HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/20/2004 - STAFF REPORTS (8) Date: October 20, 2004
To: City Council
From- Fire Chief
ADOPT THE RIVERSIDE COUNTY OPERATIONAL AREA MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL
LOCAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN.
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council adopt the Riverside County Operational Area
Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan.
SUMMARY:
The Congress changed the Robert T. Stafford Act by passing the Disaster Mitigation Act
of 2000 (DMA2000). This law requires that every local, county and state government:
1) Conduct an assessment of the natural hazards that pose a threat to the jurisdiction;
2) Determine the potential financial impact of these hazards;
3) Create a plan to mitigate these hazards; and
4) Implement the plan to reduce the impacts of natural disasters.
The planning process evaluated the potential impact of each identified hazard within the
county, cities, special districts, and tribes. All participating jurisdictions helped establish
a list of potential mitigation efforts and prioritized those efforts based on the needs of
their jurisdiction. In addition, each participating jurisdiction developed a specific hazard
mitigation strategy.
The City Council of Palm Springs needs to adopt this Hazard Mitigation Plan so that the
City of Palm Springs will be eligible for hazard mitigation grants after federally declared
disasters-
BACKGROUND-
Changes to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act have
placed a new emphasis on hazard mitigation planning, primarily moving from post-
disaster mitigation to pre-disaster planning, mitigation, and projects.
As part of the DMA 2000, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is
responsible for coordinating the implementation of the Act requiring IOc21 government,
state, and special jurisdictions to develop hazard mitigation plans. In order to qualify for
any future hazard mitigation grant awards, each jurisdiction must prepare, and have
approved by the state, a local multi-hazard mitigation plan by November 1, 2004, Under
the terms of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, which seeks to reduce federal
expenditures for catastrophic events, a county, city, tribe, or special district affected by a
declared disaster (i.e. earthquake, flood or wildfire) will still be able to receive emergency
aid without having an approved plan in place. However, it would be ineligible for FEMA
funds to support hazard-mitigation projects, such as elevating flood-prone homes or
seismic retrofitting vulnerable structures.
Additionally, local county, city, tribe, or special district officials are being asked to
formally recognize the plan as a demonstration of commitment to the process.
October 20, 2004
Page 2
The Hazard Mitigation Plan must include a discussion of the planning process, a risk
assessment, a description of mitigation measures, a plan-review process outline and
documentation that the plan has been adopted formally by the county, city, or special
district. The State of California has required all counties, cities, special districts, and
participating tribes to prepare mitigation strategies. These strategies were developed as
a group by the participating agencies, which subsequently established an individual
prioritization for each strategy.
Riverside County's efforts to develop a disaster-mitigation strategy started about a year
ago. The goal was to bring all the members of the Riverside County Operational Area
(county, cities, special district, and tribes), along with local businesses and interested
members of the public together to create a multi-jurisdictional plan that identified and
assessed the various hazards in the entire County of Riverside. The desire was to have
the County, along with the cities, special districts, and tribes develop an all inclusive
plan, rather than have each city, special district, and tribe write their own plan.
The planning process evaluated the potential impact of each identified hazard on the
County, cities, special districts, and tribes. All participating jurisdictions helped establish
a list of potential mitigation efforts and prioritized those efforts based on the needs of
their jurisdiction. In addition, each participating jurisdiction developed a specific hazard
mitigation strategy.
Participants in the development of the Riverside County Operational Area Multi-
jurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan include: The County of Riverside, 24 cities, 1
tribe, 10 hospitals, 9 school districts, and 14 special districts.
The Riverside County Operational Area Multi-jurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
has been reviewed by the California Office of Emergency Services and additional
information has been added to the plan, based on the State's review.
Final approval from FEMA requires a formal resolution from the County adopting the
Plan as a part of the County's hazard planning process. For this reason, it is being
recommended that the Plan be reviewed and approved for final adoption by the Palm
Springs City Council and then the County Board of Supervisors. The adoption of the
plan meets the intent of the law by having an adopted plan prior to November 1, 2004.
APPROVED.
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SLAKE G. GOETZ
FIRE CHIEF
APPROVED.
CAVID H. READ
CITY MANAGER
RESOLUTION NO.
OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS,
CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING THE RIVERSIDE COUNTY
OPERATIONAL AREA MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL LOCAL
HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN.
WHEREAS the City of Palm Springs has determined that
mitigating natural disasters is more cost-effective than responding
to them; and
WHEREAS per the new federal law known as DMA200, local
governments now have to plan to ways to reduce the impacts of
natural disasters in order to be eligible for certain types of federal
disaster assistance; and
WHEREAS this Riverside County Operational Area Multi-
Jurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan meets the goal of
Mitigating natural disasters in the Riverside County Operational
Area; and
WHEREAS the City of Palm Springs is a member of the Riverside
County Operational Area and has participated in the development
of this plan;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the
City of Palm Springs accepts the Riverside County Operational
Area Multi-Jurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan as it relates
to them in lessening the impact of future natural disasters.
ADOPTED this day of , 2004.
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ATTEST: CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA
BY
City Clerk City Manager
REVIEWED &APPROVED AS TO FORM