Morgan Hill City Council
September 4, 2024

Special/Regular Meeting Agenda
City Council
Mark Turner - Mayor
Marilyn Librers - Mayor Pro Tem
Gino Borgioli - Council Member
Rene Spring - Council Member
Yvonne Martínez Beltrán - Council Member
Wednesday, September 4, 2024 5:00 PM
Council Chamber Building
17555 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

MEETING PARTICIPATION
Morgan Hill City Council meetings are held in person. The community may attend in person or via Zoom (video/teleconference). The meetings are also live-streamed on the City’s website, Facebook page, and Channel 17.

Those wishing to participate in the meetings remotely must register in advance at https://bit.ly/CityCouncilZoomRegistration. Additionally, Zoom participants must be running the latest version or will be required to update to the latest version before being able to join the meeting remotely.

Remote participation is also available by calling (669) 900-9128 and entering webinar id: 873 3200 8380#. Dial *9 to raise your hand, and be called upon to speak for up to 3 minutes. Dial *6 to unmute.

PUBLIC COMMENT
Public comment may be offered verbally at the meeting or in writing before the meeting.

Those attending remotely may only offer public comment for items on the agenda in one of four categories:
• Consent Calendar
• Other Business
• Public Hearings
• Closed Session

September 4, 2024
2 Public comment will be heard from those attending in person first with the submission of a speaker card. Once that is complete, we will move to those on Zoom that have their hand raised. Following public comment from Zoom, we will close the public comment period for that item.

Remote public comment for items not on the agenda will not be accepted.

Written public comment may be submitted to the City Clerk:
• In person at the City Council Meeting;
• Via email to [email protected]; or
• Hand delivered or mailed to the City Clerk at 17575 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037
Please email your comments to the City Clerk no later than 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday (the day before the City Council meeting) so that your comments can be submitted to the members of the City Council with sufficient time to review them. You may continue to provide written comments up to noon on Wednesday (the day of the meeting), although Council Members may not have sufficient time to review them before the meeting.

Public comments submitted to the City Clerk after noon (12:00 p.m.) the day of the meeting will be provided to the City Council as time allows.

Written comments WILL NOT be read aloud during the City Council Meeting. Please note that written comments are posted on the City's website. It is recommended that you do not include any personal information that you do not want to be posted on the web. Please be advised that communications directed to the City Council are public records and are subject to disclosure pursuant to the California Public Records Act and Brown Act unless exempt from disclosure under the applicable law. Communications will NOT be edited for redactions and will be printed/posted as submitted.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA)
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you are a disabled person and you need a disability-related modification or accommodation to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Clerk's Office at (408)779-7259 or by email at [email protected]. Requests must be made as early as possible and at least two full business days before the start of the meeting.

SPECIAL/REGULAR MEETING
A special meeting of the City Council is called at 5:00 p.m. for the purpose of conducting Library, Culture, and Arts Commission interviews and conducting a closed session.

September 4, 2024
3 SPECIAL MEETING
5:00 p.m. Library, Culture, and Arts Commission interviews and Closed Session

CALL TO ORDER

ROLL CALL ATTENDANCE

DECLARATION OF POSTING AGENDA

COMMISSION INTERVIEWS

1. INTERVIEW CANDIDATES TO FILL ONE (1) SEAT ON THE LIBRARY,

CULTURE, AND ARTS COMMISSION (LCAC)
Recommendation:

1. Mayor shares the characteristics/traits that a successful applicant would possess;

2. Conduct Interviews;

3. Council Members identify the top applicant(s) and provide recommendations to the Mayor; and

4. Discuss and/or appoint an applicant.

CLOSED SESSION

CONFERENCE WITH LABOR NEGOTIATORS
Authority: Pursuant Government Code Section 54957.6
City Negotiators: Christina Turner, City Manager; Donald Larkin, City Attorney; Michael Horta, Human Resources Director; Dat Nguyen, Finance Director Employee Organization: Morgan Hill Police Officers Association; AFSCME Local 101 Morgan Hill; Community Service Officers Association; Employees Covered under Management Resolution #23-051

OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT

ADJOURN TO CLOSED SESSION

REGULAR MEETING
6:00 p.m.

September 4, 2024
4 SILENT INVOCATION

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

PROCLAMATIONS
Proclaiming the month of September as National Preparedness Month Proclaiming the month of September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month Proclaiming September 17-23 as Constitution Week

PRESENTATIONS
Caltrain Presentation

CITY COUNCIL REPORTS
Council Member Librers

CITY MANAGER'S REPORT

CITY ATTORNEY'S REPORT

OTHER REPORTS

PUBLIC COMMENT
This opportunity for public comment is for items that are not on the agenda. If you would like to make comments on an item that is on the agenda, please wait until we get to that item to offer your comments. Members of the public are entitled to address the City Council concerning any item within the Morgan Hill City Council’s subject matter jurisdiction. Public comments are limited to no more than three minutes. Except for certain specific exceptions, the City Council is prohibited from discussing or taking action on any item not appearing on the posted agenda. Public comment is intended for comments. Questions posed during public comment are not generally answered. If you have questions, please send them to the City Clerk at [email protected] to receive a response. (See additional noticing at the end of this agenda)

ADOPTION OF AGENDA

September 4, 2024
5 CONSENT CALENDAR
Items appearing on the Consent Calendar are considered routine and may be approved by one motion. Pursuant to City Council Policies and Procedures (CP 97-01), any member of the Council or public may request to have an item removed from the Consent Calendar for comment and action.

2. ADOPT RESOLUTION ACCEPTING THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY

MULTIJURISDICTIONAL LOCAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN UPDATE

INCLUDING THE CITY OF MORGAN HILL'S ANNEX
Recommendation:

Adopt resolution accepting the Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update including the City of Morgan Hill’s Annex.

3. AMEND CONFLICT OF INTEREST CODE REPORTING CATEGORIES Recommendation:

Adopt resolution amending the list of positions subject to the City’s Conflict of Interest Code.

4. APPROVE CONSULTANT AGREEMENT WITH JAYSON ARCHITECTURE IN THE AMOUNT OF $375,000 FOR DESIGN OF VILLA MIRA MONTE PHASE 1

IMPROVEMENTS
Recommendation:

Authorize the City Manager to execute a consultant agreement for design services totaling $375,000 for the Phase 1 Villa Mira Monte Improvements.

5. APPROVE COST SHARE AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF GILROY FOR

JOINT WASTEWATER TRUNK LINE REPAIRS
Recommendation:

Authorize the City Manager to execute and administer a cost sharing agreement with the City of Gilroy for the design and repairs to the jointly owned wastewater trunk line for $1,814,455.

6. APPROVE THE AUGUST 28, 2024 CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Recommendation:

Approve minutes.

7. APPROVE CONSULTANT AGREEMENT WITH SCHAAF & WHEELER
CONSULTING CIVIL ENGINEERS IN THE AMOUNT OF $74,472 FOR

BUTTERFIELD BASIN FEASIBILITY STUDY
Recommendation:

Authorize the City Manager to execute and administer a consultant agreement in the amount of $74,472 with Schaaf & Wheeler Consulting Civil Engineers for feasibility design work at the Butterfield Basin.

September 4, 2024
6 PUBLIC HEARINGS

8. ADOPT RESOLUTION TO ESTABLISH NEW AND UPDATED FEES FOR

PLANNING, BUILDING, AND LAND DEVELOPMENT ENGINEERING
Recommendation:

1. Open/Close Public Hearing; and

2. Adopt resolution to establish new and updated Planning, Building, and Land Development Engineering fees as proposed.

9. ADOPT RESOLUTION TO ESTABLISH NEW CARRY CONCEALED

WEAPON (CCW) LICENSE RENEWAL FEE, FINGERPRINT ROLL AND LIVE

SCAN FEE, AND UPDATE LIVE ENTERTAINMENT ANNUAL PERMIT FEE Recommendation:

Adopt resolution to establish new CCW license renewal fee, Fingerprint Roll and Live Scan fee, and update Live Entertainment Annual Permit fee.

OTHER BUSINESS

10. INTRODUCE ORDINANCE PROHIBITING SMOKING IN MULTIUNIT

RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
Recommendation:

1. Waive first and second reading of the Ordinance; and

2. Introduce new Ordinance prohibiting smoking in multiunit residential buildings.

11. APPROVE SUPPORT OF THE CAL CITIES RESOLUTION TO BE
CONSIDERED AT THE 2024 ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Recommendation:

1. Confirm "support" for the resolution to be considered on "Fair and Equal Treatment of All Government Officials at All Levels of Government"; and

2. Authorize the City's voting delegate(s) to vote on the resolution to be considered at the Cal Cities annual conference.

FUTURE COUNCIL INITIATED AGENDA ITEMS
Note: in accordance with Government Code Section 54954.2(a), there shall be no discussion, debate and/or action taken on any request other than providing direction to staff to place the matter of business on a future agenda.

September 4, 2024
7 ADJOURNMENT

September 4, 2024
8 NOTICE
Any documents produced by the City and distributed to the majority of the City Council less than 72 hours prior to an open meeting, will be made available for public inspection at the City Clerk’s Counter at City Hall located at 17575 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA, 95037 and at the Morgan Hill Public Library located at 660 West Main Avenue, Morgan Hill, California, 95037 during normal business hours. (Pursuant to Government Code 54957.5)

PUBLIC COMMENT
Members of the Public are entitled to directly address the City Council concerning any item described in the notice of this meeting during consideration of that item. If you wish to address the Council on any item on this agenda, please complete a speaker request card located in the foyer of the Council Chambers and deliver it to the Minutes Clerk before the City Council discussion on the item. You are not required to give your name on the speaker card to speak to the Council, but it is very helpful. When you are called, proceed to the podium, and the Mayor will recognize you. If participating via Zoom, please raise your virtual hand to be called. When called, you will be unmuted and recognized for speaking. If you wish to address the City Council on any other item of interest to the public, you may do so during the public comment portion of the meeting following the same procedure described above. Please limit your comments to three (3) minutes or less. Please note that public comment for items not on the agenda are not accepted virtually.

Please submit written correspondence to the Minutes Clerk, who will distribute correspondence to the City Council.

Persons interested in proposing an item for the City Council agenda should contact a member of the City Council who may request an item on the agenda for a future City Council meeting. Council discussion or action may not be taken until your item appears on an agenda. This procedure is in compliance with the California Public Meeting Law (Brown Act) Government Code §54950.

City Council Policies and Procedures (CP 03-01) outlines the procedure for the conduct of public hearings.

Notice is given, pursuant to Government Code Section 65009, that any challenge of Public Hearing Agenda items in court, may be limited to raising only those issues raised by you or on your behalf at the Public Hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City Council at, or prior to the Public Hearing on these matters.

The time within which judicial review must be sought of the action by the City Council, which acted upon any matter appearing on this agenda is governed by the provisions of Section 1094.6 of the California Code of Civil Procedure.

For a copy of City Council Policies and Procedures CP 97-01, please contact the City Clerk’s office (408) 779-7259, (408) 779-3117 (fax) or by email [email protected].

September 4, 2024
9

1 CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
MEETING DATE: September 4, 2024
PREPARED BY:

Kim Mancera, Deputy City Clerk
APPROVED BY: City Manager
INTERVIEW CANDIDATES TO FILL ONE (1) SEAT ON THE LIBRARY,

CULTURE, AND ARTS COMMISSION (LCAC)

RECOMMENDATION(S)

1. Mayor shares the characteristics/traits that a successful applicant would possess;

2. Conduct Interviews;

3. Council Members identify the top applicant(s) and provide recommendations to the Mayor; and

4. Discuss and/or appoint an applicant.

COUNCIL PRIORITIES, GOALS & STRATEGIES
City Council Ongoing Priorities
Supporting our Youth, Seniors, and Entire Community
Fostering a Positive Organizational Culture
Preserving and Cultivating Public Trust
Preserving our Community History
REPORT NARRATIVE:

The City Council is recruiting to fill one (1) unexpired term on the Library, Culture, and Arts Commission with a term ending April 1, 2026. Jake Thompson notified us on June 25, 2024, that he would be resigning effective September 3, 2024. The recruitment resulted in a total of three (3) new applicants; Mark Fiorenza, Kendra O'Donoghue, and Nadia Suleman.

All applicants have been invited to interview before the City Council on September 4, 2024. They have confirmed their availability. Their applications are attached for Council consideration.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:

Involve
Recruitment efforts were undertaken to encourage citizens to apply for City Council appointment consideration via the Morgan Hill Times, City Website, Government Access Channel, Facebook, NextDoor, outreach to community groups, and the weekly 411 emails.

1 ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS:

The City Council may choose not to make an appointment to fill the vacant seat. If it desires, it could reopen the application process to solicit more applicants to fill the seat not appointed at the September 4, 2024, meeting.

PRIOR CITY COUNCIL AND COMMISSION ACTIONS:

Library, Culture, and Arts Commissioners serve four-year terms with possible reappointment consideration. Recruitment efforts are conducted every two years to maintain the seven (7) member commissions.

FISCAL AND RESOURCE IMPACT:

There is no fiscal impact associated with the actions to interview and appoint, as the recruitment and appointment process is accommodated in the Administrative Services operating budget.

CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act):

Not a Project.

The interview and appointment of commissioners is not a project, as defined in Section 15378 of the State CEQA guidelines.

Chapter 2.22 MASTER PROVISIONS FOR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS* Sections:

2.22.010 Establishment of boards and commissions.

2.22.030 Clerk and secretary.

2.22.040 Rules of procedure.

2.22.050 Rules of attendance.

2.22.060 Meetings.

2.22.070 Compensation.

2.22.080 Effect.
* Prior ordinance history: Ords. 811 N.S., 890 N.S., 891 N.S., 1607 N.S. and 1719 N.S.

2.22.010 Establishment of boards and commissions.

A. There are established within the city the following boards and commissions:

1. Planning commission;

2. Parks and recreation commission;

3. Library, culture and arts commission; and

4. Disaster council.

B. Unless otherwise set forth, all members of boards, commissions and committees shall be residents of the city and shall continue to be residents of the city during their terms of office.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, individuals who reside within the Morgan Hill Unified School District boundary and who do not otherwise reside in any city other than Morgan Hill may be appointed to boards, commissions and committees provided that no more than thirty percent of the members of any board, commission or committee shall be non-Morgan Hill residents.

C. Members shall be appointed by the mayor subject to approval of a majority vote of the city council and may be removed without cause by vote of any three members of the city council.

D. The appointment terms of members may be extended, at the discretion of the city council, until such time as a successor member may be appointed and take office.

E. Vacancies in the commission occurring other than by expiration of term shall be filled for the unexpired term in the same manner as original appointments.

F. The members of the commission shall organize the commission and shall elect from its members a chair and vice-chair and such other officers as may be necessary in accordance with adopted city council policy.
(Ord. 1778 N.S. § 2 (part), 2006)
(Ord. No 1930 N.S., § 2, 4-22-2009; Ord. No. 1935 N.S., § 1, 6-3-2009)

2.22.030 Clerk and secretary.

The city clerk or designate shall also act as clerk for each of the boards and commissions and shall have authority to sign any official notices and also to certify any resolution of the commissions or boards. The city council may appoint a person not a member of the commission or board to act as secretary of the commission or board. The secretary shall keep a record of all proceedings of said board or commission, its resolutions, its findings and actions, which records shall be a public record and kept with the city clerk in the City Hall building.
(Ord. 1778 N.S. § 2 (part), 2006)

2.22.040 Rules of procedure.

A. The chair shall preside at all meetings of the board or commission. The vice chair shall assume the duties of the chair in the absence of or in case of inability of the chair.

B. A majority of the members of the commission or board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

C. Unless otherwise specified herein, each board or commission may adopt its own rules and regulations for the transaction of its business. Such rules shall be subject to approval of the city council before becoming effective.
(Ord. 1778 N.S. § 2 (part), 2006)

2.22.050 Rules of attendance.

If any member is absent from three of any six consecutive regular board or commission meetings, unless such absence is with the permission of the chair, or vice chair in absence of the chair, expressed in the official minutes, the member's seat shall be deemed vacated. The city manager shall so notify the city council and the council shall take action to fill the seat within a reasonable period of time.
(Ord. 1778 N.S. § 2 (part), 2006)

2.22.060 Meetings.

Unless otherwise specified, the commission shall hold regular meetings once every two months at a designated time and place which shall be fixed and determined by the commission and entered upon in its minutes. Special meetings of the commission may be called at any time by the chair or by a majority of the members of the board upon notice being given to all members of the board and to all news media at least twenty-four hours in advance of the meetings, as required by the laws of the state of California. (Ord. 1778 N.S. § 2 (part), 2006)
(Ord. No. 1930 N.S., § 3, 4-22-2009)

2.22.070 Compensation.

Members of the boards and commissions shall serve without compensation but may receive reimbursement for actual and necessary expenditures made or incurred in the performance of their prescribed duties in accordance with state law and the Municipal Code and policies of the city of Morgan Hill.
(Ord. 1778 N.S. § 2 (part), 2006)

2.22.080 Effect.

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as restricting or curtailing any of the powers of the city council or city officers as defined by the laws of the state of California or by this Municipal Code. Except as otherwise set forth in Chapter 2.36, the city council declares that the public interest and convenience require the appointment of the boards and commissions established pursuant to Section 2.22.010 to act purely in an advisory capacity to the city council. (Ord. 1778 N.S. § 2 (part), 2006)

What would you like to accomplish as a commissioner?*
I would like to contribute to the arts - through its direct creation or its managing & promotion - and inspire others through art. I am looking for something with more permanence and legacy that could tell positive stories, educate and inform, and generally delight people for decades. My goals are to make a cultural and educational impact in Morgan Hill through art, history, engineering, science, and education. I am hoping that being on the Library, Culture, and Arts commission will be an introduction to those steps and goals.

