Title
Staff Report for a Resolution Adopting the City of San Leandro 2017 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the City of San Leandro 2017 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan.
BACKGROUND
The Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 and the guidelines established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) require that local jurisdictions update their hazard mitigation plan approximately every 5 years. The plan should address hazards, risks, and vulnerabilities as they relate to disasters. Federal funding for disaster mitigation projects and recovery following a disaster is contingent upon local adoption of a current plan that has also been reviewed and approved by the State of California and the federal government.
The City has previously drafted and adopted two local hazard mitigation plans, one in 2005 and a second in 2010. The 2005 plan was a stand-alone document that was specific to the City of San Leandro and the 2010 plan was a multi-agency plan prepared in conjunction with other Bay Area agencies and coordinated by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG).
Analysis
The goal of the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) is to document the City’s mitigation strategies and resistance to disasters to reduce the potential for injury, loss of life, property damage, and environmental degradation from a natural disaster as well as increase the speed of economic recovery after a natural disaster.
Adoption of the plan commits the City to working on the listed mitigation strategies to the extent that funding and staffing resources are available to do so. Adoption of the plan is also required to be eligible for certain federal aid particularly, FEMA Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grants. Staff is currently pursuing such a federal grant for the Neptune Drive flood control project.
The proposed plan contains 15 mitigation strategies:
1. Point Source
2. Shoreline Flood Protection
3. Hillside Road Protection
4. Vegetation Management Plan
5. Green Infrastructure Development
6. Climate Action Plan
7. Water Supply
8. Continuity of Government Plan
9. Wireless Network at Emergency Operations Center
10. Redundant Phone System at Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
11. Energy Assurance Plan
12. Redundant Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) and Law Enforcement Systems
13. Redundant Citywide radio system
14. Emergency Siren System update
15. Get Prepared San Leandro - Public Outreach
In 2017 the plan was approved by the State of California Office of Emergency Services (OES) Mitigation branch and forwarded to FEMA for review. The plan was reviewed and amended three times by City staff based on comments from FEMA, and in January 2018 staff was notified that the plan was pending final approval by FEMA after adoption by San Leandro City Council. The 2017 LHMP must be approved by the City, State and Federal agencies to qualify for FEMA’s Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program.
Current Agency Policies
Support and implement programs that enhance the quality of life and wellness (of the community).
Previous Actions
On December 18, 2011, by Resolution No. 2011-207, the City Council adopted the San Leandro Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, 2010 Annex.
On May 23, 2016 by Resolution No. 16-268, the City Council adopted the 2015 San Leandro Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. The 2015 Plan was not accepted by FEMA because it was written from a multi-jurisdictional perspective, similar to the 2010 plan. FEMA subsequently modified its recommended approach for the document to be written from a more localized perspective, so a complete rewrite of the plan was completed and the new 2017 plan was returned to State OES and FEMA.
Applicable General Plan Policies
General Plan Goal 29: Reduce the potential for injury, property damage, and loss of life resulting from earthquakes, landslides, floods, and other natural disasters.
Environmental Review
Adoption of a plan for possible future action that doesn’t have a legally binding effect on later activities is statutorily exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act per California Code of Regulations section 15262.
Summary of Public Outreach Efforts
Draft versions of the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan were published on the City’s website and made available to the public in hardcopy by request.
A community outreach meeting was advertised in the San Leandro Times and on Facebook, Nixle, and Next Door and was held on November 19, 2015 at the Senior Community Center.
An update on the plan was presented at the December 7, 2015 San Leandro City Council meeting and the item was publicized in advance of the meeting.
Updates on the draft plan were presented to the San Leandro Disaster Council at their May 27, 2015 and July 28, 2016 meetings.
Homeowners associations throughout the City were also notified of the draft plan.
Attachment to Resolution
• City of San Leandro 2017 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
PREPARED BY:
Heidi DeRespini, Emergency Services Specialist, City Manager’s Office