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CC - Adoption of a Resolution Adopting a Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan as the City’s Hazard Mitigation Plan.
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Meeting Date: April 11, 2017
Contact Person/Dept: Joe Susca / Public Works-Administration
Phone Number: 310-253-5636
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [] Attachments: [X]
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X]
Public Notification: (E-mail) Agenda and Meetings - City Council (04/04/17); Michael Baker International (03/06/17); Mike Reynolds, CCUSD (03/06/17); members of the community who signed up to receive public notifications regarding the Hazard Mitigation Plan (04/04/17)
Department Approval: Charles D. Herbertson (03/29/17)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council adopt a Resolution adopting a Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP) as the City’s Hazard Mitigation Plan.
BACKGROUND
The National Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 established requirements for programs and projects to minimize the loss of life, property and the total cost of natural disasters. The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program (PDMP) provide grants to states and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures prior to and after major disaster declarations. The purpose of the HMGP and PDMP is to reduce the loss of life and property due to natural disasters and to enable mitigation measures to be implemented prior to and during the immediate recovery from a disaster. To be eligible to receive funding for Hazard Mitigation and Pre-Disaster Mitigation projects, the City is required to have a California Office of Emergency Services (OES) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved Multiple Jurisdiction Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP) in place.
In July 2014, the City, in conjunction with the Culver City Unified School District (CCUSD), applied for funding from the HMGP to hire a firm to develop an MJHMP. In December 2014, the City received notification that the grant was approved, and on March 23, 2015, the City Council approved a $100,430 agreement with Michael Baker International (MBI) to prepare the MJHMP on behalf of the City/CCUSD.
Hazard Mitigation and the MJHMP:
Hazard mitigation is sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate the risk to life, property and the environment from natural hazards. Hazard mitigation planning is a process in which hazards are identified and profiled, people and facilities at risk are assessed for threat and vulnerability, and then mitigation actions are developed. The result of the process is an integrated and coordinated effort to mitigate hazards. The expected outcome of all actions of the City/CCUSD MJHMP is to lessen the impact of damage caused by natural hazards to life, the economy, infrastructure, or the ability to continue to function as a community.
Steering Committee:
An MJHMP Steering Committee was formed that was comprised of 18 members from the City/CCUSD, the American Red Cross and the cities of West Hollywood and Santa Monica to participate in interactive workshops to create the MJHMP. With MBI’s guidance and input, the MJHMP Steering Committee met several times to identify natural hazards and to assess their risk. Together, the team developed mitigation actions to reduce their impacts to the community.
Community Outreach:
Public outreach is a required component when developing an MJHMP. The outreach strategy was deployed utilizing the City’s website <http://www.culvercity.org/hazardmitigationplan>, email distribution lists, Nixle, bi-weekly updates to local media and postcards to engage the public throughout the MJHMP planning process.
• Community Survey. A survey was distributed through the City’s e-mail distribution lists, at community events and made available on the City’s MJHMP website (www.culvercity.org/hazardmitigationplan <http://www.culvercity.org/hazardmitigationplan>) to obtain community input about various safety topics associated with the MJHMP.
• Fiesta La Ballona. As part of the Fiesta La Ballona celebration, the City sponsored a booth to publicize various City programs, including development of the MJHMP. City and MBI staff distributed a postcard at the booth that included a link to complete the community survey along with an invitation to attend an upcoming MJHMP community workshop. Visitors to the booth were invited to sign-up for email updates for future events and information and to ask questions or provide comments.
• Community Workshop. A Community Workshop and Learning Event was held at the Senior Center to discuss the MJHMP and to understand the community’s perspective and personal experience with natural hazards that affect the City/CCUSD. The survey was also made available for completion by those in attendance.
The MJHMP was developed to meet the requirements set forth by OES/FEMA and in order for the City/CCUSD to become eligible to receive pre-disaster mitigation funding and technical assistance from state and federal hazard mitigation programs. A final draft of the MJHMP was completed and posted on the City’s website <http://www.culvercity.org/hazardmitigationplan> for review and comment.
DISCUSSION
Culver City’s Hazards and their Mitigation
The City is susceptible to many types of natural hazards. Damage from hazards can be reduced through careful planning, program implementation and infrastructure improvements. Implementation of the MJHMP minimizes potential loss of life and injury caused by hazards and preserves the City’s economic welfare by reducing potential property loss, damage to infrastructure, and social dislocation and economic disruption resulting from hazards.
Earthquakes are the most pervasive hazard to the City as they are impossible to predict and are associated with other hazards such as liquefaction and fires. Mitigation actions include securing tall furniture to walls, conducting workshops to educate the public on earthquake preparedness to reduce their impacts, creating a citywide soft story inventory, and performing seismic assessments of private and public facilities to determine vulnerabilities and where recommended, implement seismic retrofits.
Other hazards identified in the MJHMP include flooding, wildfires, drought, excessive heat and landslides. Mitigation actions contained in the MJHMP in response to these hazards include identification of alternative bus routes, evacuation plans, regularly testing and updating existing backup power supplies at critical facilities, educating the public on how to reduce the threat and impacts of various hazards, identifying and avoiding development in certain areas identified as the most vulnerable to hazards, continued cooperation with the American Red Cross to ensure emergency shelters identified remain equipped and ready to serve the community in an emergency, regularly testing mechanisms and exercising emergency response activities with local utilities, regularly training staff on disaster response, and continuing to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program.
On May 25, 2016 MBI submitted a final draft of the MJHMP to OES for review. On December 19, 2016 OES announced they had completed their evaluation and forwarded the MJHMP on to FEMA for their review. On February 28, 2017 the City received notice that the MJHMP had been approved as-is on the condition that the City Council and CCUSD Board subsequently adopt respective resolutions approving it. The CCUSD Board will consider adopting its resolution during its meeting of April 25, 2017.
Once adopted, the City/CCUSD will receive regular notices of funding opportunities from OES and FEMA to implement the mitigation actions identified in the MJHMP. To remain eligible to receive continued funding, FEMA requires the MJHMP to be updated every five years.
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
The MJHMP identifies potential natural hazards in the City, and includes a five-year strategy of mitigation measures the City may take to reduce the risk from the identified hazards. Some of the mitigation actions are studies or collaborations with other agencies, where the City may not be the lead agency, as defined by CEQA. Other mitigation actions that may be undertaken could require their own CEQA review, once a full project scope is prepared and funding is sought through grants. The City’s adoption of the MJHMP is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines sections 15262 (feasibility and planning studies), 15306 (data, research and information collection), and 15061(b)(3) (general rule); each on a separate and independent basis.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
The HMGP grant the City/CCUSD received provides up to $155,283 in funds to prepare the MJHMP; $116,462 to hire a consulting firm (MBI) and $38,821 to reimburse the City for employee hours dedicated to administer the grant in addition to providing content for inclusion in the MJHMP.
ATTACHMENT
1. Proposed Resolution
2. Proposed Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan
MOTION
That the City Council:
Adopt a Resolution adopting the Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan prepared as the City’s Hazard Mitigation Plan.