What are the greatest opportunities facing the community in regards to this commission?* Creating art districts within areas of Morgan Hill where art is visible and connects people to parks, shops, and events. I see open spaces and areas, such as empty lots and building walls, where art could be integrated and displayed. I see the opportunity to engage and educate children and adults on local unique wildlife (animals, insects, fish, reptiles, etc) through ongoing art projects and themed art for wildlife awareness campaigns. I can visualize iconic art that could be painted, built, sculpted, or installed in Morgan Hill to engage with people and promote Morgan Hill (similar to what I have seen in Austin, TX, Philadelphia, PA, and Redding, CA). And I see the need to invest Morgan Hill's current art, sculpture, and installations through repair, repainting, and maintenance. The committee could also source donors and volunteers framed around specific art needs and events.

If you are an incumbent seeking reappointment:

Yes
No
Are you next in line to serve as Chair or Vice-Chair?
Yes
No
Are you currently serving on a committee
Yes
No
Are you assigned to a special project? If you are assigned to a special project, please describe the project.

Please review the City Council Ethics Policy
City Council Ethics Policy
Please type name to sign. By my signature, I agree to comply with all government regulations, should I be appointed to serve on a City of Morgan Hill Commission or Committee and confirm that I have read the attached Ethics Policy and that I do subscribe to this Policy; that I will apply it to the specific responsibilities s which I may be assigned; and that I will practice the core values set forth in this Policy in my public service for the City of Morgan Hill. Additionally, I commit to attend and participate in all Commission and Committee meetings to which I am appointed, unless excused by the Chair.* Mark Fiorenza
Date*
8/22/2024 04:30 PM
8/23/24, 8:34 AM morganhill.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/53867 https://www.morganhill.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/53867 3/3

1 August 21, 2024
Hello City of Morgan Hill!
My name is Mark Fiorenza. I am a long-time resident of Morgan Hill. I grew up here, starting at the age of 4 when my parents moved our family here to the Holiday Lakes area.

As a young kid and teenager, attended Live Oak High School (class of 1989) and I worked at the local coMee shop and the Granada Theater back in the day. I have lived in many parts of the United States and eventually moved back to Morgan Hill and into the Victorian home I purchased from my parents, Vincent and Marjorie Fiorenza. I would like to engage and contribute more to the community and arts of Morgan Hill. That is why I am applying to be on the commission for Library, Culture, and Arts committee. I will bring my knowledge and experience as an artist, builder, and designer to help, inform, plan, assist, organize, fundraise, and create art projects and engaging creative initiatives in Morgan Hill. I can see myself working in many capacities to promote and create art and I see being on the Library, Culture, and Arts committee as positive step in that direction.

I will include some photos of my artwork and some of the projects I have worked on in my career starting on page 2 of this letter. Please consider me as a positive, active, and contributing member of the Library, Culture, and Art committee of Morgan Hill. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at or my mobile number,
Sincerely,

Mark Fiorenza

2 Portrait of Claudine 12”x16”
Oil on board
Portrait of Vulcan 20”x20” – SOLD
Oil on board
Portrait of JeM Rassier 12”x16” – SOLD
Oil on canvas
Portrait of Jenny 12”x16” – SOLD
Oil on board

3 Building and molding the ‘Edgar Bug’ spaceship for Men In Black 1999 – ILM Modelshop Building and molding the ‘Edgar Bug’ spaceship for Men In Black 1999 – ILM Modelshop

4 Casting large scale fiberglass rocket for Cool Rockets custom rocket models & props Casting droid tank turret for Star Wars The Phantom Menace 1997 – ILM Modelshop

5 Construction, fabrication, and electrical wiring for Nunquam Dormio (Never Sleep) tea temple sign and installation at Burning Man 2005 -2009
Illuminated sign for Nunquam Dornio tea temple at Burning Man 2005 -2009

1 Mark Fiorenza
Morgan Hill, CA 95037 |
| linkedin.com/in/markfiorenza/

CAREER SUMMARY
UX Program Manager • Design Operations Lead • Creative Producer § UX Program Manager & Design Ops Lead with 15+ years’ experience owning outcomes and solving ambiguous problems. § Experience managing remote work streams and supporting teams and partners across multiple time zones. § A proactive manager, coach, and contributor. Able to operate independently, create transparency, make iterative improvements, who excels in delivering the right tools and resources – at the right time – with little or no direction. § Proven track record of building out design infrastructure and end-to-end plans to scale services and experience with multi-disciplinary teams (Design, Engineering, Business, R&D, and others) to launch successful projects and products. § Able to anticipate possible outcomes on projects and dependencies and then respond in a timely and impactful manner.

CORE COMPETENCIES
§ Design Operations
§ Program Management
§ Process Documentation
§ Team Management
§ Design Critiques & Reviews
§ Stakeholder Reviews
§ Streamlining Workflows
§ Design Systems and CMS
§ Vendor & Contract Management
§ Communications & Reporting
§ Resource Allocation
§ Airtable, Jira, Confluence, Trello
§ Figma, Adobe CS, Mural, Miro
§ HTML, CSS, Javascript
§ Agile methodologies

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Self Employed / Freelance / Consultant
Morgan Hill, CA / Remote March 2018 – Present
Design Manager and Creative Producer
Creative production, design, and project management for independent clients and contract design agencies (self-employed) Google
Mountain View, CA (100% remote role) December 2022 – August 2023 UX Design Operations Program Manager
Contract role through Synergis with Google. Hired on as UX Design Ops Manager as part of the Next Billion Users (NBU) team and then UX Payments & Operations supporting UX Design and UX Research global teams. Developed vertical and horizontal team project trackers and dashboards using internal Google tools that enabled accurate H1 & H2 planning. Improved reporting through alignment of operational strategy, data automation, team capacity, and allocation. Enabled teams to track incoming requests and focus on priority initiatives. Streamlined and managed UXR reporting tools and processes. • Saved 3 days per quarter. Created unified process workflows on global Payments teams using internal Google tools that reduced quarterly reporting time for leadership by 3 days (saving 12 days per year). • Automated processes for 25% faster prioritization. Implemented linked reporting sheets with shared data elements, reducing manual data entry, which improved transparency and allocation of resources across global initiatives. • 20% reduction in meeting time. Built custom project dashboards with visual timelines to meet team reporting needs that allowed managers to comment and review projects for direct reports without requiring weekly meeting. • Be a positive, proactive liaison. Connect the dots across UX, Engineering, and Product Management teams on project priorities and inter-dependencies. Lead design critiques that improved team cohesion and knowledge sharing.

2 Cision
Chicago, IL (100% remote role) May 2022 – December 2022 Product Design & Research Operations Program Manager
Contract role with TDA Creative with Cision. Hired on as Product Design Operations Manager within Cision’s Product Design & Research team in May of 2022. I built trust, consensus, and alignment across product designers, design researchers, and cross functional business partners.
• $17,000 saved in Q2 – Q4 through planning and streamlining operations. Took ownership of tools and software shared across Product Managers, Engineering, and Design teams to effectively reduce costs each quarter. • 60% improvement to UX Research. Removed silos. Established foundational tools, software, templates, forms, and processes. Efforts led to an improved and increased interview candidate pool, reporting, and impact of research. • 80% improved goal alignment and planning. Co-lead standardized and centralized Product Requirements Documentation across PM, Design, and Engineering. New protocol significantly improved clarity and collaboration. • 75% increase in new employee readiness with improved onboarding protocols and immediate access to tools, internal systems. Partnered with IT to re-build workflow, standardize software provisioning, remove bottlenecks, and clarified roles. Efficiencies gained with new services continued to improve through each iteration. • 40% increased design team engagement. Integrated new small steps of recognition, awareness, and collaboration on non-work projects. Provided an outlet for individual and team needs to be heard that reduced friction and built trust. • Align team capacity and availability with quarterly Product Increment (PI) Planning. Act as a strategic solutions provider, managing engineering, design, and research deliverables to align with sprints and business objectives.

Created P0, P1, P2, etc., prioritizations for design team projects as part of managing team backlogs. • Build project dashboards and manage UX Operations Confluence pages and JIRA boards. Created a central, accessible repository of best practices, tools, forms, and reporting templates that improved visibility and clarity. • Proactively engage and drive technical discussions between Design, Engineering, and Product Managers. • Build and manage new vendor partnerships, software licensing, tools, and opportunities.

Marvell Technology
Santa Clara, CA September 2019 – March 2022
Web Creative Director, Brand Experience and UX Ops
Full time role. Hired as Web Creative Director and responsible for Marvell’s identity and user experience across digital, web, social media, video, and animation. Responsibilities expanded in 2020 to also drive outcomes for Brand Experience and Operations where I supported worldwide teams and agencies for internal and external campaigns. • 27% increased engagement from effective design strategy. Managed end-to-end redesign of Marvell.com website with focus on user research that improved interaction, content, voice, and visual design. Designed new website from concept wireframes to coded product. Rebrand and redesign success won Marvell a gold Stevie Award® in 2020. • Saved $288,000 through optimized services. Through a 4-month process of user research, prototyping, design strategy, and collaboration, I re-launched our digital asset management (DAM) to over 6,000+ global users. Data collected in 2021 showed $24,000 per month saved from new time saving efficiencies & self-service templates. • Launched new web app contact form for Marvell.com that increased sales leads by 30% and reduced exit traffic from product pages by 60%. Simplified experience and design built on user research, journey maps, auditing, interviews, and heat map data and achieved month over month improved results and feedback. • Work with Product Owners to translate research and data into near term tactics to deliver measurable successes.

Effective and defined success metrics improved social media presence and impressions quarter over quarter. • Partner with and support groups (HR, IT, Product, M&A, Diversity & Inclusion) to launch program initiatives. • On-board new vendors and tools. Manage timelines and budgets for external agencies and outside vendors.

3 Charles Schwab
San Francisco, CA September 2018 – September 2019
UX Design Operations Program Lead and Communications Designer Contract role with PRO Unlimited (now Magnit) with Charles Schwab. I supported and tracked team needs, onboarding, and resources across design, research, content, and operations. My visual and presentation design skills also were instrumental in communicating best UX practices, influencing stakeholders, reporting, and evangelizing UX and UXR to business units. • Streamlined new hire orientation that onboarded employees 50% faster (from weeks to days). New process greatly improved efficiency and enabled new employees to begin training and working on Day 1 (as opposed to weeks). • Improved User Research methods and data collection. Utilized LucidChart and Confluence to translate real-time journey map findings into digital data, allowing for next day use of insights for business partners and UX teams. • Be a trusted partner, resource, and solutions provider. Remain positive, adaptive, and willing to help. • Manage UX Operations JIRA board. Act as liaison with design, research, engineering, and product teams. • Collaborate with SVPs, VPs, and Directors to create compelling narratives for C-suite presentations.

Polycom (now Poly/Hewlett Packard)
Santa Clara, CA April 2018 – September 2018
Visual Designer, Web & Marketing Operations
Contract role with Envision Technology Marketing Group (ETMG) with Polycom. Hired on as 3-month contract designer and was extended to 6 months for exceptional design, support, and creation of improved workflows and efficiencies for the inhouse marketing department. • 30% faster asset delivery. Developed new collateral web templates for B2B partners that improved production. • Implemented new shared server folder structure across teams that improved collaboration and consistency. • Design effective marketing campaign materials across events, digital, web, video, and print.

Charles Schwab
Austin, TX November 2014 – March 2018
Sr. Staff, Product Management and Design Operations
Full time role. Lead Form Designer and Technical Design Operations Manager. My direct contributions as an ADA subject matter expert defined standards for accessibility across Schwab’s apps and forms and improved usability for digital services. • 60% faster task completion. Streamlined workflows and centralized tools, guides, and templates that improved team performance by 60%. Allowed Forms Design team to take on additional projects without an increase in staffing. • Lead engagement activities and projects outside of work for our in-house Creative Center teams that improved collaboration, inclusion, and culture across teams. Ask me about Trail of Treats, Coffee Wednesdays, and TechShop. • Overhauled hiring and on-boarding process that improved candidate pool and new hire retention by 50%. • Co-developed standardized form field database in SQL that unified data across apps, web forms, and digital PDFs.

Enabled multiple new client applications and customer features that improved CSAT score by 15%.

EDUCATION
Product Management Immersion Course - General Assembly
Master of Art, Fine Art Drawing and Painting
Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA
Bachelors in Art - Conceptual Design w/Computer Applications San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA
Magna Cum Laude
Mark Fiorenza linkedin.com/in/markfiorenza/

What skills and/or experience do you possess that would be important to your role as a commissioner?* I bring a strong blend of skills and experience that align with the responsibilities of a commissioner on the LCAC. My career in nonprofit management, education, and community engagement has equipped me with the following key qualifications:

Leadership and Strategic Vision: As the founder and executive director of Envision Your Pathway (EYP), I have successfully led an organization focused on empowering youth through education. My experience in strategic planning, program development, and team leadership has honed my ability to set and achieve goals that align with an organization's mission. This skill will be invaluable in helping the Commission shape and advance its initiatives.

Fundraising and External Relations: My role as the Vice President of External Affairs at the San Jose Public Library Foundation involved leading fundraising campaigns, cultivating donor relationships, and securing critical funding to support library programs. This experience has given me a deep understanding of the importance of resource development and advocacy in sustaining and expanding library services, which will be crucial in supporting the Commission's work.

Community Engagement and Partnership Building: Throughout my career, I have been committed to building strong community partnerships that enhance educational opportunities and access to resources. At EYP, the Mayor's Office, and during my time with Reading Partners, I worked closely with schools, community organizations, and local government to create programs that address community needs. This ability to engage diverse stakeholders and foster collaboration will be essential in ensuring that the Commission's initiatives are inclusive and responsive to the community's needs.

Passion for Libraries and Literacy: My personal and professional experiences have instilled in me a deep passion for libraries and their role in promoting literacy and lifelong learning. Having grown up with a mother who has been a school librarian for nearly 30 years, I understand the transformative impact that libraries can have on individuals and communities. My work with literacy initiatives at Reading Partners further solidified my commitment to advancing educational equity through access to library resources.

Advocacy for Educational Equity: My work in both education and nonprofit sectors has been driven by a commitment to educational equity. I believe that libraries play a critical role in leveling the playing field for all community members by providing free access to knowledge, technology, and cultural resources. As a commissioner, I would advocate for initiatives that ensure our libraries are accessible, inclusive, and reflective of the diverse needs of our community.

These skills and experiences uniquely position me to contribute effectively as a commissioner, supporting the LCAC in its mission to enrich the cultural and educational fabric of Morgan Hill What do you understand the role of the commission to be and why would you like to serve on this commission?* The role of the LCAC is to act as a steward of the cultural and educational assets of Morgan Hill, particularly as they pertain to the city’s libraries and public arts.

Serving on this Commission represents an opportunity to contribute to the ongoing enrichment of our community through the promotion of literacy, lifelong learning, and cultural engagement. Libraries are more than just repositories of books; they are dynamic community hubs that provide essential resources, foster connections, and promote inclusivity. As someone who is passionate about the transformative power of libraries, I am eager to support initiatives that enhance their role in our community.

My desire to serve on the Commission is rooted in my deep commitment to educational equity and community development. I believe that by serving on the LCAC, I can help ensure that Morgan Hill’s libraries and public arts programs remain vibrant, accessible, and responsive to the evolving needs of our residents. I am particularly motivated by the opportunity to advocate for initiatives that promote literacy, support creative expression, and provide all community members with the tools they need to thrive.

In summary, I view the Commission as a vital platform for advancing the cultural and educational life of Morgan Hill, and I am eager to contribute my skills, experience, and passion to this important work. 8/16/24, 9:09 AM morganhill.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/53707 https://www.morganhill.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/53707 3/5

What would you like to accomplish as a commissioner?*
As a commissioner on the Library, Culture & Arts Commission, I would like to accomplish several key objectives that align with my commitment to education, community engagement, and cultural enrichment:

Enhance Access to Library Services: I aim to work towards expanding access to library resources for all members of the community, particularly underserved populations. This includes advocating for programs that address digital literacy, language barriers, and other challenges that may prevent individuals from fully utilizing library services.

Promote Literacy and Lifelong Learning: I am passionate about fostering a love of reading and learning across all age groups. I would like to support initiatives that promote early literacy, encourage youth engagement with libraries, and provide opportunities for adult education and lifelong learning. By doing so, we can help ensure that our libraries continue to be centers of knowledge and growth.

Strengthen Community Partnerships: One of my goals is to build stronger partnerships between the library, local schools, community organizations, and businesses. By creating collaborative programs and events, we can amplify the impact of the library and arts initiatives and create a more connected and engaged community.

