Title
Request for Resolution to Adopt the 2021 Maricopa County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (Resolution 22000)
Description
Request to approve a resolution to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to adopt and administer the 2021 Maricopa County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved Hazard Mitigation Plan for the City of Phoenix.
By adopting this Resolution, the City of Phoenix recognizes the consequences and need to reduce and mitigate the impacts of disasters.
Report
Summary
In 2015, the Phoenix City Council approved the Maricopa County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan that expired in 2020. Due to delayed federal funding and COVID-19, the multi-jurisdictional planning team began meeting in July 2020 through November 2020. The City's Local Planning Team (LPT) also met monthly beginning in August 2020 and finishing all assignments by December 2020. The pandemic consumed most jurisdictions resources and subsequent "catch up meetings" were conducted to assist several jurisdictions with finalizing assignments and the first draft of the updated 2021 plan was issued September 2021. FEMA provided approval in November 2021, pending jurisdiction adoption.
Key components of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA 2000):
• Requires all local, county, and tribal governments to develop a hazard mitigation plan for eligibility to receive certain federal non-emergency mitigation funds (Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Program known as BRIC).
• Prioritization of hazard mitigation planning at the local level, with an increased emphasis placed on planning and public involvement, assessing risks, implementing loss reduction measures, and ensuring that critical services/facilities survive a disaster.
Summary of updates to 2021 City of Phoenix Hazard Mitigation Plan based on LPT collaboration, coordination and data analysis:
• Nine Natural Hazards selected for mitigation (See Attachment A).
• Critical and non-critical facilities within the City, exposed to identified hazards, estimated at least $7.8 billion. Replacement value for residential buildings exposed to identified hazards estimated over $167.5 billion.
• Twenty mitigation actions, projects, and implementation strategies submitted, fifteen are on-going efforts revised and carried over from the 2015 Plan (ID No. 1-15), five are new actions and projects added to the Plan for 2021 which four have already been implemented by the City (ID No. 16-19). The fifth new project is being led by Downtown Phoenix Partnership (See Attachment B).
• Phoenix conducted two public involvement and input opportunities that provided the community education and awareness of the 2015 Plan with a survey to capture comments and access to the “draft” 2021 Plan with an opportunity to provide comments.
Financial Impact
Funding for the identified projects, programs and efforts implemented to address mitigation strategies is part of the specified departments budget. The potential financial impact of the identified hazards in the event of an emergency or disaster far outweighs the estimates of recommended mitigation strategies (Attachment C).
Public Outreach
In November 2020, Office of Emergency Management and Communications Office staff developed and released the Hazard Mitigation Public website. The 2015 Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan was provided for public comment. Several resource links and a Fact Sheet was developed to help provide an overview of the hazard mitigation plan process. A ten question survey in English and Spanish, developed by Maricopa County Department of Emergency Management, was provided on the website with a link to the Maricopa County Department of Emergency Management website as well.
As part of the public involvement process, staff developed and published a social media campaign for the month of December 2021 with social media postings two times a week. All communications promoted the Hazard Mitigation website to encourage community engagement and education. Additionally, staff conducted a virtual community meeting to share details about the 2015 Multi-Jurisdictional Plan, the purpose of the 2021 Hazard Mitigation planning process, and the importance of public comment during the process and on the 2021 draft plan.
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
This item was recommended for approval by the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee on Feb. 9, 2022, by a vote of 4-0.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Assistant City Manager Lori Bays and the Fire Department Office of Emergency Management.