SR-700-005-03
Council Meeting: September 28, 2004
Santa Monica, CA
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Approval of the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan as required by FEMA
INTRODUCTION
This report requests that City Council approve the Santa Monica Local Hazard
Mitigation Plan, part of FEMA's new requirement that is a prerequisite to receiving future
Hazard Mitigation funding or other public assistance following significant disasters.
BACKGROUND
State and local governments must have an approved Local Hazard Mitigation Plan by
November 1, 2004. The creation of the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan was approved by
Santa Monica City Council on September 9, 2003.
DISCUSSION
Changes to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act have
placed a new emphasis on local mitigation planning. Hazard mitigation is now
considered to be the first step in preparing for emergencies, rather than the final step in
recovery. FEMA is now requiring State and local governments to develop hazard
mitigation plans. Council must authorize the plan in order to be eligible for future
funding.
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The consequences of not having an approved Local Hazard Mitigation Plan are
significant. Without one, local governments will be ineligible for FEMA mitigation
programs including the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, Flood Mitigation Assistance
Program, and most importantly, potential loss of Public Assistance for repetitively
damaged facilities following a disaster. The City of Santa Monica has received
approximately 100 million dollars in FEMA mitigation money since the 1994 Northridge
earthquake.
Much of the required contents of a Local Hazard Mitigation Plan exist in current City
planning documents. The General Plan for Santa Monica, the Sustainable City Plan, the
Santa Monica Standardized Emergency Management Systems, and the Multi-Hazard
Functional Plan contain requirements of the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. FEMA has
made it clear that what is an important aspect of the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan is an
interdepartmental process within the City as well as ongoing input from other agencies
and organizations in the Santa Monica community. Adoption legitimizes the Plan and
authorizes agencies and people to execute their responsibilities.
PLAN STRUCTURE
The Plan documents the process by which it was developed, as well as the planning
timeframe and who was involved in its creation, including stakeholders such as
community groups, schools, businesses and others. A local capability assessment
documents the community?s technical, financial, and human resources. Risk
assessments detail the type of hazards that can affect the jurisdiction, in addition to
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providing information on previous occurrences of hazard events and the probability of
future events. Critical facilities such as hospitals, roadways, water, and utilities, and
communications systems are identified. Vulnerability is measured in terms of providing
a general description of land uses and development trends within the community so that
mitigation options can be considered in future land use decisions. The Local Hazard
Mitigation Plan includes five goals that describe the overall direction the City and
community can take to work toward mitigating risk from natural hazards.
Goal #1: Increase Public Awareness of Local Hazards
Description: Increase public awareness and understanding, support, and
demand for hazard mitigation.
Objectives:
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Heighten public awareness of the full range of natural hazards they may
face.
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Educate the public on actions they can take to prevent or reduce the loss
of life and/or property from all hazards.
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Publicize and encourage the adoption of appropriate hazard mitigation
measures.
Goal #2: Protection of Lives and Property
Description: Implement activities that assist in protecting lives by making
homes, businesses, infrastructure, critical facilities, and other property more
resistant to natural hazards.
Objectives:
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Advise public about health and safety precautions to protect from injury
and loss.
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Assess the feasibility of warning and communication technologies to
mitigate damage from natural hazards.
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Reduce damage to enhance protection of dangerous areas during
hazardous events.
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Protect critical facilities and services.
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Ensure Emergency Services and critical facilities are included in mitigation
strategies.
Goal #3: Promote Sustainable Living
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Description: Promote development in a sustainable manner.
Objectives:
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Incorporate hazard mitigation into long-range planning and development
activities.
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Promote beneficial use of hazardous areas while expanding open space
and recreational opportunities.
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Utilize regulatory approaches to prevent creation of future hazards to life
and property.
Goal #4: Partnerships and Implementation
Description: Build and support local partnerships to continuously become less
vulnerable to natural hazards.
Objectives:
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Build and support local partnerships with stakeholders in the community.
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Build a cadre of committed volunteers to safeguard the community before,
during, and after a disaster.
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Build hazard mitigation concerns into City planning and budgeting
process.
Goal #5: Strengthen Emergency Services Capability
Description: Establish policies and procedures to ensure mitigation projects for
critical facilities, services, and infrastructure.
Objectives:
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Provide training to City departments and other non-public entities on
mitigation programs and techniques that could be incorporated into a
variety of projects.
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Strengthen emergency operations by increasing collaboration and
coordination among public agencies, non-profit organizations, business,
and industry.
An interdepartmental staff working group provided resources and guidance of the plan,
and included representatives from each of the following: Fire; City Manager?s Office;
Police; Planning including Building and Safety and Transportation Management;
Community and Cultural Services; Environmental and Public Works Management
including, Facilities Management and Utilities; and Risk Management. The core group
identified representatives from stakeholder groups in Santa Monica that work with the
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City in emergency preparedness and response for input into the development of the
plan, and coordination of existing City activities to be consistent with the mitigation
goals, as well as to facilitate the implementation of innovative programs and policies to
achieve the goals once Council approves the plan.
REPORTING
Due to the strict guidelines established by FEMA, the reporting inherent in the Local
Hazard Mitigation Plan is quite thorough. FEMA and OES hosted a number of
workshops over the past year in order to assist communities in the development of
mitigation plans. Upon passage by the City Council, the Local Hazard Mitigation plan
will be forwarded to FEMA for approval. FEMA must receive the final document by
November 1, 2004.
BUDGET/FINANCIAL IMPACT
Failure to have an approved Local Hazard Mitigation Plan by November 1, 2004 will
result in potential disqualification from future FEMA disaster assistance funding. The
budgetary impacts of the recommendations put forth in the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
are unknown at this time.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends that City Council approve the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan.
Prepared By: Paul Weinberg, Emergency Services Coordinator
Jim Hone, Fire Chief, Santa Monica Fire Department
Rob Wirtz, Division Chief, Santa Monica Fire Department
Kate Vernez, Assistant to the City Manager, Government Relations
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