Champion Public Art and Cultural Expression: I believe that public art plays a crucial role in reflecting the identity and diversity of our community. I would like to support the development of public art projects that celebrate Morgan Hill’s unique culture and heritage while also providing a platform for local artists to showcase their work.

Advocate for Sustainable Funding: Securing sustainable funding for library services and public art programs is essential for their continued success. I would work to identify and advocate for funding opportunities that ensure the long-term vitality of these programs, whether through grants, partnerships, or community-driven fundraising efforts.

Engage the Community in Shaping Library and Arts Programs: I believe in the importance of community input in shaping the programs and services offered by our libraries and public arts initiatives. I would like to initiate regular community engagement efforts, such as surveys and town hall meetings, to ensure that the Commission’s work is reflective of the community’s needs and aspirations.

In summary, my primary goal as a commissioner is to contribute to the enrichment of Morgan Hill by supporting library and arts programs that are inclusive, innovative, and reflective of our community’s diverse voices. I am committed to working collaboratively with fellow commissioners, city officials, and community members to achieve these objectives.

What are the greatest opportunities facing the community in regards to this commission?* I see several significant opportunities that can greatly benefit the Morgan Hill community:

Fostering Cultural Inclusion and Diversity: Morgan Hill is a diverse community with a rich cultural heritage. The Commission has the opportunity to celebrate this diversity by continue to promote public arts initiatives that reflect the varied backgrounds and experiences of our residents. Critical to this opportunity is the outreach and engagement of the community to ensure that residents and families KNOW about what the City is offering.

Strengthening Community Connections: Libraries and public art have the unique ability to bring people together. As mentioned above, opportunities and partnerships are more powerful and palpable when the information reaches parts of the community that have previously been unaware of the LCAC's work.

Supporting Economic Development through the Arts: Public art and cultural initiatives can contribute to the economic vitality of Morgan Hill by attracting visitors, boosting local businesses, and enhancing the city’s identity. The Commission has the opportunity to support projects that not only beautify public spaces but also stimulate economic growth and tourism.

If you are an incumbent seeking reappointment:
8/16/24, 9:09 AM morganhill.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/53707 https://www.morganhill.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/53707 4/5

Yes
No
Are you next in line to serve as Chair or Vice-Chair?
Yes
No
Are you currently serving on a committee
Yes
No
Are you assigned to a special project? If you are assigned to a special project, please describe the project.

Please review the City Council Ethics Policy
City Council Ethics Policy
Please type name to sign. By my signature, I agree to comply with all government regulations, should I be appointed to serve on a City of Morgan Hill Commission or Committee and confirm that I have read the attached Ethics Policy and that I do subscribe to this Policy; that I will apply it to the specific responsibilities s which I may be assigned; and that I will practice the core values set forth in this Policy in my public service for the City of Morgan Hill. Additionally, I commit to attend and participate in all Commission and Committee meetings to which I am appointed, unless excused by the Chair.* Kendra Fujino ODonoghue
Date*
8/16/2024 08:56 AM
8/16/24, 9:09 AM morganhill.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/53707 https://www.morganhill.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/53707 5/5

Kendra Fujino O’Donoghue
Morgan Hill, CA 95037
August 16, 2024
Library, Culture & Arts Commission
City of Morgan Hill
17575 Peak Avenue
Morgan Hill, CA 95037
Dear Members of the Library, Culture & Arts Commission, I am writing to express my strong interest in joining the Library, Culture & Arts Commission of Morgan Hill. As someone deeply committed to libraries, education, and community development, I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to contribute to the vital work of this Commission.

With over 15 years of experience in education and nonprofit management, I have dedicated my career to fostering educational opportunities and community engagement. I am the founder and executive director of Envision Your Pathway (EYP), a Silicon Valley-based organization that empowers youth to achieve their full potential through pathways of their own design. Our work at EYP aligns closely with the values and mission of public libraries, as we strive to create accessible pathways for lifelong learning and civic engagement.

Prior to founding EYP, I served as the Vice President of External Affairs at the San Jose Public Library Foundation. In this role, I had the privilege of leading initiatives that supported library programs, expanded community outreach, and secured critical funding to enhance library services. My work there deepened my understanding of the transformative power of libraries and solidified my commitment to ensuring that libraries remain vibrant and inclusive spaces for all.

In addition to my professional experience, I have a personal connection to libraries that has profoundly influenced my career. My mother has been a school librarian for nearly 30 years, instilling in me a lifelong passion for literacy and the role that libraries play in building strong, informed communities. This passion also led me to work with Reading Partners, a national literacy nonprofit, where I had the opportunity to advance literacy initiatives that empowered students to achieve academic success.

I believe that my background in nonprofit leadership, education, and community engagement uniquely positions me to contribute to the LCAC’s mission. I am eager to bring my experience,

passion, and dedication to this role, and I am confident that I can make a meaningful impact on the Commission’s efforts to enrich the cultural and educational life of Morgan Hill.

Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the possibility of contributing to the important work of the Library, Culture & Arts Commission and to the continued growth and vitality of our community's libraries.

Sincerely,
Kendra Fujino O’Donoghue

Kendra Fujino O’Donoghue
Workforce development is my love language.

Morgan Hill, CA 95037

EXPERIENCE
Envision Your Pathway, Morgan Hill, CA — Founder/Executive Director
July 2020 - PRESENT
EYP’s mission is to develop and empower young people with dynamic skills.

We've built a model that fosters self-determination, cooperative critical thinking, and humanitarianism through civic engagement. EYP serves between 120-140 youth annually.

San José Public Library Foundation, San José, CA —Vice
President of External Affairs
January 2022 - October 2023
Led all partner development efforts focused on institutional funders, primarily corporate philanthropy and foundation in support of Library initiatives and programs; developed opportunities for companies and organizations to partner with Library programs through outreach, community engagement, volunteerism.

Innovate Public Schools, San José, CA — Consultant/Vice President of Development
May 2021 - March 2022
Managed and led the reorganization of Development team; designed and implemented fundraising for Bay Area tutoring initiative City of San José, Mayor’s Office, San José, CA — Senior Policy Advisor, Chief Advancement and Impact Officer
December 2019 - June 2021
Supported Mayor Liccardo’s education and workforce initiatives, ensuring the impact and sustainability of each across the City of San José.

Juma Ventures, San José, CA — Site Director, San José Region April 2018 - December 2019
Chief fundraiser for San José region; Oversaw Juma San José’s operations, including partnership development, youth recruitment, and its social enterprises at Levi’s Stadium, SAP Center, and PayPal Stadium SKILLS
Relationship Ranger
Partnership Development
Fundraising
Partner Cultivation
Program Development
Education
University of the
Pacific, Stockton
—
2021
Certificate in Nonprofit
Management
Cal State University,
Long Beach —
2004-2008
BA, Broadcast
Journalism
Graduated Cum Laude
Kappa Tau ALpha
National Honor Society
Outstanding Broadcast
Graduate Award

What do you understand the role of the commission to be and why would you like to serve on this commission?* I see the role of the Library, Culture, and Arts Commission as a vital bridge between the community and the vibrant cultural and artistic life we aspire to foster in Morgan Hill. The Commission plays a crucial role in ensuring that our library facilities are not only adequate, but truly enriching community spaces that serve the needs of all residents. The Commission also plays a key role in bringing people together whether by collaborating with the Santa Clara County Library, consulting with community groups, or creating opportunities for local artists.

I am excited about the prospect of serving on this commission because it aligns with my deep connection to Morgan Hill and my desire to give back to the community that has shaped who I am. Through my work, I have developed the ability to tackle complex issues with a collaborative approach, ensuring that we bring together the right people and resources to create initiatives that benefit the community. I am committed to seeing our city thrive, and I believe that supporting the library, arts, and culture is essential to that vision. Serving on this commission would allow me to contribute meaningfully to a community that has been an integral part of my life.

What would you like to accomplish as a commissioner?*
As a commissioner, I would focus on several key areas for the library. The library already excels in hosting diverse events such as free summer lunches, dance classes, toddler programs, and book clubs. I would like to see additional classes that address crucial skills for youth, including financial literacy, coding, and mental wellness.

Financial literacy is a fundamental skill not always covered in schools, but is essential for lifelong success.

Introducing classes on this topic would help young people build a strong financial foundation.

Coding classes are another valuable addition. These classes not only teach programming skills, but also foster logical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, teamwork, and communication.

Furthermore, expanding mental wellness programs is important. While meditation classes are beneficial, I envision a broader range of classes on nutrition, sleep, and exercise for both youth and adults. Offering culturally sensitive training to caregivers could help them identify signs that youth may need mental wellness support.

What are the greatest opportunities facing the community in regards to this commission?* The city has an excellent opportunity to build on the momentum of downtown revitalization by integrating more cultural and artistic elements into this vibrant area. Downtown Morgan Hill has transformed remarkably since my childhood, and I’m excited by the restaurants, coffee shops, weekly farmers' market, and monthly Sidewalk Saturdays. The commission could spearhead projects that beautify public spaces and create new gathering areas, such as art installations, performance spaces, and community art projects. These initiatives would further establish downtown as a central hub for community engagement.

Regarding the library, there's an opportunity to enhance its role as a technology center. Many libraries across the U.S. have successfully evolved into key resources for digital equity and technological literacy. I would love to collaborate with other commissioners and community members to explore how our library can enhance its relevance and service, particularly in bridging the digital divide. For instance, I recently read an inspiring article about OT Park, a pediatric occupational therapy program in Morgan Hill using AI to support children with developmental disabilities. The article states that OT Park will be the only company in California offering this service to its patients, highlighting the potential for local innovation. I envision our library becoming a model for other public libraries by expanding its technology offerings. We can learn from successful examples in Santa Clara County and beyond to implement classes and technologies that will benefit our community.

If you are an incumbent seeking reappointment:
8/21/24, 10:36 AM morganhill.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/53752 https://www.morganhill.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/53752 3/4

Yes
No
Are you next in line to serve as Chair or Vice-Chair?
Yes
No
Are you currently serving on a committee
Yes
No
Are you assigned to a special project? If you are assigned to a special project, please describe the project.

Please review the City Council Ethics Policy
City Council Ethics Policy
Please type name to sign. By my signature, I agree to comply with all government regulations, should I be appointed to serve on a City of Morgan Hill Commission or Committee and confirm that I have read the attached Ethics Policy and that I do subscribe to this Policy; that I will apply it to the specific responsibilities s which I may be assigned; and that I will practice the core values set forth in this Policy in my public service for the City of Morgan Hill. Additionally, I commit to attend and participate in all Commission and Committee meetings to which I am appointed, unless excused by the Chair.* Nadia Suleman
Date*
8/18/2024 10:00 PM
8/21/24, 10:36 AM morganhill.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/53752 https://www.morganhill.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/53752 4/4

August 18, 2024
Dear Mayor Turner; Morgan Hill City Council; and Library, Culture, and Arts Commission Members:

I am writing to express my interest in the vacancy on the Library, Culture, and Arts Commission.

I moved to Morgan Hill when I was seven years old and fondly remember visiting the Morgan Hill public library multiple times per week, every week, with my grandfather. His love for reading, storytelling, drawing, and writing fostered my own passion for learning and the arts. Even after his passing, the library remained a cherished place where I could escape into different worlds. I am grateful to now share this love for our public library with my children.

After leaving Morgan Hill for college and law school, I lived in various Bay Area cities while deciding where to settle. When my husband and I started our family, we knew moving back to Morgan Hill to be close to my parents (who still reside here) was the best decision for us. I have a deep connection to this community and a strong passion for its cultural and artistic development.

While Morgan Hill has evolved in many wonderful ways, it has retained the strong sense of community I experienced growing up. I am eager to give back by contributing my professional skills and personal passion to the Library, Culture, and Arts Commission.

In my professional career, I have developed a strong ability to collaborate with diverse stakeholders and provide strategic guidance on complex regulatory and compliance matters.

These skills are directly transferable to the work of the Library, Culture, and Arts Commission, where thoughtful planning and community engagement are crucial. My experience in guiding cross-functional teams and my passion for fostering equitable access to resources will enable me to contribute effectively to the Commission’s efforts to enhance Morgan Hill’s cultural and artistic landscape.

I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to the Library, Culture, and Arts Commission and help shape the cultural landscape of Morgan Hill. Thank you for considering my application.

I look forward to the possibility of discussing how my background, skills, and passion align with the needs of the Commission.

Sincerely,
Nadia Suleman

NADIA N. SULEMAN
San Francisco Bay Area • •
Bar Admission: California, 2010 • https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadiagangani SUMMARY: Passionate about equitable access to affordable, quality healthcare. Strategic product counsel with extensive experience in guiding cross-functional teams through complex regulatory and transactional matters in technology and healthcare. Expertise in AI/ML, digital health, data privacy, and product marketing with a proven track record in managing global compliance and legal risks for innovative product platforms. Skilled at delivering actionable legal guidance that supports product development, drives business goals, and ensures regulatory compliance.

SKILLS: Digital Health | Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning (ML) | Data Privacy & Security | Ethics & Compliance | Clinical Trials | Healthcare Transactions | Fraud, Waste, & Abuse | Medical Device Regulation | Advertising & Marketing Laws | Clinical Decision Support Software | Telehealth & Remote Care

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Helix, San Mateo, CA (Hybrid) December 2023 – Present
Senior Regulatory & Product Counsel
Lead legal oversight for developing and deploying new technology platforms, including AI tools, ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements and mitigating legal risks.
● Spearhead the development of a comprehensive product launch review process, establishing criteria, tools, and assessments to ensure global regulatory compliance and effective review for all products, including AI-powered ones. ● Build and maintain close relationships with product teams, integrating legal risk management into product development and ensuring successful outcomes for new products.
● Monitor and analyze U.S. and global regulatory developments affecting AI, technology, and clinical platforms, presenting key findings and strategic insights to executive leadership and business teams. ● Provide strategic legal guidance on AI-related issues, including data privacy, security, and ethics, to cross-functional teams, proactively identifying and mitigating risks.

Hims & Hers, Remote, CA June 2023 – December 2023
Product Counsel
Counseled teams on regulatory compliance for marketing and advertising initiatives related to prescription generic and compounded drugs, including television ads, social media campaigns, product naming, and product packaging, ensuring alignment with global healthcare regulations.
● Appointed as legal team lead for all AI/ML initiatives, including MedMatch, technology designed to predict diagnoses and appropriate treatment to help providers make more informed and clinically appropriate decisions. Developed and executed legal strategies for AI/ML initiatives to address regulatory risks and ensure compliance with relevant regulations. ● Provided critical legal guidance on user experience research proposals, focusing on user consent and privacy issues. ● Advised cross-functional teams on legal requirements for substantiating claims in advertising and promotional materials for prescription compounded drugs.
● Launched Hims & Hers’ first television spot in the UK, navigating UK advertising regulations.

Google, Mountain View, CA July 2021 – March 2023
Product Counsel
Collaborated with cross-functional teams to provide forward-thinking guidance on clinical trials and Fitbit features, balancing business needs with legal risks related to sensitive health information. ● Served as the primary legal advisor for the development and deployment of Fitbit mobile app and wearable features, including oxygen saturation, blood glucose, and a health metrics dashboard. Provided comprehensive legal support to ensure compliance with global regulatory commitments and facilitated the international expansion of these features. ● Led the legal review and drafting of critical documents, including informed consent forms, privacy policies, and terms of service for new health features, ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements. ● Introduced process improvements within the legal team by developing scalable tools for workflow management and creating a dashboard to streamline tracking and visibility of high-priority legal reviews, increasing operational efficiency by 80%.

Verily Life Sciences, South San Francisco, CA August 2018 – July 2021 Associate Product Counsel
Advised business leadership on data privacy, regulation of medical devices, and compliance with fraud, waste, and abuse laws for a diverse portfolio of technology-enabled health care products and medical devices. ● Served as primary counsel for various health-related products, including a virtual care model for chronic condition management (Onduo), a sleep care platform (Primasun), and a smart baby monitor system (Lumi by Pampers). Provided legal guidance on all aspects of these products, from development through commercialization.

● Led the legal review and support for Onduo, ensuring compliance with applicable regulations for medication integration, hypertension management, mental health services, and language offerings. ● Guided the development and launch of Primasun, advising on clinical trials, clinical pathways, and commercial strategy to ensure regulatory compliance and successful market entry.
● Advised on the hiring of the first physician to practice medicine as a Verily employee, navigating compliance with fraud, waste, and abuse laws, as well as the corporate practice of medicine doctrine. ● Managed the legal aspects of Verily’s first homegrown consumer product, Lumi by Pampers, including internal testing and successful partner hand-off, ensuring compliance with relevant health and safety regulations.

Sutter Health, Emeryville, CA May 2013 – August 2018
Counsel
Provided legal counsel on healthcare fraud, waste, and abuse laws, supporting senior hospital executives on compliance and risk management for physician compensation, duties, and quality initiatives. ● Appointed to lead legal efforts on a complex physician matter involving data privacy, health ethics, and compliance based on problem-solving and crisis management skills.
● Partnered with the compliance team on audits, investigations, and regulatory matters, ensuring adherence to fraud, waste, and abuse laws. Provided actionable insights to improve hospital compliance strategies. ● Collaborated with the strategy team and senior hospital executives to create new hospital service lines, offering legal advice on licensure, credentialing, and regulatory requirements to support successful implementation.

