Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Michael Callagy, County Manager
Daniel T. Belville, Director, Department of Emergency Management
Subject: Resolution to Adopt the 2021 San Mateo County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution adopting the 2021 San Mateo County Multijurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan.
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BACKGROUND:
Responding to federal mandates in the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-390), the 2021 San Mateo County Multijurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJLHMP) updates the County’s previous plan, adopted in 2016.
The planning area for the MJLHMP encompasses the entire geographic area of San Mateo County. The MJLHMP is a two-volume Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) plan and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) approved the multi-agency multi-hazard mitigation plan.
The MJLHMP:
• Systematically assesses local natural and human-caused hazards, such as flooding, drought, wildfire, landslides, severe weather, terrorism, cyber threat, pandemic, and the impact of climate change.
• Identifies mitigation actions that will be implemented by the County and its planning partner jurisdictions to reduce the level of injury, property damage, and community disruption that might otherwise result from such hazards.
• Pools resources from throughout the County and creates a uniform local hazard mitigation plan that can be consistently implemented.
• Ensures eligibility for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Cal OES grants.
The MJLHMP development process included the following activities:
1. Identification of potential planning partners. Partners who chose to participate submitted Letters of Intent committing resources to the development effort;
2. Identification and assessment of the risks of natural and human-caused hazards;
3. Development of actions to mitigate the risks and a plan to implement the actions over the next five years;
4. Public involvement in the development and review of the MJLHMP; and
5. Review and approval of the MJLHMP by Cal OES and FEMA.
The 2021 MJLHMP builds on the adopted 2016 Plan, with multiple distinguishing features that ensure broader commitment to implementation and positive impact for the citizens of San Mateo County including:
• Expansion of Participating Partners: The 2016 MJLHMP included 28 planning partners; in 2021, it includes 36 partners,
• Inclusion of Every San Mateo County City/Town: In 2016, 18 Cities/Towns participated; in 2021, all 20 Cities/Towns in the County participated.
• Extensive Increase in Public Participation: In 2016, the County received 250 responses from the public to the survey; in 2021, over 2,000 responses were received.
• Incorporation of New and Critical Risk Areas: In 2016, the MJLHMP included approximately 500 mitigation actions; in 2021, it contains over 700 actions.
DISCUSSION:
In January 2021, the Department of Emergency Management (DEM) and Office of Sustainability (OOS) embarked on an ambitious effort to engage the community, community-based organizations, and city/town and special district partners to participate in a planning process to identify critical community and infrastructure risks and identify potential mitigating actions to ensure a more resilient San Mateo County.
In February 2021, a 36-member planning partnership was formed to develop the MJLHMP including:
• County departments (DEM, OOS, Public Works, Planning & Building, Parks, Information Services Department, Health, and Agriculture, Weights & Measures); and
• All 20 Cities and Towns in the County and 15 Special Districts (see Attachment C).
Utilizing $225,000 in grant funding secured by San Mateo County DEM to support the development of the MJLHMP, DEM was the lead coordinating agency, in close partnership with OOS and Planning & Building, for this multi-jurisdictional effort.
All participating planning partners were responsible for assisting in the development of the hazard and vulnerability assessments and the mitigation action strategies for their respective jurisdictions. Each planning partner was responsible for the review and approval of their individual sections of the plan.
The MJLHMP presents the accumulated information in a unified framework to ensure a comprehensive and coordinated plan covering all planning partners within San Mateo County.
The project team developed a robust community outreach program and worked actively to address equity in the MJLHMP by establishing a framework with key actions for each step of the planning process. Elements of the equity approach included:
• Ensuring diverse leadership: The 13-member Steering Committee included 50% community partners from organizations such as Climate Resilient Communities, MidPen Housing Corporation, Puente, the County Commission on Disabilities, Senior Coastsiders, and the North Fair Oaks Community Alliance. The Steering Committee met six times from February to July and provided valuable input to the plan development process.
• Applying an equity-lens to action development: With input from the Steering Committee and our planning partners, the project team developed an equity screening tool and other resources to support the development of equitable hazard mitigation actions. Fourteen planning partners, including the County, applied the equity screening tool in their Annex Plans.
• Engaging hard-to-reach populations: OOS negotiated contracts with seven community-based organizations to assist with community outreach, education, and administering the surveys in order to reach socially vulnerable populations. The organizations serve the following areas: unincorporated coastal communities, Half Moon Bay, Pacifica, East Palo Alto, Belle Haven, Menlo Park, North Fair Oaks, Daly City, South San Francisco, and San Bruno.
• Translation and Interpretation Services: The survey and outreach materials were translated into multiple languages to improve accessibility among populations with limited English proficiency. The website utilizes Google Translate for accessibility in multiple languages. Interpretation services were offered for public workshops.
On August 30, 2021, the County submitted its draft MJLHMP to Cal OES and FEMA for concurrent review. On October 13, 2021, FEMA notified the County of its approval of the MJLHMP pending adoption by the Board of Supervisors and the planning partners’ governing bodies.
Once the MJLHMP has been adopted, the jurisdictions will collectively and individually become eligible to apply for hazard mitigation project funding from the suite of grant programs under FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) program.
The MJLHMP is considered a living document. As awareness of additional hazards develop and new strategies and projects are conceived to offset or prevent loss due to natural hazards, the MJLHMP will be evaluated and revised on an annual basis during the 5-year plan timeframe. As a living document, the MJLHMP information can be integrated and used in conjunction with other emergency and related plans, such as Emergency Operation Plans (EOPs).
County Counsel has reviewed and approved the corresponding resolution approving the San Mateo County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
County Counsel determined that environmental review is not required for approval of the MJLHMP given that it is not considered a project subject to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review. However, as future mitigation action projects are developed, they will be individually reviewed by County staff to determine if they are deemed a “project” under CEQA.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact for the approval of the MJLHMP. However, implementation of the MJLHMP will require funding and staff resources. Future funding requests will come before this Board for consideration as part of the budget process or on a case-by-case basis.
ATTACHMENTS:
A. 2021 Multijurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan: Volume 1 - Planning Area Wide Elements
B. 2021 Multijurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan: Volume 2 - Unincorporated San Mateo County Annex Plan
C. 2021 MJLHMP Planning Partners