Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Michael P. Callagy, County Executive
Subject: Board of Supervisors’ Response to 2024-25 Civil Grand Jury Report “Will the Next Big One Leave You High and Dry?”
RECOMMENDATION:
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Approve the Board of Supervisors’ response to the 2024-25 Civil Grand Jury Report “Will the Next Big One Leave You High and Dry?”
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BACKGROUND:
On July 8, 2025, the 2024-25 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury issued a report titled 2024-25 Civil Grand Jury Report “Will the Next Big One Leave You High and Dry?” (Report). The Board of Supervisors is required to submit comments on the findings and recommendations pertaining to the matters over which it has decision-making authority within 90 days.
The Board’s response to the Report was due to the Honorable Stephanie Garratt, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo, by October 6, 2025. The following response was delayed and is provided for Board approval.
DISCUSSION:
The Report requests that the County respond to two (2) findings and two (2) recommendations. The Board’s responses to each are as follows:
FINDINGS
Finding 1:
The County Department of Emergency Management has not followed EPA recommendations that it coordinate disaster responses with County water providers, which may compromise its ability to execute a response to a catastrophic interruption in water distribution service.
Response: The County disagrees partially with this finding. Coordination between emergency management agencies and water utilities is important to prepare for and respond to emergencies. The 2021 and 2026 San Mateo County Multijurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan includes the County, 20 cities and towns and special districts across the County. These planning efforts gathered and updated contact information for water agencies. The San Mateo County Department of Emergency Management also maintains communication and public messaging protocols, capabilities and evergreen content for emergency situations that include deliberate, proactive communication with water authorities.
Finding 6:
Local agencies are responsible for oversight of the status of their Local Hazard Mitigation Plans, published in October 2021. While local jurisdictions remain responsible for implementation, there is no central repository reporting on overall progress.
Response: The County agrees with this finding. The San Mateo County Department of Emergency Management coordinates updates to the Multijurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan every five years, including in 2016, 2021 and 2026. However, the responsibility for tracking individual mitigation action implementation lies with the respective participating jurisdictions. The 2026 plan update, which is underway, will include mitigation actions taken and those still planned. Under FEMA guidance and California requirements, individual jurisdictions maintain responsibility for implementing their specific mitigation actions. The Grand Jury seems to have correctly identified that no centralized tracking system currently exists to monitor overall progress across all participating agencies. We encourage all jurisdictions to share the status of mitigation actions listed in the Plan with the public at least twice between the Plan update cycles.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendation 1:
The Grand Jury recommends that by December 31, 2025, the San Mateo County Department of Emergency Management develop a plan to align its policy with EPA recommendations by coordinating disaster response preparedness with all county water providers.
Response: The recommendation will not be implemented within the specified timeframe as the County does not currently have the authority, responsibility or resources to coordinate preparedness with all water county providers. However, the San Mateo County Department of Emergency Management will continue to invite water providers to join in emergency planning, training and exercise opportunities. Furthermore, the County is revising its Emergency Operations Plan, including an annex for Emergency Support Function #12, Utilities, that will reinforce collaborative response planning efforts.
Recommendation 6:
The Grand Jury recommends that by October 31, 2026, SMCEM report on the status of the mitigation projects contained in the 2021 and upcoming 2026 LHMP plans. The status of the 2021 projects should be included in the relevant partner annex when the plan is published in 2026.
Response: The recommendation will be implemented with the specified timeframe.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with the acceptance of this report.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A: Will the Next Big One Leave You High and Dry? July 8, 2025