Verity Health System, Los Altos Hills, CA
First lawyer hired by the General Counsel. Drafted and negotiated physician agreements, prepared Board memoranda, and provided guidance regarding HIPAA compliance obligations.

Counsel February 2011 – May 2013
● Drafted and negotiated physician agreements, including call coverage agreements, medical directorships and physician recruitments.
● Trained hospital contract personnel in the legal review process for contracts and the most effective way to use in-house legal resources.
● Reviewed clinical trial agreements for compliance with FDA regulations and informed consent requirements. ● Negotiated non-physician clinical staff agreements, services agreements, and business associate agreements.

Law Clerk August 2010 – February 2011
● Reviewed physician contracts for compliance with Stark and Anti-Kickback regulations. ● Drafted system-wide policies, such as advertising/marketing and external communications.

VOLUNTEERING
Co-Chair - Early Childhood Education (PSA Board), Oakwood School August 2024 - Present Mentor, The Peninsula College Fund June 2022 - Present
Mentor, Tech Edge JD, Santa Clara University School of Law August 2023 - Present

EDUCATION
Santa Clara University School of Law, Santa Clara, CA
Juris Doctor May 2010
● President, Health Care Law Society (August 2009 - May 2010) ● Public Interest & Social Justice Law Certificate with Emphasis in Health Law ● Comments Editor, Computer & High Technology Law Journal, Volume 26 University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
Bachelor of Science, Neurobiology, Physiology, & the Study of Behavior; Minor: Women & Gender Studies June 2006

2 CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
MEETING DATE: September 4, 2024
PREPARED BY:

Jennifer Ponce, OES Coordinator
APPROVED BY: City Manager

ADOPT RESOLUTION ACCEPTING THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY

MULTIJURISDICTIONAL LOCAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN UPDATE

INCLUDING THE CITY OF MORGAN HILL'S ANNEX

RECOMMENDATION(S)
Adopt resolution accepting the Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update including the City of Morgan Hill’s Annex.

COUNCIL PRIORITIES, GOALS & STRATEGIES
City Council Ongoing Priorities
Enhancing Public Safety
Preserving and Cultivating Public Trust
2024-2025 Strategic Priorities
Fiscal Sustainability
Guiding Documents
Morgan Hill 2035 General Plan
REPORT NARRATIVE:

The City participates with other public agencies in planning for and coordinating cooperative interagency responses to natural disasters. The Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) describes the disasters likely to affect the City. The document compiles and summarizes the capabilities for implementing hazard mitigation actions designed to reduce future damage from natural hazards. The City must have, or be a part of, a LHMP in order to be eligible for mitigation funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), according to FEMA guidelines. Following the adoption of this updated annex, the annex and adoption resolution will be submitted to FEMA for final approval.

It’s important to note that the updates to the LHMP were made at a point in time a couple of years ago, and since then, the City has made significant progress in completing several of the action items.

2 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:

Inform
This staff report informs the Community of the update to the Plan.

ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS:

If this updated plan is not approved, the City of Morgan Hill will not be eligible for mitigation funding from FEMA.

PRIOR CITY COUNCIL AND COMMISSION ACTIONS:

The LHMP was last adopted by the City Council on October 4, 2017.

FISCAL AND RESOURCE IMPACT:

None
CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act):

Not a project.

Santa Clara County has sought exemption from CEQA for the Hazard Mitigation Plan based on four different sections of the CEQA Guidelines:
-Section 15183(d): “The project is consistent with…a general plan of a local agency, and an EIR was certified by the lead agency for the...general plan.” -Section 15262: “A project involving only feasibility or planning studies for possible future actions which the agency, board or commission has not approved, adopted, or funded does not require the preparation of an EIR or negative declaration but does require consideration of environmental factors. This section does not apply to the adoption of a plan that will have a legally binding effect on later activities.” -Section 15306: “(Categorical Exemption) Class 6 consists of basic data collection, research, experimental management, and resource evaluation activities which do not result in a serious or major disturbance to an environmental resource. These may be strictly for information gathering purposes, or as part of a study leading to an action which a public agency has not yet approved, adopted, or funded.” -Section 15601(b)(3): “...CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA.”

SANTA CLARA COUNTY

MULTIJURISDICTIONAL

HAZARD MITIGATION
PLAN
Volume 1: Base Plan
2023
Office of Emergency Management
County of Santa Clara
55 W. Younger Ave., San Jose, CA

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan This work was sponsored by the Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management.

The research was conducted by IEM, incorporating data provided by Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management.

IEM is a global consulting house for safety, security, strategic performance, and sustainability. We combine objective, scientific analysis with a broad spectrum of experience to provide practical, effective solutions for public and private sectors. IEM’s publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.
is a registered trademark.
© Copyright 2023 IEM
IEM documents are protected under copyright law.
http://www.iem.com
(800) 977-8191

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Acknowledgements i
Acknowledgements
County of Santa Clara Core Planning Team
 Dr. Parastou Najaf, Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management, Senior Emergency Manager – Mitigation/Recovery
 Magdalena Sta Maria, Santa Clara County Office of Sustainability, Sustainability Analyst  Samuel Gutierrez, Santa Clara County Department of Planning and Development, Principal Planner
Planning Partners
 Michael Alvarez, County of Santa Clara, Principal Development Services Engineer/ Floodplain Administrator
 Dan Livingston, City of Campbell, Captain of Support Services Division, Police Department  Ron Taormina, City of Campbell, Acting Superintendent  Bob Lennen, City of Campbell, Building Official
 Meredith Albert, City of Cupertino, Emergency Management Analyst  Thomas Chin, City of Cupertino, Emergency Manager
 Andre Duurvoort, City of Cupertino, Sustainability Manager  Susan Michael, City of Cupertino, Capital Improvement Program Manager  Jimmy Tan, City of Cupertino, Assistant Director of Public Works  Chad Mosley, City of Cupertino, Acting Director of Public Works  Jennifer Chu, City of Cupertino, Senior Civil Engineer/City of Public Works  Esther Kwon, City of Cupertino, Public Information Officer  Andrew Young, City of Gilroy, Emergency Services and Volunteer Coordinator  Sharon Goei, City of Gilroy, Community Development Director  Daryl Jordan, City of Gilroy, Public Works Director/Floodplain Administrator  Kathryn Krauss, City of Los Altos, Captain of Operations, Police Department  Vency Woo, City of Los Altos, Management Analyst
 Irene Silipin, City of Los Altos, HR Manager
 Marisa Lee, City of Los Altos, Transportation Services Manager  Veronica Tinoco, City of Los Altos, Building Official  Stephanie Williams, City of Los Altos, Planning Services Manager/ Floodplain Manager  Franklin Wong, City of Los Altos, Public Works. CIP Manager

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Acknowledgements ii
 Vivian Chu, City of Los Altos, Finance Manager
 Manny Hernandez, City of Los Altos, Parks and Rec Director  Jon Maginot, City of Los Altos, Assistant City Manager  Angela Averiett, City of Los Altos, Police Chief
 June DU, City of Los Altos, Finance Director
 Sonia Lee, City of Los Altos, Public Information Officer  Nick Zorner, City of Los Altos, Development Services Director  Brian Glass, City of Los Altos, Assistant Fire Chief
 Ann Hepenstal, Town of Los Altos Hills, Emergency Management Consultant  Woojae Kim, Town of Los Altos Hills, Public Works Director/ Floodplain Administrator  John Chau, Town of Los Altos Hills, Associate Engineer  Elaine Ling, Town of Los Altos Hills, Senior Planner
 Jeremy Loh, Town of Los Altos Hills, Associate Planner  Jonathan Fox, Town of Los Altos Hills, Assistant Planner  Gerry Igtanloc, Town of Los Altos Hills, Building Technician  Cody Einfalt, Town of Los Altos Hills, Management Analyst II/ Interim Assistant to the City Manager
 Nicolle Burnham, Town of Los Gatos, Director of Parks and Public Works  Holly Young, Town of Los Gatos, Senior Analyst
 Toni-Lynn Charlop, City of Milpitas, Office of Emergency Management Coordinator  Elaine Marshal, City of Milpitas, Deputy Director, Public Works  Jay Lee, City of Milpitas, Principal Planner
 Bill Tott, City of Milpitas, Building Official
 Arthur Belton, City of Milpitas, Fire Marshal
 Michael Silveira, City of Milpitas, CIP Manger
 Samantha Vergara, City of Milpitas, Special Projects/Drought & Climate Change  Brian Petrovic, City of Milpitas, Floodplain Administrator  Jennifer Ponce, City of Morgan Hill, Emergency Services Coordinator  Hilary Holeman, City of Morgan Hill, Administrative Analyst  Scott Creer, City of Morgan Hill, Floodplain Administrator  Robert Maitland, City of Mountain View, Fire Department Public Information Officer, Office of Emergency Services Coordinator
 Eric Anderson, City of Mountain View, Advanced Planning Manager  Nena Bizjak, City of Mountain View, Chief Building Official  Renee Gunn, City of Mountain View, Associate Civil Engineer/ Floodplain Administrator

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Acknowledgements iii
 Ken Dueker, City of Palo Alto, Office of Emergency Services, Chief  Nathan Rainey, City of Palo Alto, Office of Emergency Services Coordinator  Karin North, City of Palo Alto, Assistant Director of Public Works, Environmental Services  Holly Boyd, City of Palo Alto, Assistant Director of Public Works, Engineering  Rajeev Hada, City of Palo Alto, Floodplain Administrator  Chitra Moitra, City of Palo Alto, Planner
 Christine Luong Manager, City of Palo Alto, Environmental Control Program – Sustainability  Ray Riordan, City of San Jose, Director of Emergency Management  Jay McAmis, City of San José, Deputy Director of Emergency Management  Mariana Chavez-Vazquez, City of San Jose, Assistant Director of Environmental Services Department
 Rajani Nair, City of San Jose, Deputy Director of Environmental Services Department  Jennifer Brown, City of San Jose, Division Manager of Environment Services Department  Jennie Loft, City of San Jose, Public Information Manager of Environmental Services Department  Kat Estrada, City of San Jose, Program Manager of Environmental Services Department  Sean Monlux, City of San Jose, Analyst II
 Kendra Yarn, City of San Jose, Program Manager/ Parks Recreation & Neighborhood Services  Torie O’Reilly, City of San Jose, Division Manager/Parks  Olympia Williams, City of San Jose, Division Manager/ Beautify  Sara Sellers, City of San Jose, Acting Deputy Director  Paul Lim, City of San Jose, Emergency Response program Manager  Steve Choy, City of San Jose, Acting Division Manager/ Division Manager Capital Improvement Project Program Manager
 Samuel Young, City of San Jose, Division Manager Development Services  Norman Mascarinas, City of San Jose, principal Engineer Transportation and Hydraulics Services  Sanhita Ghosal, City of San Jose, Planner IV/Supervising Planner/ Floodplain Administrator  Jennifer Guzman, City of Santa Clara, Emergency Management Analyst  Gary Welling, City of Santa Clara, Director of Water and Sewer Services  Shilpa Mehta, City of Santa Clara, Assistant Director of Water and Sewer Utilities  Craig Mobeck, City of Santa Clara, Director of Public Works  Michael Liw, City of Santa Clara, Assistant Director of Public Works  Falguni Armin, City of Santa Clara, Principal Engineer  Manuel Pineda, City of Santa Clara, Chief Electric Utility Officer  Kevin Kolnowski, City of Santa Clara, Electric Utility Chief Operating Officer  Andrew Crabtree, City of Santa Clara, Director of Community Development/ Floodplain Manager

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Acknowledgements iv
 John Davidson, City of Santa Clara, Principal Planner  Armand Lobao, City of Santa Clara, Building Official
 Ruben Torres, City of Santa Clara, Fire Chief
 John Madden, City of Santa Clara, Deputy Fire Chief
 Jeremy Ray, City of Santa Clara, Deputy Fire Chief
 Dennis Yee, City of Santa Clara, Fire Captain
 Wahid Kazem, City of Santa Clara, Assistant Police Chief  Cuong Phan, City of Santa Clara, Police Lieutenant
 Michelle Templeton, City of Santa Clara, Sustainability Manager  David Knight, City of Santa Clara, Communication Management Analyst  Aaron Yuma, City of Saratoga, Building Official
 Neil Valenzuela, City of Saratoga, West Valley Patrol Commander  David Dorcich, City of Saratoga, Associate Civil Engineer. Floodplain Administrator  Jason Falarski, City of Saratoga, Deputy Chief
 Thomas Scott, City of Saratoga, Facilities Manager
 Crystal Bothelio, City of Saratoga, Assistant City Manager  Trudi Ryan, City of Sunnyvale, Director, Community Development  Ramana Chinnakotla, City of Sunnyvale, Director, Environmental Services  Sean Smith, City of Sunnyvale, Street Operations Manager  Mary Jeyaprakask, City of Sunnyvale, Senior Planner
 Suzanne Park, City of Sunnyvale, Chief Building Official  Daniel Moskowitz, City of Sunnyvale, Lieutenant, Office of Emergency Services, Department of Public Safety
 Louay Toma, Santa Clara County Fire Department, Senior Program Specialist  Dennis Lollie, Santa Clara County Fire Department, Deputy Chief  Juan Ledesma, Santa Clara Valley Water District, Program Administrator Supervisor, Office of Emergency Services
 Andres Acevedo, Santa Clara Valley Water District, Senior Management Analyst  Jack XU, Santa Clara Valley Water District, Senior Engineer/ Hydra, Hydro & Geo  Liang XU, Santa Clara Valley Water District, Hydro, Hydra & Geomorph Manager  Jay Lee, Santa Clara Valley Water District, Watershed Field Ops Manager  Devin Mody, Santa Clara Valley Water District, Ops & Maintenance Engineer Support Manager  Greg Meamber, Santa Clara Valley Water District, Senior Engineer/ Operations & Maintenance  Nina Merrill, Santa Clara Valley Water District, Senior Water Resources Specialist  Steven Wu, Santa Clara Valley Water District, Senior Engineer/ Geotechnical

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Acknowledgements v
 Brandon Stewart, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, Lands and Facilities Department Manager
 Korrine Skinner, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, Public Affairs Manager  Matt Anderson, MidPeninsula Regional Open Space District, Chief Ranger and Visitor Services Manager
 Hillary Stevenson, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, General Counsel  Jane Mark, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, Planning Manager  Jason Lin, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, Engineering and Construction Manager  Deborah Hirst, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, Grants Program Manager  Brad Bartholomew, IEM, Project Manager
 Jessica Mason, IEM, Leader Planner
 Kate Smith, IEM, GIS/Hazus Specialist
 Carron Day, IEM, Planner
 Casey Garnett, IEM, Planner
 Krystian Murray, IEM, Planner
 Alayna Payne, IEM, Planner
 Sabrina Lunsford, IEM, Planner

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Acronyms vi
Acronyms
AB Assembly Bill
ABAG Association of Bay Area Governments
ADA Americans with Disabilities Act
AELR Annualized Earthquake Loss Ratio
AFN Access and Functional Needs
APA Approvable-Pending-Adoption
APG California Climate Adaptation Planning Guide
ARES Amateur Radio Emergency Service
BAWSCA Bay Area Water Supply Conservation Agency
BRIC Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities
CAL FIRE California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Cal OES California Office of Emergency Services
CALGreen California Green Building Standards Code
Caltrans California Department of Transportation
CARAS Community Agency for Resources, Advocacy, and Services CCR California Code of Regulations
CDBG-DR Urban Development Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery CDBG-MIT Community Development Block Grant Mitigation
CDC U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CEQ Council on Environmental Quality
CEQA California Environmental Quality Act
CERCLA California Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act CERT Community Emergency Response Team
CFR Code of Federal Regulations
CGS California Geological Survey
C-MIST Communication, Maintaining Health, Independence, Safety, Support Services, and SelfDetermination, and Transportation COOP Continuity of Operations Plan
COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease of 2019
CPAD California Protected Area Database
CPUC California Public Utilities Commission
CRS Community Rating System
CSZ Cascadia Subduction Zone
CWA Clean Water Act
CWPP Community Wildfire Protection Plan
CWSRF Clean Water State Revolving Fund
CZM Coastal Zone Management
DFIRM Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map
DHS U.S. Department of Homeland Security
DMA Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000
DR Disaster Declaration
DSOD Division of Dam Safety

