA Pre-Disaster Mitigation grant to fund the update of the County’s Plan. The County’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) administered the grant and oversaw the development of the Plan, coordinated by a consultant, Wood, Inc. Various County departments, cities, and special districts participated in the development of the Plan. Both California OES and FEMA have approved the completed updated Plan, contingent upon formal adoption by each jurisdiction’s governing body, prior to granting final official approval.
Considerate planning identified over 100 stakeholders from cities, local districts, and other jurisdictions within the County. All were encouraged to participate in the development of the updated Plan. The Plan provided a forum that allowed constituents to participate through a Web survey and two community-planning meetings. The Plan facilitated some jurisdictions to produce an annexation to the Plan, which provides a more detailed assessment of disaster impacts to their specific jurisdictions. Along with community partners, various departments including Agriculture, Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector, Public Health, Public Works and Planning, Internal Services, and Sheriff-Coroner-Public Administrator’s Office contributed to the development of the Plan.
Mitigation plans are the foundation for a community's long-term strategy to reduce disaster losses and break the cycle of disaster damage, reconstruction, and repeated damage. Mitigation is an investment in the community’s future safety and sustainability. The critical importance of mitigation is to:
• Protect public safety and prevent loss of life and injury;
• Reduce harm to existing and future development;
• Prevent damage to a community’s unique economic, cultural, and environmental assets;
• Minimize operational downtime and accelerate recovery of government and business after disasters; and
• Reduce the costs of disaster response and recovery and the exposure to risk for first responders.
Through the process, County staff and participating local jurisdictions identified disasters that have occurred or might occur in the County. Utilizing the information a list of mitigation projects were developed to reduce the impacts of the most significant disasters that could impact the County.
With your Board’s approval of the first recommended action, the updated Plan will serve as a tool to direct mitigation activities and resources. A State and Federal mitigation plan preserves the County’s eligibility for receipt of Federal PDM grants to fund mitigation projects. The Plan will be included (incorporated by reference) into the Safety Element of the County General Plan. As part of the Plan, the County must review and revise the updated plan to reflect changes in development, progress in local mitigation efforts, and changes in priorities and resubmit it for approval five years to continue to be eligible for FEMA mitigation project grant funding. The second recommended action will allow the Emergency Services Director to update and modify the Plan.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #53, May 24, 2016
BAI #19, December 1, 2009
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Resolution
On file with Clerk - Updated Plan
CAO ANALYST:
Sonia M. De La Rosa