To: Board of Supervisors
From: Sheriff
Agenda Section: Consent
SUBJECT:
title
Adoption and Approval of the Humboldt County Operational Area Hazard Mitigation Plan 2020 Update
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Review the Board Report and resolution;
2. Approve and adopt by resolution the Humboldt Operational Area Hazard Mitigation Plan 2020 Update;
3. Direct the Clerk of the Board to transmit a copy of the resolution to the Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services to be included in the final Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approval of the plan;
4. Authorize staff to make non-policy related changes to the plan if requested per FEMA plan approval review; and
5. Authorize staff to apply for the Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) grant program and Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMPG) to secure funds to implement projects identified in the Humboldt Operational Area Hazard Mitigation Plan.
Body
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Hazard Mitigation Grant Program #4301-047-022P, FIPS #023-00000 - Humboldt County, Multi-Jurisdiction Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
DISCUSSION:
In August of 2018, a coalition of Humboldt County cities and special districts began a planning process to update the Humboldt County Operational Area Hazard Mitigation Plan, which is designed to prepare for and lessen the impacts of specified natural hazards. Responding to federal mandates in the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-390), the partnership was formed to pool resources and to create a uniform hazard mitigation strategy that can be consistently applied to the defined planning area and used to ensure eligibility for specified grant funding success.
This effort represents the second comprehensive update to the prior hazard mitigation plan, approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in March 20, 2014. The 23-member coalition of partners involved in this program includes unincorporated Humboldt County, the cities of Arcata, Blue Lake, Eureka, Ferndale, Fortuna, Rio Dell, Trinidad, and 16 special service districts. The planning area for the hazard mitigation plan was defined as the Humboldt County Operational Area. The result of the organizational effort will be a FEMA and California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) approved multi-jurisdictional, multi-hazard mitigation plan.
Mitigation planning is the systematic process of learning about the hazards that can affect the community, setting clear goals, identifying appropriate actions and following through with an effective mitigation strategy. Mitigation encourages long-term reduction of hazard vulnerability and can reduce the enormous cost of disasters to property owners and all levels of government. Mitigation can also protect critical community facilities, reduce exposure to liability, and minimize post-disaster community disruption.
The hazard identification and profiling in the hazard mitigation plan addresses the following hazards of concern within the planning area:
1. Dam failure
2. Drought
3. Earthquake
4. Flood
5. Landslide
6. Severe weather
7. Tsunami
8. Wildfire
9. Climate Change
With the exception of dam failure, this plan does not provide a full risk assessment of human-caused hazards. However, brief, qualitative discussions of the following hazards of interest are included: fish loss, marine invasive species, oil spills, volcano, hazardous materials, and terrorism.
A planning team consisting of local officials has taken the lead in developing the hazard mitigation plan. All participating local jurisdictions have been responsible for assisting in the development of the hazard and vulnerability assessments and the mitigation action strategies for their respective jurisdictions and organizations. The plan presents the information in a unified framework to ensure a comprehensive plan covering the entire Humboldt County Operational Area. Each jurisdiction has been responsible for the review and approval of their individual sections of the plan. Additionally, the plan has been aligned with the goals, objectives and priorities of the state’s multi-hazard mitigation plan.
A 12-member steering committee (SC) composed of representative stakeholders was formed early in the planning process to guide the development of the plan. In addition, residents were asked to contribute by sharing local knowledge of their individual area’s vulnerability to natural hazards based on past occurrences. Public involvement has been solicited via a comprehensive public outreach campaign that included two rounds of public meetings, web-based information, a questionnaire, and multiple social media updates.
Once the hazard mitigation plan is adopted by all of the jurisdictional partners and approved by FEMA, the partnership will collectively and individually become eligible to apply for hazard mitigation project funding from both the Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program (PDM) and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). (For more details on the PDM and HMGP see Attachment 4). The grant funds are made available to states and local governments and can be used to implement the long-term hazard mitigation measures specified within the HMP before and after a major disaster declaration.
The HMP is considered a living document such that, as awareness of additional hazards develops and new strategies and projects are conceived to offset or prevent losses due to natural disasters, the HMP will be evaluated and revised on a continual 5-year time frame.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The county General Fund will not be directly impacted from this specific action. Adoption of the Humboldt Operational Area Hazard Mitigation Plan 2020 Update and subsequent FEMA approval may have a net positive financial impact on the county and other planning partnership members because only those jurisdictions with approved plans are eligible to apply for specific types of FEMA grants. The current budget does not include dedicated funding to administer the Hazard Mitigation Plan or coordinate implementation. Development of grant applications for implementation projects will likely be funded through the Sheriff’s budget units.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:
This action supports your Board’s Strategic Framework by seeking outside funding sources to benefit Humboldt County needs and creating opportunities for improved safety and health.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Humboldt County, City of Arcata, City of Blue Lake, City of Eureka, City of Ferndale, City of Fortuna, City of Rio Dell, City of Trinidad, Fieldbrook Glendale Community Services District, Humboldt Community Services District, Manila Community Services District, McKinleyville Community Services District, Redway Community Services District, Westhaven Community Services District, Willow Creek Community Services District, Arcata Fire District, Fortuna Fire Protection District, Humboldt Bay Fire District, Samoa Peninsula Fire Protection District, Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District, Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District, Shelter Cove Resort Improvement District, Southern Humboldt Community Healthcare District.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Board has various alternatives to the recommended action including but not limited to: adopting the resolution contingent upon specified plan and/or resolution amendments, requesting that amendments to hazard plan and/or resolution be made and brought back for final adoption at a later date or denying adoption of the hazard plan altogether. These courses of action are not recommended because any delay in plan adoption may jeopardize the county’s and partner jurisdiction eligibility to apply for specific hazard mitigation grants through FEMA.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution of the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors to adopt the Humboldt Operational Area Hazard Mitigation Plan 2020 Update
2. Volume 1 of the Humboldt Operational Area Hazard Mitigation Plan 2020 Update
3. Volume 2 of the Humboldt Operational Area Hazard Mitigation Plan 2020 Update
4. Executive Summary of the Humboldt Operational Area Hazard Mitigation Plan 2020 Update
5. Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program (PDM) Fact Sheet
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.: H-2
Meeting of: December 10, 2013
File No.: N/A