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Acronyms vii
DSOD Division of Safety of Dams
DWR Department of Water Resources
DWR Department of Water Resources
EAP Emergency Action Plan
EBB Earthquake Brace + Bolt Program
EIR Environmental Impact Report
EM Emergency Declaration
EMAP Emergency Management Accreditation Program
EOC Emergency Operations Center
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
ESA Endangered Species Act
FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency
FERC Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
FHSZ Fire Hazard Severity Zones
FIRM Flood Insurance Rate Map
FIS Flood Insurance Study
FMA Flood Mitigation Assistance
FMAG Fire Mitigation Assistance Grants
FRMP Flood Risk Management Program
GIS Geographic Information Systems
HHPD High Hazard Potential Dam
HMGP Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
HMGP-PF Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Post Fire
HMP Hazard Mitigation Plan
HUD U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Hwy Highway
IBC International Building Code
ICARP Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program IED Improvised Explosive Device
IEM Innovative Emergency Management
IID Improved Incendiary Device
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IT Information Technology
JTTF Joint Terrorism Task Force
LEWS Landslide Early Warning Systems
LOMA Letter of Map Amendment
LOMR Letters of Map Revision
MJHMP Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan
MMI Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale
NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NBS Nature Based Solutions
NCRIC Northern California Regional Intelligence Center
NEHRP National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program
NEPA National Environmental Policy Act
NFIP National Flood Insurance Program
NGO Non-Governmental Organization
NHD Natural Hazard Disclosure
NID National Inventory of Dams

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Acronyms viii
NIMS National Incident Management System
NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NPDES National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
NRCS Natural Resources Conversation Services
NSI National Structure Inventory
NTHMP National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program
NWS National Weather Service
OA Operational Area
OEM Office of Emergency Management
PAL Provisionally Accredited Levee
PCA Project Cooperation Agreement
PDM Pre-Disaster Hazard Mitigation
PG&E Pacific Gas and Electric
PGA Peak Ground Acceleration
PHMSA Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration PTSD Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Risk MAP Risk Mapping, Assessment and Planning
SAFRR Science Application for Risk Reduction
SAR Suspicious Activity Report
SCCFD Santa Clara County Fire Department
SCCOEM Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management SCVWD Santa Clara Valley Water District
SEMS Standardized Emergency Management System
SFHA Special Flood Hazard Area
SHMO State Hazard Mitigation Officer
SHMP State Hazard Mitigation Plan
SR State Route
SRA State Responsibility Area
STORM Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation SVACA Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority
TRI Toxic Release Inventory
USACE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDM U.S. Drought Monitor
USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
USGS U.S. Geological Survey
VHF Viral Hemorrhagic Fever
VTA Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
WHO World Health Organization
WNV West Nile Virus
WUI Wildland Urban Interface
WVFPO Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations Program

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Executive Summary ix
Executive Summary
Hazard Mitigation Planning Background
Hazard mitigation involves the use of long-term and short-term policies, programs, projects, and other activities to alleviate the death, injury, and property damage that can result from a disaster. Santa Clara County and a partnership of local governments and special districts within the county have developed a multijurisdictional hazard mitigation plan to reduce risks from natural disasters in the Santa Clara County Operational Area (OA)—defined as the unincorporated county and incorporated jurisdictions within the geographical boundaries of the county. The plan reaffirms the planning partners commitment to implementing cost-effective, environmentally sound, technically feasible mitigation actions. It also complies with federal and state hazard mitigation planning requirements to establish eligibility for funding under Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant programs.

The whole community of the Santa Clara County OA—including individual and families, businesses, community and nonprofit organizations, schools and academia, and all levels of government—is the ultimate beneficiary of this MJHMP. Implementing the plan will reduce risk for those who live in, work in, and visit the OA. The plan provides a viable planning framework for natural hazards of concern for the area. Participation in development of the plan by key stakeholders helped ensure outcomes will be mutually beneficial. The resources and background information in the plan are applicable across the OA, and the plan’s goals and recommendations can lay the groundwork for the development and implementation of local mitigation activities and partnerships for years to come.

History of Regional Planning Efforts for Hazard Mitigation The Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) provides communities in the San Francisco Bay area with planning and research resources related to land use, housing, environmental and water resource protection, disaster resilience, energy efficiency, hazardous waste mitigation, risk management and financial services. In 2004, ABAG led a regional effort to address hazard mitigation planning for Bay Area jurisdictions. ABAG’s regional template was used by numerous counties and cities to meet federal hazard mitigation planning requirements. The ABAG process enabled individual planning processes to meet local government needs, while pooling resources and eliminating redundant planning efforts.

In 2010, ABAG conducted its second regional planning effort. Municipalities that used the 2010 updated ABAG tools to meet federal hazard mitigation planning requirements included the County of Santa Clara and the cities of Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Palo Alto, San José, Santa Clara, Saratoga, and Sunnyvale. ABAG discontinued its full support of the regional planning concept in 2015, so jurisdictions that were covered under the regional plan must initiate individual or reformed multijurisdictional planning efforts to continue to comply with federal mitigation planning requirements.

In 2016, Santa Clara County, the Santa Clara County Fire Department, and all incorporated cities in Santa Clara County teamed together to prepare an updated Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan tailored to the local needs and capabilities of the Santa Clara County Operational Area. The planning partnership developed a new plan from scratch, using lessons learned from the earlier ABAG planning efforts. Compared to previous planning efforts, the plan focused on more localized concerns, newly available data and tools to enhance the risk assessment, considering FEMA’s Community Rating System (CRS) for flood insurance, and identifying cost-effective actions.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Executive Summary x
The 2023 Santa Clara County Operational Area Planning Effort In 2022, Santa Clara County reconvened the planning team and a consultant was hired to support the planning process. This allowed participants to focus on ongoing hazard events including multiple atmospheric rivers and a winter storm while ensuring that mitigation planning effort continued moving forward. Additional ways the 2023 plan differs from previous plans includes:
 The risk assessment includes further considerations of emerging hazards, like the impact of wildfire smoke, which have recently threatened the OA.
 A concentrated effort to ensure plan integration between the County Community Wildfire Protection Plan and County Safety Element of the County General Plan updates as well as other approved plans.
 The incorporation of the additional special district planning partners of Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, Santa Clara County Fire Department, and Santa Clara Valley Water District, which are involved in hazard mitigation in the OA.
 The plan was developed in accordance with EMAP standards.  The risk assessment has been formatted to provide information on risk and vulnerability that will allow a measurement of cost-effectiveness.
 Mitigation goals and objectives and criteria for mitigation action item prioritization have been updated to include climate change, resiliency, and benefits to populations that are underserved and/or socially vulnerable.
 The update gave the planning partners an opportunity to engage residents, particularly those who are underserved and/or socially vulnerable and gauge their perception of risk and support for risk reduction through mitigation.
 The update also gave planning partners an opportunity to engage community stakeholders, particularly those that assist underserved and/or socially vulnerable and gauge their perception of risk and support for risk reduction through mitigation.  Climate change has been added as a hazard for the planning area.  Each planning partner has a minimum of one mitigation action per a hazard that can impact them.  Expanded information about planning partner participation and compliance in the National Flood Insurance Program.

Plan Development Approach
Phase 1: Schedule of Work
A Core Planning Team consisting of staff from the Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management, Office of Sustainability, and Department of Planning and Development, and a contract consultant, Innovative Emergency Management (IEM), was assembled to facilitate the update of this plan.

This team then formed a planning partnership with local governments, special districts, and other County departments within the OA. Planning partners were also requested to identify additional stakeholders, both internal and external to their community or organization, were invited to participate in the planning process. Some of types of stakeholders identified by partners included representatives from academia, nonprofits, businesses, and other agencies involved in Hazard Mitigation like the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). The Core Planning Team oversaw the plan update, compliance with FEMA hazard mitigation planning guidelines, and the plan update schedule. Stakeholders were frequently engaged through meetings, one-on-one calls, and emails including meeting notes to ensure they understood their role in the plan update.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Executive Summary xi
The plan schedule was updated to reflect the needs of the stakeholders and committing priorities as multiple disaster events occurred during the update process. This phase also included a review of the existing MJHMP, the current and draft California statewide hazard mitigation plan, and other existing programs and resources that support hazard mitigation actions in the OA.

Phase 2: Determine the Planning Area and Resources
The scale of the plan can determine the level of detail that may be included. In this case, the County lead a county-wide planning effort. Planning partners were provided the space to input even more localized data in their sections of the plan as well. New and updated resources and data sources were identified throughout the planning process. FEMA’s Hazus tool for natural hazard analysis was utilized where possible to assess risk and estimated building damage impacts.

Phase 3: Build the Planning Team
The Core Planning Team invited stakeholders to participate in a series of planning meetings on each of the components of the planning process. After each meeting, planning partners had the opportunity to add their input through forms such as Capability Assessment, Risk Assessment and Mitigation Project Worksheet. The planning team update was additionally supported by input from the public. This input was garnered through several collaborative public meetings, a digital survey, and the utilization of social media and a project website.

Phase 4: Create an Outreach Strategy
The opportunity for public participation is an important step of the hazard mitigation planning process. For this plan update, the Core Planning Team developed and implemented a whole community, multi-lingual, in-person, and virtual approach to public outreach. Since the County was already working on updating the County’s Safety Element, which includes different but similar hazard risk and disaster response and recovery considerations, the two planning teams collaborated to share information on this Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP). Two in-person listening sessions were held and one virtual town hall meeting was held to inform the public about the Safety Element and MJHMP update and to garner feedback about hazards of concern and levels of preparedness in the community.

The Santa Clara County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) was also being updated simultaneously with the MJHMP, and the two project teams collaborated to share information. Four inperson meetings were held to share information about the CWPP and MJHMP and solicit feedback from the public about the plans.

The County and planning partners also requested public participation through a digital survey posted on the Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management’s website available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Tagalog. This survey received almost 600 responses. Finally, the public was provided the opportunity to review and provide input on the draft MJHMP.

Phase 5: Review Community Capabilities
A thorough understanding of community capabilities can help decision makers identify feasible hazard mitigation actions. The planning team evaluated each jurisdiction’s existing authorities, policies, programs, and resources including staff and funding resources. Applicable opportunities to expand upon on and improve these policies and programs were identified in the Mitigation Strategy. The main point of contact for each planning partner successfully engaged and utilized their planning teams as subject matter experts and planning support throughout the MJHMP process.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Executive Summary xii
Phase 6: Risk Assessment
Risk assessment is the process of measuring the potential loss of life resulting from natural hazards, as well as personal injury, economic injury, and property damage, in order to determine the vulnerability of people, buildings, and infrastructure to natural hazards. The risk assessment provides the scientific basis for mitigation actions. It begins with hazard identification and profiling. Each hazard that may impact the planning area was profiled utilizing the best available data from local, state, and federal resources including other plans, studies, and databases. Each hazard profile includes risk information such as the location, extent, previous occurrences, future probability of each hazard, and estimated cost of potential damage. Furthermore, a vulnerability assessment was incorporated into each profile to show the expected impacts on people, buildings, critical infrastructure, and future development. The role of climate change and potential cascading impacts is also described.

As part of a comprehensive risk assessment, planning partners used a hazard risk index to evaluate the probability of occurrence, potential life impact, property impact, percentage of planning area impacted, and extent for each applicable hazard. The overall hazard risk index results based on an average of partner indices is shown in Table 1. These results show which hazards pose the highest overall risk to the Operational Area.

Table 1: Average Overall Hazard Risk Index Results
Hazard Risk Order Hazard Average Overall Hazard Risk
Index Result
1 Earthquake 2.13
2 Wildfire, wildfire smoke, and air quality 1.71
3 Heavy precipitation, heavy winds,
extreme temperatures

1.45 4 Drought 1.25
5 Climate change, including sea-level rise 1.19
6 Dam and levee failure .83
7 Flood .79
8 Landslide and mass movement .41
9 Tsunami .03
Based on the average overall hazard risk index results from planning partner risk indices:
 The earthquake hazard has the highest risk results, followed by wildfire/smoke/air quality.  The inclement weather, drought, climate change hazards were a moderate risk to the Operational Area.
 The dam failure, flood, and landslide/mass movement hazards were a lower risk to the Operational Area.
 The tsunami hazard poses the lowest risk to the Operational Area, as not all planning partners can be impacted by this hazard due to geographic location.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Executive Summary xiii
Phase 7: Develop a Mitigation Strategy
The Mitigation Strategy is often referred to as the heart of the plan, or the blueprint for breaking the cycle of disaster response and recovery. A risk-based, capabilities-informed mitigation strategy outlines the framework for short-term and long-term community resilience. A guiding principle as well as overarching goals and objectives were established for the Mitigation Strategy. In order to facilitate this important part of the plan update, a Mitigation Projects Working Group was convened. This group was responsible for coming up with suggestions for mitigation actions and reviewing and updating the 2017 Goals and Objectives to align with the changed hazard landscape and the new guidelines. Other plans previously approved by the planning partners were also evaluated for potential mitigation actions. Planning partners then assessed their mitigation actions from the past plan and updated them where needed as well as developed new mitigation actions. These actions were then compiled in their annexes in an action plan which included information on the time, cost, funding source, and lead agency.

Phase 8: Draft Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan with Public Input and Maintenance Procedures
The Core Planning Team and Working Group assembled a document to meet federal hazard mitigation planning requirements for all partners. The updated plan contains two volumes. Volume 1 contains components that apply to all partners and the broader Operational Area and the unincorporated areas of the County. Volume 2 contains all components that are planning partner specific. Each planning partner has a dedicated annex in Volume 2. A plan maintenance strategy which included annual progress reporting, a strategy for continued public involvement, a commitment to plan integration with other relevant plans and programs, and a recommitment from the planning partnership to actively maintain the plan over the five-year performance period. The Planning Team and the public were each provided opportunities to review the draft plan and inputs were incorporated into the final draft.

Phase 9: Develop and Adopt Final Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan The final draft will be submitted to Cal OES and FEMA for approval. Once pre-adoption approval has been granted by the California Office of Emergency Services and FEMA Region 9, the final adoption phase will begin. Each planning partner will individually adopt the updated plan. Plan implementation will occur over the next five years as the planning partners begins to implement the countywide and jurisdiction-specific actions identified in this plan.

Each planning partner main point of contact is responsible for the maintenance of their annex and partner-specific information in this MJHMP. This includes documenting successes and lessons learned, researching new or updated data, laws, policies, regulations, or initiatives that can contribute to future iterations of the MJHMP, reviewing potential funding availability, and monitoring and tracking the progress of action items identified in their annex and submitting a status summary to the County’s project manager annually.

Mitigation Goals and Objectives
Hazard mitigation plans must identify goals for reducing long-term vulnerabilities to identified hazards (44 CFR Section 201.6(c)(3)(i)). A guiding principle, a set of goals and measurable objectives for this plan were reviewed and approved by the larger Planning Team based on data from the preliminary risk assessment and updates to mitigation priorities since the previous MJHMP. The guiding principle, goals, objectives, and actions in this plan all support each other. Goals were selected to support the guiding principle. Objectives were selected that met multiple goals. Actions were prioritized based on the action meeting multiple objectives.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Executive Summary xiv
Guiding Principle
A guiding principle focuses the range of objectives and actions to be considered. This is not a goal because it does not describe a hazard mitigation outcome, and it is broader than a hazard-specific objective. The guiding principle for this MJHMP is as follows:

To equitably reduce risk and increase resilience by establishing and promoting a comprehensive mitigation program and efforts to protect the Whole Community and environment from identified natural and humaninduced hazards.

Goals
The following are the mitigation goals for this plan:

1. Actively develop community awareness, understanding, and interest in hazard mitigation and empower the Operational Area to engage in the shaping of associated mitigation policies and programs.

2. Minimize potential for loss of life, injury, social impacts, and dislocation due to hazards.

3. Minimize potential for damage to property, economic impacts, and unusual public expense due to hazards.

4. Minimize likelihood and impact of hazards causing environmental damage or damaging open space/nature preserves in the County and preserving ecological connectivity in the region and by working with residents to help build community capacity to respond and adapt to hazards and emergencies.

5. Effectively deliver essential information to the whole community that promotes personal preparedness and includes advice to reduce personal vulnerability to hazards.

6. Encourage programs and projects that promote community resiliency by maintaining the functionality of critical Operational Area resources, facilities, and infrastructure.

7. Pursue feasible, cost-effective, grant eligible, and environmentally sound hazard mitigation measures.

8. Increase adaptive capacity to reduce risk from hazard impacts that stem from a changing climate.

9. Remove barriers for local governments to access mitigation funding (broad vs. specific) and reduce the administrative pain points to recipient agencies during the project deployment and auditing phases.

The effectiveness of a mitigation strategy is assessed by determining how well these goals are achieved.

Objectives
Each selected objective meets multiple goals, serving as a stand-alone measurement of the effectiveness of a mitigation action, rather than as a subset of a goal. The objectives also are used to help establish priorities and have been reviewed and approved by the Mitigation Strategy Working Group, and the larger Planning Team. The objectives are as follows:

1. Establish and maintain partnerships in the identification and implementation of mitigation measures in the Operational Area.

2. Implement hazard mitigation programs and projects that protect life, property, and the environment.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Executive Summary xv

3. Develop and provide updated information about threats, hazards, vulnerabilities, and mitigation strategies to state, regional, and local agencies, as well as private sector groups, communitybased organizations, and non-profits.

4. Improve understanding of the locations, potential impacts, and linkages among threats, hazards, vulnerability, and measures needed to protect life, property, and the environment.

5. Encourage the incorporation of mitigation best management measures into plans, codes, and other regulatory standards for public, private, and non-governmental entities within the Operational Area.

6. Inform the public on the risk exposure to natural hazards and ways to increase the public’s capability to prevent, prepare, respond, recover, and mitigate impacts of these events.

7. Advance community and natural environment sustainability and resilience to future impacts through preparation and implementation of state, regional, and local projects.

8. Reduce repetitive property losses from all hazards.

9. Where feasible and cost-effective, encourage property protection measures for vulnerable structures located in hazard areas.

10. Improve the process on how public agencies select systems that provide warning and emergency communications for a broad array of agencies. This includes improving the selection process and ensuring warning and emergency communications processes are effective and accessible.

11. Partner with educational institutions that provide research, case studies and the like to help bolster agency communication that demonstrates the value of hazard mitigation.

Implementation
Full implementation of the recommendations of this plan will require time and resources. The measure of the plan’s success will be its ability to adapt to changing conditions. The County of Santa Clara and its planning partners will assume responsibility for adopting the recommendations of this plan and committing resources toward implementation. The framework established by this plan commits all planning partners to pursue actions when the benefits of a project exceed its costs. The planning partnership developed this plan with extensive public input, and public support of the actions identified in this plan will help ensure the plan’s success.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Table of Contents xvi
Table of Contents
1 Introduction to Hazard Mitigation Planning....................................................................................... 1

1.1 Why Prepare This Plan? ............................................................................................................. 1

1.1.1 The Big Picture.......................................................................................................................... 1

1.1.2 Purposes for Planning............................................................................................................... 2

1.2 Who Will Benefit from This Plan?.............................................................................................. 3

1.3 Contents of This Plan ................................................................................................................. 3

1.3.1 Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP)........................................................ 3 2 Plan Update: What Has Changed........................................................................................................ 4

2.1 The Previous Plan ....................................................................................................................... 4

2.2 Why Update? ............................................................................................................................... 4

2.2.1 Federal Eligibility ....................................................................................................................... 4

2.2.2 Plan Integration ......................................................................................................................... 5

2.2.3 Changes in Development.......................................................................................................... 5

2.3 Why Update? — What is Different?........................................................................................... 6 3 Planning for Climate Change and Equitable Outcomes................................................................. 10 4 Plan Update Approach ....................................................................................................................... 12

4.1 Grant Funding............................................................................................................................ 12

4.2 Formation of the Core Planning Team.................................................................................... 12

4.3 Defining Stakeholders .............................................................................................................. 13

4.4 Establishment of the Planning Partnership ........................................................................... 17

4.5 Defining the Planning Area ...................................................................................................... 21

4.6 Review of Existing Programs................................................................................................... 21

4.7 Public Involvement ................................................................................................................... 22

4.7.1 Strategy ................................................................................................................................... 22

4.7.2 Public Involvement Results ..................................................................................................... 27

4.8 Plan Development Chronology and Milestones..................................................................... 31 5 Santa Clara County Operational Area Profile .................................................................................. 33

5.1 Geographic Overview ............................................................................................................... 33

5.2 Historical Overview................................................................................................................... 33

5.3 Major Past Hazard Events ........................................................................................................ 35

5.4 Physical Setting ........................................................................................................................ 36

5.4.1 Geology and Topography........................................................................................................ 36

5.4.2 Soils......................................................................................................................................... 36

5.4.3 Climate .................................................................................................................................... 37

5.5 Development Profile ................................................................................................................. 38

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Table of Contents xvii

5.5.1 Land Use ................................................................................................................................. 38

5.5.2 Critical Facilities, Infrastructure, and Assets ........................................................................... 38

5.5.3 Future Trends in Development................................................................................................ 41

5.6 Demographics ........................................................................................................................... 42

5.6.1 Population ............................................................................................................................... 42

5.6.2 Age Distribution....................................................................................................................... 43

5.6.3 Race, Ethnicity, and Language ............................................................................................... 45

5.6.4 Education ................................................................................................................................ 45

5.6.5 Individuals with Disabilities or with Access or Functional Needs ............................................ 46

5.6.6. Social Vulnerability ..................................................................................................................... 46

5.7 Economy .................................................................................................................................... 49

5.7.1 Income..................................................................................................................................... 49

5.8 Industry, Businesses, and Institutions ................................................................................... 50

5.8.1 Employment Trends and Occupations .................................................................................... 50

5.9 Laws and Ordinances ............................................................................................................... 52

5.9.1 Federal .................................................................................................................................... 52

5.9.2 State ........................................................................................................................................ 60

5.9.3 Local........................................................................................................................................ 67 6 Identified Hazards of Concern and Risk Assessment .................................................................... 70

6.1 Identified Hazards of Concern ................................................................................................. 70

6.2 Hazard Risk Index ..................................................................................................................... 71

6.2.1 Average Overall Hazard Risk Index Results........................................................................... 74

6.3 Risk Assessment Tools............................................................................................................ 74

6.3.1 Mapping................................................................................................................................... 74

6.3.2 Hazus ...................................................................................................................................... 75

6.4 Risk Assessment Approach..................................................................................................... 75

6.4.1 Earthquake and Flood............................................................................................................. 76

6.4.2 Drought.................................................................................................................................... 77

6.4.3 All Other Assessed Hazards ................................................................................................... 77

6.5 EMAP Consequence Analysis ................................................................................................. 77

6.6 Sources of Data Used in Hazus Modeling .............................................................................. 78

6.6.1 Building and Cost Data ........................................................................................................... 78

6.6.2 Hazus Data Inputs................................................................................................................... 78

6.6.3 Other Local Hazard Data ........................................................................................................ 78

6.6.4 Data Source Summary............................................................................................................ 79

6.7 Limitations ................................................................................................................................. 80 7 Earthquake .......................................................................................................................................... 82

7.1 General Background................................................................................................................. 82

7.1.1 Damage from Earthquakes ..................................................................................................... 83

7.1.2 Earthquake Classifications...................................................................................................... 83

7.1.3 Ground Motion......................................................................................................................... 85

7.1.4 Effect of Soil Types ................................................................................................................. 87

7.2 Hazard Profile ............................................................................................................................ 88

7.2.1 Past Events ............................................................................................................................. 88

7.2.2 Location................................................................................................................................... 90

7.2.3 ShakeMaps ............................................................................................................................. 94

7.2.4 Frequency ............................................................................................................................. 100

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Table of Contents xviii

7.2.5 Severity ................................................................................................................................. 101

7.2.6 Warning Time........................................................................................................................ 102

7.3 Cascading Impacts ................................................................................................................. 103

7.4 Exposure.................................................................................................................................. 103

7.4.1 Population ............................................................................................................................. 103

7.4.2 Property................................................................................................................................. 104

7.4.3 Loss Potential........................................................................................................................ 104

7.4.4 Critical Facilities and Infrastructure....................................................................................... 108

7.4.5 Environment .......................................................................................................................... 109

7.5 Vulnerability............................................................................................................................. 109

7.5.1 Population ............................................................................................................................. 110

7.5.2 Property................................................................................................................................. 111

7.5.3 Critical Facilities and Infrastructure....................................................................................... 112

7.5.4 Environment .......................................................................................................................... 116

7.5.5 Economic Impact................................................................................................................... 116

7.6 Future Trends in Development .............................................................................................. 117

7.7 Scenario ................................................................................................................................... 118

7.8 Issues ....................................................................................................................................... 119 8 Wildfire............................................................................................................................................... 122

8.1 General Background............................................................................................................... 122

8.2 Hazard Profile .......................................................................................................................... 123

8.2.1 Past Events ........................................................................................................................... 123

8.2.2 Location................................................................................................................................. 126

8.2.3 Frequency ............................................................................................................................. 131

8.2.4 Severity and Impacts............................................................................................................. 133

8.2.5 Warning Time........................................................................................................................ 134

8.3 Cascading Impacts ................................................................................................................. 134

8.3.1 Smoke and Air Quality .......................................................................................................... 136

8.4 Exposure.................................................................................................................................. 137

8.4.1 Population ............................................................................................................................. 137

8.4.2 Property................................................................................................................................. 139

8.4.3 Critical Facilities and Infrastructure....................................................................................... 140

8.4.4 Environment .......................................................................................................................... 142

8.5 Vulnerability............................................................................................................................. 143

8.5.1 Population ............................................................................................................................. 143

8.5.2 Property................................................................................................................................. 144

8.5.3 Critical Facilities and Infrastructure....................................................................................... 146

8.5.4 Wildlife and Livestock............................................................................................................ 146

8.6 Future Trends in Development .............................................................................................. 146

8.7 Scenario ................................................................................................................................... 147

8.8 Issues ....................................................................................................................................... 148 9 Inclement Weather............................................................................................................................ 150

9.1 General Background............................................................................................................... 150

9.1.1 Heavy Precipitation/Atmospheric River................................................................................. 150

9.1.2 Extreme Temperatures ......................................................................................................... 154

9.1.3 High Winds ............................................................................................................................ 156

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Table of Contents xix

9.1.4 Space Weather...................................................................................................................... 159

9.2 Hazard Profile .......................................................................................................................... 163

9.2.1 Past Events ........................................................................................................................... 163

9.2.2 Location................................................................................................................................. 169

9.2.3 Frequency ............................................................................................................................. 169

9.2.4 Severity ................................................................................................................................. 169

9.2.5 Warning Time........................................................................................................................ 170

9.3 Cascading Impacts ................................................................................................................. 170

9.4 Exposure.................................................................................................................................. 170

9.4.1 Population ............................................................................................................................. 170

9.4.2 Property................................................................................................................................. 171

9.4.3 Critical Facilities and Infrastructure....................................................................................... 171

9.5 Vulnerability............................................................................................................................. 171

9.5.1 Population ............................................................................................................................. 172

9.5.2 Property, Critical Facilities, Infrastructure ............................................................................. 172

9.5.3 Environment .......................................................................................................................... 173

9.5.4 Economy ............................................................................................................................... 173

9.6 Future Trends in Development, Scenario, Issues................................................................ 174

9.7 Issues ....................................................................................................................................... 174

9.8 Consequence Analysis........................................................................................................... 174 10 Drought ........................................................................................................................................ 176

10.1 General Background........................................................................................................... 176

10.1.1 Monitoring and Categorizing Drought................................................................................ 176

10.1.2 Normal Precipitation in California...................................................................................... 178

10.1.3 Water Supply Strategy ...................................................................................................... 179

10.1.4 Water Supply Infrastructure .............................................................................................. 181

10.2 Hazard Profile ...................................................................................................................... 183

10.2.1 Past Events ....................................................................................................................... 183

10.2.2 Location............................................................................................................................. 187

10.2.3 Frequency ......................................................................................................................... 187

10.2.4 Warning Time.................................................................................................................... 188

10.2.5 Extent ................................................................................................................................ 188

10.2.6 Severity and Impacts......................................................................................................... 189

10.2.7 Responses to Recent Drought .......................................................................................... 191

10.3 Cascading Hazards ............................................................................................................. 192

10.3.1 Drought and Wildfire ......................................................................................................... 192

10.3.2 Drought and Extreme Heat ............................................................................................... 192

10.3.3 Drought and Flooding........................................................................................................ 192

10.3.4 Drought and Landslides .................................................................................................... 193

10.4 Vulnerability......................................................................................................................... 193

10.4.1 Population ......................................................................................................................... 194

10.4.2 Property............................................................................................................................. 195

10.4.3 Critical Facilities ................................................................................................................ 195

10.4.4 Environmental Impact ....................................................................................................... 195

10.4.5 Economic Impact ............................................................................................................... 198

10.5 Future Trends in Development .......................................................................................... 198

10.6 Scenario ............................................................................................................................... 199

10.7 Issues ................................................................................................................................... 199

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Table of Contents xx
11 Climate Change ........................................................................................................................... 201

11.1 General Background........................................................................................................... 201

11.1.1 Climate Change Indicators................................................................................................ 203

11.1.2 Projected Future Impacts .................................................................................................. 204

11.1.3 How Climate Change Impacts Hazard Mitigation ............................................................. 207

11.2 Responses to Climate Change .......................................................................................... 210

11.3 Vulnerability Assessment – Hazards of Concern ............................................................ 211

11.3.1 Earthquake ........................................................................................................................ 211

11.3.2 Wildfire .............................................................................................................................. 212

11.3.3 Inclement Weather ............................................................................................................ 213

11.3.4 Drought.............................................................................................................................. 214

11.3.5 Dam and Levee Failure..................................................................................................... 216

11.3.6 Flood ................................................................................................................................. 217

11.3.7 Landslide ........................................................................................................................... 219

11.3.8 Tsunami............................................................................................................................. 219

11.3.9 Extreme Temperatures ..................................................................................................... 220

11.3.10 Sea Level Rise .................................................................................................................. 222

11.4 Issues ................................................................................................................................... 227 12 Dam and Levee Failure ............................................................................................................... 229

12.1 General Background........................................................................................................... 229

12.2 Causes of Dam and Levee Failure..................................................................................... 229

12.2.1 Causes of Dam Failure ..................................................................................................... 229

12.2.2 Causes of Levee Failure ................................................................................................... 230

12.3 Hazard Profiles .................................................................................................................... 230

12.3.1 Past Dam Failure Events .................................................................................................. 230

12.3.2 Dam Location and Extent.................................................................................................. 234

12.3.3 Levee Location.................................................................................................................. 236

12.3.4 Frequency of Dam and Levee Failure............................................................................... 245

12.3.5 Severity ............................................................................................................................. 245

12.3.6 Warning Time for Dam Failure .......................................................................................... 245

12.3.7 Warning Time for Levee Failure........................................................................................ 246

12.4 Exposure .............................................................................................................................. 247

12.4.1 Population ......................................................................................................................... 247

12.4.2 Property............................................................................................................................. 247

12.4.3 Environment ...................................................................................................................... 247

12.5 Vulnerability......................................................................................................................... 247

12.5.1 Population ......................................................................................................................... 248

12.5.2 Property............................................................................................................................. 249

12.5.3 Critical Facilities ................................................................................................................ 249

12.5.4 Environment ...................................................................................................................... 249

12.6 Cascading Hazards ............................................................................................................. 251

12.7 Regulatory Oversight for Dams ......................................................................................... 251

12.7.1 National Dam Safety Act ................................................................................................... 251

12.7.2 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Dam Safety Program ....................................................... 251

12.7.3 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Dam Safety Program ....................................... 251

12.7.4 State of California.............................................................................................................. 252

12.7.5 Santa Clara Valley Water District...................................................................................... 253

12.7.6 Regulatory Oversight for Levees ...................................................................................... 254

12.8 Future Trends in Development .......................................................................................... 254

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Table of Contents xxi

12.9 Scenario ............................................................................................................................... 254

12.10 Issues ................................................................................................................................... 254

12.11 Consequence Analysis....................................................................................................... 255 13 Flood............................................................................................................................................. 257

13.1 General Background........................................................................................................... 257

13.1.1 Measuring Floods and Floodplains ................................................................................... 258

13.1.2 Floodplain Ecosystems ..................................................................................................... 258

13.1.3 Effects of Human Activities ............................................................................................... 259

13.1.4 Federal Flood Programs ................................................................................................... 259

13.2 Hazard Profile ...................................................................................................................... 265

13.2.1 Types of Flood-Related Hazards ...................................................................................... 266

13.2.2 Principal Flooding Sources ............................................................................................... 268

13.2.3 Past Events ....................................................................................................................... 269

13.2.4 Location............................................................................................................................. 273

13.2.5 Frequency ......................................................................................................................... 274

13.2.6 Severity ............................................................................................................................. 275

13.2.7 Warning Time.................................................................................................................... 288

13.3 Cascading Impacts ............................................................................................................. 288

13.4 Exposure .............................................................................................................................. 289

13.4.1 Population ......................................................................................................................... 289

13.4.2 Property............................................................................................................................. 290

13.4.3 Critical Facilities and Infrastructure................................................................................... 292

13.4.4 Environment ...................................................................................................................... 296

13.5 Vulnerability......................................................................................................................... 297

13.5.1 Population ......................................................................................................................... 298

13.5.2 Property............................................................................................................................. 300

13.5.3 Critical Facilities and Infrastructure................................................................................... 307

13.5.4 Environment ...................................................................................................................... 309

13.5.5 Economic Impact............................................................................................................... 309

13.6 Future Trends in Development .......................................................................................... 310

13.7 Scenario ............................................................................................................................... 310

13.8 Issues ................................................................................................................................... 311 14 Landslide/Mass Movement......................................................................................................... 313

14.1 General Background........................................................................................................... 313

14.1.1 Landslide Types ................................................................................................................ 313

14.1.2 Landslide Modeling ........................................................................................................... 315

14.1.3 Landslide Causes.............................................................................................................. 316

14.1.4 Landslide Management..................................................................................................... 317

14.1.5 Land Subsidence Effects .................................................................................................. 317

14.2 Hazard Profile ...................................................................................................................... 318

14.2.1 Past Events ....................................................................................................................... 318

14.2.2 Location............................................................................................................................. 327

14.2.3 Frequency ......................................................................................................................... 330

14.2.4 Severity ............................................................................................................................. 330

14.2.5 Warning Time.................................................................................................................... 330

14.3 Cascading Impacts ............................................................................................................. 331

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Table of Contents xxii

14.4 Exposure .............................................................................................................................. 331

14.4.1 Population ......................................................................................................................... 331

14.4.2 Property............................................................................................................................. 332

14.4.3 Critical Facilities and Infrastructure................................................................................... 333

14.4.4 Environment ...................................................................................................................... 336

14.5 Vulnerability......................................................................................................................... 336

14.5.1 Population ......................................................................................................................... 336

14.5.2 Property............................................................................................................................. 337

14.5.3 Critical Facilities and Infrastructure................................................................................... 337

14.5.4 Environment ...................................................................................................................... 338

14.6 Future Trends in Development .......................................................................................... 338

14.7 Scenario ............................................................................................................................... 338

14.8 Issues ................................................................................................................................... 338 15 Tsunami........................................................................................................................................ 341

15.1 General Background........................................................................................................... 341

15.1.1 Tsunami............................................................................................................................. 341

15.1.2 Seiche ............................................................................................................................... 343

15.2 Hazard Profile ...................................................................................................................... 343

15.2.1 Past Events ....................................................................................................................... 343

15.2.2 Location............................................................................................................................. 343

15.2.3 Frequency ......................................................................................................................... 344

15.2.4 Severity ............................................................................................................................. 345

15.2.5 Warning Time.................................................................................................................... 345

15.2.6 Extent ................................................................................................................................ 346

15.3 Cascading Impact................................................................................................................ 348

15.4 Exposure and Vulnerability................................................................................................ 348

15.4.1 Population ......................................................................................................................... 348

15.4.2 Property............................................................................................................................. 349

15.4.3 Critical Facilities and Infrastructure.................................................................................... 349

15.4.4 Environment ...................................................................................................................... 349

15.5 Future Trends in Development .......................................................................................... 349

15.6 Scenario ............................................................................................................................... 350

15.7 Issues ................................................................................................................................... 350 16 Other Hazards of Interest ........................................................................................................... 353

16.1 General Background........................................................................................................... 353

16.1.1 EMAP Consequence Analysis .......................................................................................... 354

16.2 Intentional Hazards ............................................................................................................. 355

16.2.1 Terrorism and Weapons of Mass Destruction................................................................... 355

16.2.2 Active Threat ..................................................................................................................... 361

16.2.3 Hazard Profile.................................................................................................................... 363

16.2.4 Cyber Threats.................................................................................................................... 366

16.2.5 Hazard Profile.................................................................................................................... 369

16.3 Technological Incidents ..................................................................................................... 370

16.3.2 Hazard Profile.................................................................................................................... 378

16.3.3 Utility Failure, Power Outages, and Public Safety Power Shutoff..................................... 379

16.3.4 Hazard Profile.................................................................................................................... 382

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Table of Contents xxiii

16.4 Epidemic and Pandemic..................................................................................................... 384

16.4.2 Hazard Profile.................................................................................................................... 391

16.5 Fog........................................................................................................................................ 392

16.5.1 Hazard Profile.................................................................................................................... 393

16.6 Identified Needs................................................................................................................... 394

16.7 Related Plans....................................................................................................................... 396 17 Mitigation Strategy...................................................................................................................... 397

17.1 Goals and Objectives.......................................................................................................... 397

17.1.1 Guiding Principle ............................................................................................................... 397

17.1.2 Goals ................................................................................................................................. 397

17.1.3 Objectives.......................................................................................................................... 398

17.2 Mitigation Alternatives........................................................................................................ 398

17.3 Santa Clara County 2023 Mitigation Action Plan ............................................................. 411

17.4 Financial Capabilities ......................................................................................................... 430

17.4.1 Federal .............................................................................................................................. 430

17.4.2 State .................................................................................................................................. 437

17.4.3 Local.................................................................................................................................. 440

17.5 Action Plan Prioritization ................................................................................................... 440

17.5.1 Benefit-Cost Review.......................................................................................................... 441

17.6 Plan Adoption...................................................................................................................... 442

17.7 Plan Maintenance Strategy ................................................................................................ 442

17.8 Plan Implementation ........................................................................................................... 443

17.9 Plan Maintenance Element................................................................................................. 443

17.9.1 Plan Update....................................................................................................................... 444

17.9.2 Grant Monitoring and Coordination................................................................................... 445

17.9.3 Continuing Public Involvement.......................................................................................... 445

17.9.4 Incorporation into Other Planning Mechanisms ................................................................ 446 List of Tables
Table 1: Average Overall Hazard Risk Index Results..................................................................................xii Table 2: Summary of Changes in the 2023 MJHMP ....................................................................................7 Table 3: External Stakeholders Invited to Be Involved in Planning Process ..............................................13 Table 4: Planning Partner Main Points of Contact......................................................................................17 Table 5: One-on-One Meetings with Planning Partners .............................................................................18 Table 6: Summary of Public Outreach ........................................................................................................29 Table 7: Plan Development Chronology and Milestones............................................................................31 Table 8: Presidential Disaster Declarations8F ............................................................................................35 Table 9: Normal Precipitation and Temperatures in the Operational Area, 1981–202210F .......................37 Table 10: Unincorporated County Land Use...............................................................................................38 Table 11: Critical Facilities and Infrastructure in the Operational Area ......................................................39 Table 12: Recent Population Data13F.........................................................................................................42 Table 13: Hourly Living Wage Calculation for Santa Clara County, California (2022)23F ..........................49

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Table of Contents xxiv
Table 14: Probability of Hazards.................................................................................................................72 Table 15: Hazard Risk Ranking by Jurisdiction ..........................................................................................73 Table 16: Average Overall Hazard Risk Index Results...............................................................................74 Table 17: Hazus Model Data Documentation .............................................................................................79 Table 18: Mercalli Scale and Peak Ground Acceleration Comparison45F..................................................87 Table 19: National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program Soil Classification System46F.......................87 Table 20: Recent Earthquakes Magnitude 5.0 or Larger Within a 100-Mile Radius of the Operational Area ....................................................................................................................................................................89 Table 21: Earthquake Probabilities for the San Francisco Bay Area Region, 2014–204368F..................101 Table 22: Earthquake Exposure by Jurisdiction........................................................................................104 Table 23: Loss Estimates for 100-Year Probabilistic Earthquake.............................................................105 Table 24: Loss Estimates for 500-Year Probabilistic Earthquake.............................................................105 Table 25: Loss Estimates for San Andreas Fault Scenario Earthquake...................................................106 Table 26: Loss Estimates for Hayward Fault Scenario Earthquake .........................................................106 Table 27: Loss Estimates for Calaveras Fault Scenario Earthquake .......................................................107 Table 28: Estimated Earthquake-Caused Debris .....................................................................................108 Table 29: Number of Critical Facilities Exposed to Earthquakes..............................................................109 Table 30: Estimated Earthquake Impact on Persons ...............................................................................110 Table 31: Age of Structures in Operational Area ......................................................................................111 Table 32: Estimated Damage to Critical Facilities from 100-Year Earthquake.........................................112 Table 33: Essential Facility Functionality in 100-Year Probabilistic Earthquake ......................................113 Table 34: Estimated Damage to Critical Facilities from 500-Year Earthquake.........................................113 Table 35: Estimated Damage to Critical Facilities from Hayward Fault....................................................113 Table 36: Estimated Damage to Critical Facilities from San Andreas Fault .............................................114 Table 37: Estimated Damage to Critical Facilities from Calaveras...........................................................114 Table 38: Damage to Potable Water Systems by Hazus Scenario ..........................................................116 Table 39: Damage to Waste Water Systems by Hazus Scenario ............................................................116 Table 40: EMAP Consequence Analysis: Earthquake..............................................................................120 Table 41: Past Wildfire Events ..................................................................................................................123 Table 42: Record of Fire Affecting Operational Area................................................................................132 Table 43: Population Within Wildfire Hazard Areas ..................................................................................138 Table 44: Exposure and Value of Structures in Moderate to High Wildfire Hazard Areas .......................139 Table 45: Land Within the Wildfire Hazard Classification Areas...............................................................140 Table 46: Critical Facilities within Moderate to High Wildfire Hazard Areas .............................................141 Table 47: Critical Facilities Within 100 Meters of Moderate to High Wildfire Hazard Areas .....................141 Table 48: Loss Estimates for Wildfire within Moderate to High Wildfire Hazard Class.............................145 Table 49: EMAP Consequence Analysis: Wildfire ....................................................................................148 Table 50: NOAA Geomagnetic Storms Space Weather Scale and Potential Effects123F........................160 Table 51: NOAA Solar Radiation Storms Space Weather Scale and Potential Effects124F ....................161 Table 52: NOAA Radio Blackouts Space Weather Scale and Potential Effects125F ...............................162 Table 53: 2001–2022 Heavy Rain and Hail Events ..................................................................................163 Table 54: 2001–2022 Extreme Temperature Events ................................................................................166 Table 55:2002-2022 High Wind Events ....................................................................................................167 Table 56: 1951–2022 Tornado Events......................................................................................................168 Table 57: Population by Jurisdiction .........................................................................................................171 Table 58: EMAP Consequence Analysis Inclement Weather...................................................................174 Table 59: U.S. Department of Agriculture Disaster Declarations Including Santa Clara County, 2017– 2022 ..........................................................................................................................................................187 Table 60: Recent Federal and State Drought Responses ........................................................................191 Table 61: EMAP Consequence Analysis: Drought ...................................................................................199 Table 62: Average Maximum Temperature – Santa Clara County187F....................................................205 Table 63: Number of Extreme Heat Days Per Year (Heat Is above 92.7 oF) Santa Clara County188F...206 Table 64: Average Annual Precipitation – Santa Clara County189F.........................................................206 Table 65: Potential Direct and Related Climate Change Impacts in the Operational Area ......................208 Table 66: Climate Change Impacts on Natural and Other Hazards .........................................................209

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Table of Contents xxv
Table 67: Wildfire – Projected Santa Clara County Acres Burned ...........................................................212 Table 68: Population and Buildings at Risk – Santa Clara County...........................................................213 Table 69: Silicon Valley 2.0 Santa Clara County Sea Level Rise Projections and Inundation Layers .....222 Table 70: Estimated Population Residing in Sea Level Rise Inundation Areas .......................................223 Table 71: Structure Type in Sea Level Rise Inundation Areas .................................................................224 Table 72: Structure and Contents Value in Sea Level Rise Inundation Areas .........................................225 Table 73: Structure and Contents Value in Sea Level Rise Inundation Areas, Unincorporated Santa Clara County .......................................................................................................................................................225 Table 74: Critical Facilities in Sea Level Rise Inundation Areas...............................................................226 Table 75: EMAP Consequence Analysis: Climate Change ......................................................................227 Table 76: Dams Classified as a High Hazard or an Extremely High Hazard Risk 217F,218F....................231 Table 77: Levees in Santa Clara County 224F ..........................................................................................238 Table 78: Potential Downstream Hazard from Dams225F ........................................................................245 Table 79: Estimated Exposure and Value of Structures in the Dam Failure Inundation Area..................247 Table 80: Population in Dam Inundation Area ..........................................................................................248 Table 81: Value of Exposed Structures in the Dam Inundation Area by Jurisdiction ...............................250 Table 82: EMAP Consequence Analysis: Dam Failure ............................................................................255 Table 83: NFIP Status in the Operational Area ........................................................................................261 Table 84: CRS Community Status in the Operational Area246F...............................................................264 Table 85: History of Flood Events257F, 258F .............................................................................................270 Table 86: Crop Insurance Claims Paid from Excessive Moisture and Flood, 2003-2022259F .................272 Table 87: Summary of Peak Discharges Within the Operational Area260F..............................................275 Table 88: Population Within the 10-Percent, 1-Percent, and 0.2-Percent Annual Chance Flood Hazard Areas .........................................................................................................................................................289 Table 89: Value of Structures in the 10-Percent Annual Chance Flood Hazard Area..............................290 Table 90: Value of Structures in the 1-Percent Annual Chance Flood Hazard Area................................291 Table 91: Value of Structures in the 0.2-Percent Annual Chance Flood Hazard Area.............................292 Table 92: Critical Facilities in the 10-Percent Annual Chance Flood Hazard Area ..................................293 Table 93: Critical Facilities in the 1-Percent Annual Chance Flood Hazard Area ....................................293 Table 94: Critical Facilities in the 0.2-Percent Annual Chance Flood Hazard Area .................................294 Table 95: Habitats Expected to Be Impacted by Riverine Flooding265F ..................................................296 Table 96: Estimated Flood Impact on Persons .........................................................................................298 Table 97: Loss Estimates for 10-Percent-Annual-Chance Flood..............................................................300 Table 98: Loss Estimates for 1-Percent-Annual-Chance Flood................................................................301 Table 99: Loss Estimates for 0.2-Percent-Annual-Chance Flood.............................................................302 Table 100: Estimated Flood-Caused Debris .............................................................................................303 Table 101: Flood Insurance Statistics268F................................................................................................304 Table 102: Date of Floodplain Management Regulation Adoption ...........................................................305 Table 103: Repetitive Loss Properties ......................................................................................................306 Table 104: Substantial Damage/Substantial Improvement Implementation.............................................307 Table 105: Estimated Damage to Critical Facilities and Infrastructure from the 10% Annual Chance Flood ..................................................................................................................................................................307 Table 106: Estimated Damage to Critical Facilities and Infrastructure from the 1% Annual Chance Flood ..................................................................................................................................................................308 Table 107: Estimated Damage to Critical Facilities and Infrastructure from the 0.2% Annual Chance Flood ..................................................................................................................................................................308 Table 108: EMAP Consequence Analysis: Flood .....................................................................................312 Table 109: Landslide Events in Santa Clara County277F, 278F, 279F, 280F, 281F .......................................319 Table 110: Population Exposed to Landslide Hazard...............................................................................331 Table 111: Exposure and Value of Structures in Moderate to High Landslide Risk Areas ......................332 Table 112: Acreage in Moderate to High Landslide Hazard Areas ..........................................................333 Table 113: Critical Facilities and Infrastructure in Moderate to Very High Landslide Risk Areas.............335 Table 114: Loss Potential Based on All Building Stock in Aggregated Landslide Areas..........................337 Table 115: EMAP Consequence Analysis: Landslide/Mass Movement ...................................................339 Table 116: Tsunami Intensity Scale297F...................................................................................................346

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Table of Contents xxvi
Table 117: EMAP Consequence Analysis: Tsunami ................................................................................351 Table 118: EMAP Consequence Analysis: Other Hazards of Interest .....................................................354 Table 119: Event Profiles for Terrorism301F .............................................................................................357 Table 120: Santa Clara County Hazardous Materials Spills 2019–2022323F ..........................................372 Table 121: Corrosion Type........................................................................................................................375 Table 122: Leak Classifications ................................................................................................................377 Table 123: Electric Providers in Santa Clara County330F ........................................................................381 Table 124: Power Shutoffs Statewide331F................................................................................................382 Table 125: COVID-19 Cases Countywide and by City of Residence336F ................................................386 Table 126: Disease Outbreaks Identified in Santa Clara County, 2018–2022343F ..................................387 Table 127: Alternatives to Mitigate the Dam and Levee Failure Hazard ..................................................399 Table 128: Alternatives to Mitigate the Drought Hazard ...........................................................................400 Table 129: Alternatives to Mitigate the Earthquake Hazard .....................................................................401 Table 130: Alternatives to Mitigate the Flooding Hazard ..........................................................................403 Table 131: Alternatives to Mitigate the Landslide/Mass Movement Hazard.............................................406 Table 132: Alternatives to Mitigate the Inclement Weather Hazard..........................................................407 Table 133: Alternatives to Mitigate the Tsunami Hazard ..........................................................................408 Table 134: Alternatives to Mitigate the Wildfire Hazard............................................................................410 Table 135: County of Santa Clara 2023 Action Items...................................Error! Bookmark not defined.

Table 136: FEMA Mitigation Funding Sources .........................................................................................431 Table 137: Additional Federal Funding Sources.......................................................................................434 Table 138: State Mitigation Funding Sources ...........................................................................................437 Table 139: Plan Maintenance Matrix ........................................................................................................443 Table 140: Survey Results Level of Hazard Concern............................................................................... A-2 Table 141: Level of Concern for Climate Change Impacts ....................................................................... A-2 Table 142: Types of Stakeholders Represented....................................................................................... A-3 Table 143: Public Comments .................................................................................................................... A-3 Table 144: General Feedback Received ................................................................................................ A-16 List of Figures
Figure 1: Planning Partners Meeting ..........................................................................................................20 Figure 2: Planning Partners Mitigation Strategy Meeting ...........................................................................21 Figure 3: Picture of Public Survey Announcement .....................................................................................23 Figure 4: Public Survey Media Announcement...........................................................................................24 Figure 5: City of Campbell Social Media Outreach.....................................................................................25 Figure 6: Hazard Exposure and Social Vulnerability Map for Santa Clara Valley ......................................27 Figure 7: Public and Stakeholder Meeting with 99 Participants..................................................................28 Figure 8: Public and Stakeholder Meeting with 104 Participants................................................................29 Figure 9: Samples of Public Comment Period Advertisements ..................................................................30 Figure 10: Santa Clara County Operational Area (Planning Area).............................................................34 Figure 11: Critical Facilities in the Operational Area...................................................................................40 Figure 12: Critical Infrastructure in the Operational Area ...........................................................................41 Figure 13: Overall Age Distribution in the Operational Area17F .................................................................44 Figure 14: Race Distribution in the Operational Area19F............................................................................45 Figure 15: Santa Clara County Social Vulnerability Index ..........................................................................47 Figure 16: Social Vulnerability Index Themes.............................................................................................48 Figure 17: Industry in Santa Clara County..................................................................................................50 Figure 18: Occupations in Santa Clara County...........................................................................................51 Figure 19: California and Santa Clara County Unemployment Rate27F.....................................................52

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Table of Contents xxvii
Figure 20: Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale42F ..........................................................................................85 Figure 21: Peak Acceleration (%g) with 10% Probability of Exceedance in 50 Years44F ..........................86 Figure 22: Historic Earthquakes in the Operational Area ...........................................................................90 Figure 23: Significant Known Faults in the Bay Area56F ............................................................................92 Figure 24: 500-Year Probabilistic Earthquake Scenario Peak Ground Acceleration..................................94 Figure 25: Hayward Magnitude 7.0 Fault Scenario Peak Ground Acceleration .........................................96 Figure 26: Calaveras Magnitude 7.0 Fault Scenario Peak Ground Acceleration .......................................97 Figure 27: San Andreas Magnitude 7.8 Fault Scenario Peak Ground Acceleration...................................98 Figure 28: Liquefaction Susceptibility .........................................................................................................99 Figure 29: Peak Ground Acceleration with 10-percent Probability of Exceedance in 50 Years...............102 Figure 30: Highway Bridge Percentage Damage Exceeds Moderate: Calaveras Scenario.....................115 Figure 31: Hayward Fault Earthquake Scenario80F..................................................................................119 Figure 32: Air Tanker Dropping Fire Retardant on Lick Fire in Santa Clara County86F ...........................126 Figure 33: Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FSHZ) ........................................................................................128 Figure 34: Classified Wildfire Hazard........................................................................................................130 Figure 35: Wildfire Risk to Structures .......................................................................................................131 Figure 36: Burned Hillslopes above Pulse Canyon near San Antonio Valley, SCU Lightning Complex, Santa Clara County94F .............................................................................................................................133 Figure 37: Post Fire Soil Erosion Potential ...............................................................................................135 Figure 38: NOAA Atlas Intensity - Santa Clara, California........................................................................151 Figure 39: Thunderstorm Life Cycle113F ..................................................................................................153 Figure 40: National Weather Service Wind Chill Chart.............................................................................154 Figure 41: Winter Storm Severity Index ....................................................................................................155 Figure 42: National Weather Service Heat Index Chart117F ....................................................................156 Figure 43: National Weather Service Heat Index Classifications and Corresponding Effects on the Body118F ...................................................................................................................................................156 Figure 44: The Beaufort Wind Scale121F..................................................................................................158 Figure 45: Palmer Drought Index from January 1, 2005, to May 20, 2023129F .......................................177 Figure 46: Palmer Hydrological Drought Index from January 1, 2005, to May 20, 2023130F ..................177 Figure 47: Santa Clara Valley Water District System Water Supply144F .................................................182 Figure 48: Hetch Hetchy Water System146F ............................................................................................183 Figure 49: U.S. Drought Monitor Time Series California 2000-2023 ........................................................188 Figure 50: U.S. Drought Monitory Map of California.................................................................................189 Figure 51: Reported Number of Drought Impacts by Category156F .........................................................190 Figure 52: CMRA Drought Hazard: Days without Precipitation Indicator for Santa Clara County ...........194 Figure 53: Tier 1 Tree Mortality High Hazard Zones162F .........................................................................197 Figure 54: Tier 2 Tree Mortality High Hazard Zones163F .........................................................................197 Figure 55: Global Temperature 1880-2022171F .......................................................................................202 Figure 56: Global Carbon Dioxide Concentrations Over Time174F ..........................................................203 Figure 57: Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health190F .................................................................207 Figure 58: Location of Dams Impacting Santa Clara County221F ............................................................235 Figure 59: Dam Inundation Depth Grids ...................................................................................................236 Figure 60: Levees in Santa Clara County223F..........................................................................................237 Figure 61: Risk Rating 2.0: Project Premium Changes for Santa Clara County244F ...............................263 Figure 62: CRS Communities by Class Nationwide as of October 2022245F ..........................................264 Figure 63: Watersheds in the Operational Area256F ................................................................................269 Figure 64: Mapped Flood Hazard Areas in the Operational Area.............................................................274 Figure 65: 100-Year Floodplain Area Land Cover266F .............................................................................297 Figure 66: Common Types of Landslides .................................................................................................314 Figure 67: Typical Debris Avalanche Scar and Track272F .......................................................................315 Figure 68: A Santa Clara County Debris Flow Triggered by Winter Storms Following the Loma Fire, 2017282F ...................................................................................................................................................326 Figure 69: SCVWD Historic Groundwater Conditions284F .......................................................................327 Figure 70: Deep-Seated Landslide Susceptibility in Santa Clara County.................................................329

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Table of Contents xxviii
Figure 71: Potential Tsunami Travel Times in the Pacific Ocean, In Hours291F ......................................342 Figure 72: Tsunami Hazard Area..............................................................................................................344 Figure 73: Weapon Types Used in Terrorist Events in California310F......................................................364 Figure 74: Targets of Terrorist Attacks in California311F ..........................................................................365 Figure 75: Highly Populated Areas with Hazardous Material Incidents Within Santa Clara County322F 371 Figure 76: Gas and Hazardous Liquids Pipelines in Santa Clara County325F .........................................374 Figure 77: Santa Clara COVID Cases 2020–2023335F............................................................................385 Figure 78: Weekly Percentage of Emergency Department Visits for Influenza-Like Illness in Santa Clara County, 2019, to February 22, 2023344F ..................................................................................................388 Figure 79: Sample of Public Survey Advertisement ................................................................................. A-1 Figure 80: Sample Public Feedback on Hazard Impacts - Gilroy Meeting ............................................. A-14 Figure 81: Sample Public Feedback on Hazard Impacts - Campbell Meeting ....................................... A-15 Figure 82: Sample In-Person Feedback Option - Gilroy Meeting........................................................... A-16

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 1: Introduction to Hazard Mitigation Planning 1 1 Introduction to Hazard Mitigation Planning

1.1 Why Prepare This Plan?

1.1.1 The Big Picture
Hazard mitigation is a key component of community resilience. There is no one definition of resilience; however, the Urban Sustainability Directors Network defines resilience as the ability of people and their communities to anticipate, accommodate and positively adapt to or thrive amidst changing climate conditions and hazard events.0F0F
1 The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) defines hazard mitigation as any sustainable action that reduces or eliminates long-term risk to people and property from future disasters.1F1F
2 It involves long- and short-term actions implemented before, during, and after disasters.

Hazard mitigation activities include planning and regulations, structure and infrastructure projects, natural system protection, and education and awareness programs as well as other steps to reduce the impact of hazards.

For many years, federal disaster funding focused on relief and recovery after disasters occurred, with limited funding for hazard mitigation planning in advance. The Disaster Mitigation Act (DMA; Public Law 106-390), passed in 2000, shifted the federal emphasis toward planning for disasters before they occur. 2F2F 3 The DMA requires state and local governments to develop hazard mitigation plans as a condition for federal disaster grant assistance. Regulations developed to fulfill the DMA’s requirements are included in Title 44 of the Code of Federal Regulations (44 CFR).

FEMA advocates for a “whole community” approach to hazard mitigation. This approach calls for everyone, from private property owners to commercial interests to nonprofits and local, state, and federal governments to be involved in preparing the nation for the next disaster event. By going through the local planning process outlined in the DMA, communities are able to articulate their needs for mitigation more easily. based on their understanding of their capabilities and risk. This can enhance their ability to develop projects and take mitigation actions, resulting in faster allocation of funding and more costeffective risk-reduction projects.

The DMA also promotes sustainability in hazard mitigation. To be sustainable, hazard mitigation needs to incorporate sound management of natural resources and consider the wider social and economic implications.
1 Urban Sustainability Directors Network. (n.d.). Resilience Hubs.

USDN%20Resilience%20Hubs%20Guidance%20Document
2 Federal Emergency Management Agency. (n.d.). Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grants. https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation#:~:text=FEMA%27s%20hazard%20mitigation%20assistance%20provides%2 0funding%20for%20eligible,cycle%20of%20disaster%20damage%2C%20reconstruction%20and%20repeated%20da mage.
3 Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2020, October 19). The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000. https://www.fema.gov/blog/disaster-mitigation-act-2000-20-years-mitigation-planning

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 1: Introduction to Hazard Mitigation Planning 2 To further enhance the planning process and the guidelines set by DMA, the Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management follows a specific emergency management planning process. This locally developed process incorporates various nationally recognized best practices and concepts, like the whole community planning approach, with standard program management principles that can be easily integrated into the County’s existing governmental structure. This process brings together stakeholders, builds lasting community relationships, and results in a stronger and more comprehensive mitigation plan.

This process is key to building community resilience and was followed in the 2023 MJHMP update.

1.1.2 Purposes for Planning
Hazard mitigation planning is the foundation for mitigation investments. Hazard mitigation plans are required to be updated, approved, and adopted every five years in order to maintain eligibility for multiple federal mitigation grant programs. Through the update process, mitigation actions are developed as a part of a community-based, risk-informed decision-making process.3F3F 4 Fourteen jurisdictions and three special districts within the Santa Clara County Operational Area (OA)— defined as the unincorporated county, incorporated jurisdictions, and special districts within the geographical boundaries of Santa Clara County—participated in the Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP) prepared in 2023 by the Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management with support from the consulting firm IEM. Participating jurisdictions and districts are referred to in this plan as planning partners. Elements and strategies in the MJHMP were selected because they meet a program requirement and because they meet the needs of the planning partners and their residents. One of the benefits of multijurisdictional planning is the ability to pool resources and support partnerships to reduce redundant activities within the OA that have similar risk exposure and vulnerabilities. FEMA encourages multijurisdictional planning under its guidance for the DMA. This MJHMP will help guide and coordinate mitigation activities throughout the OA. Additionally, it was developed to meet the following objectives:
 Meet or exceed requirements of the DMA.
 Comply with the requirements outlined in FEMA’s Local Mitigation Policy Planning Guide (April 2022), the requirements of which apply to all plans seeking agency approval on or after April 19, 2023.
 Enable all planning partners to continue using federal grant funding to reduce risk through mitigation.
 Meet the planning requirements of FEMA’s Community Rating System (CRS), allowing planning partners that participate in the CRS program to maintain or enhance their CRS classifications.  Utilize EMAP standards for strategic planning.
 Coordinate existing plans and programs so high priority projects to mitigate possible disaster impacts have an increased opportunity to be funded and implemented.

The planning partners discussed using this plan to meet Community Rating System (CRS) requirements as well. Ultimately, it was decided that Santa Clara Valley Water will lead the development of a separate Floodplain Management Plan specifically dedicated towards this goal, allowing planning partners that participate in the CRS program to maintain or enhance their CRS classifications. Relevant information from this MJHMP will be incorporated into the Floodplain Management Plan. 4 Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2022, April 19). Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide. https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_local-mitigation-planning-policy-guide_042022.pdf

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 1: Introduction to Hazard Mitigation Planning 3

1.2 Who Will Benefit from This Plan?
The whole community of the Santa Clara County OA—including individual and families, businesses, community and nonprofit organizations, schools and academia, and all levels of government—is the ultimate beneficiary of this MJHMP. Implementing the plan will reduce risk for those who live in, work in, and visit the OA. The plan provides a viable planning framework for natural hazards of concern for the area. Participation in development of the plan by key stakeholders helped ensure outcomes will be mutually beneficial. The resources and background information in the plan are applicable across the OA, and the plan’s goals and recommendations can lay the groundwork for the development and implementation of local mitigation activities and partnerships for years to come. Mitigation projects, particularly large projects with cascading impacts, will also benefit neighboring jurisdictions.

1.3 Contents of This Plan
This plan has been set up in two volumes so that elements that are planning partner-specific can easily be distinguished from those that apply to the overall Santa Clara County OA:
 Volume 1: Volume 1 includes all federally required elements of a disaster mitigation plan that apply to the OA and the unincorporated areas of the County. This includes the description of the planning process, public involvement strategy, goals and objectives, hazard risk assessment, mitigation actions, and a plan maintenance strategy.
 Volume 2: Volume 2 includes all federally required participant-specific elements, in annexes for each participating entity. It includes a description of the participation requirements established for participants in this plan.

Both volumes include elements required under federal guidelines. DMA compliance requirements are cited at the beginning of subsections as appropriate to illustrate compliance.

The following appendices provided at the end of Volume 1 include information or explanations to support the main content of the plan:
 Appendix A: Public outreach information used in preparation of this update.  Appendix B: Plan adoption resolutions from planning partners.

All planning partners will adopt the MJHMP once it has been reviewed by FEMA and reaches Approvable-Pending-Adoption (APA) status.

1.3.1 Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP) This plan incorporates elements of the Emergency Management Standard set by the Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP). A consequence analysis of the potential for detrimental impacts of hazards is included in this 2023 plan update for the EMAP. Each hazard identified in this plan is followed by the Consequence Analysis result. The methodology of this analysis and the results can be found in the Risk Assessment portion in Volume 1 of this plan.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 2: Plan Update: What Has Changed 4
2 Plan Update: What Has Changed

2.1 The Previous Plan
Santa Clara County, 15 jurisdictions, and the Santa Clara County Fire Department were covered under the 2017 Santa Clara County Operational Area (OA)Hazard Mitigation Plan. The planning process used to develop the 2017 plan was as follows:
 Definition of the planning area and establishment of a working group of participating stakeholders which oversaw all phases of the plan update.
 Promotion of focused outreach to individuals identified for the working group as well as other individuals, agencies, and jurisdictions that had a vested interest in the recommendations in the hazard mitigation plan.
 Development of a strategy for public involvement in the plan update which included inviting members of the public to serve on the working group, conducting a public survey, utilizing multiple media avenues, and actively identifying and involving OA stakeholders.  Assessment of existing programs including plans, studies, reports and technical information and all planning and regulatory, administrative, and technical, public outreach and education, and financial capabilities of planning partners to implement hazard mitigation actions.  Reevaluation of the 2010 plan update to ensure planning partners had the opportunity to provide comment.

Santa Clara Valley Water District had a 2017 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan independent of the 2017 Santa Clara County Operational Area Hazard Mitigation Plan. The district joined the OA Mitigation Plan as part of the 2023 Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP) update. The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space and Santa Clara County Fire Department also joined the 2023 plan update.

2.2 Why Update?

2.2.1 Federal Eligibility
Hazard mitigation plans are updated on a five-year cycle. A jurisdiction or special district covered by a plan that has expired is not able to pursue elements of federal funding under the Robert T. Stafford Act for which a current hazard mitigation plan is a prerequisite. Title 44 of the Code of Federal Regulations (44 CFR) stipulates that hazard mitigation plans must present a schedule for monitoring, evaluating, and updating the plan. This provides an opportunity to reevaluate recommendations, monitor the impacts of actions that have been completed, and determine if there is a need to change the focus of mitigation strategies. This update meets the requirements for hazard mitigation plans in order to maintain the eligibility for federal grant funding for Planning Participants.

Additionally, on April 19, 2022, FEMA updated the Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide. This means that all plans updated and approved after April 19, 2023, must adhere to the new mitigation planning policy requirements. The 2023 update of the Santa Clara MJHMP has incorporated all changes and is in compliance with all elements of the updated Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide. The Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan is proud to be one of the only MJHMPs in the state to incorporate the updated guidance. Some of these elements include:

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 2: Plan Update: What Has Changed 5
 Incorporating a broad range of representatives in the planning process, including organizations that support underserved communities.
 Incorporating the effects of climate change and future conditions in the risk assessment.  Emphasizing the importance of building codes, land use ordinances, and developmental regulations in local capabilities.
 Emphasizing the alignment of FEMA related mitigation programs, such as the NFIP.

2.2.2 Plan Integration
Since the last plan update, the Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management has worked diligently to incorporate the 2023 MJHMP into other county wide planning initiatives.

Santa Clara County Safety Element (the Safety Element): The County is undergoing the 2023 Safety Plan update, which is part of the Santa Clara County General Plan. The purpose of the Santa Clara County Safety Element is to identify and include safety considerations during the decision-making and planning process by establishing goals and policies as they relate to future developments within the County. These goals and policies aim to reduce personal injury and loss of life, prevent property destruction, and reduce environmental damage throughout the community. The Safety Element focuses on addressing potential hazards such as earthquakes, flooding, wildfire, and more. The Safety Element, which will be completed in the Fall of 2023, incorporates risk and hazard data developed during the 2017 MJHMP update. It also strategically aligns with the mitigation goals and actions from the MJHMP.

Integration between the Safety Element and the MJHMP+
ensures the County is maximizing their future funding opportunities to reduce risk in the County and comply with Assembly Bill 2140 (2006), which affords the county additional benefits under the California Disaster Assistance Act.

Santa Clara County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP): In addition, the Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management collaborated with the Santa Clara Fire Safe Council to integrate the MJHMP and the Santa Clara County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). The CWPP identifies potential priority areas where mitigation measures are needed to protect from wildfire the irreplaceable life, property, and critical infrastructure within the County. The CWPP directly aligns with the MJHMP mitigation strategy and provides an even more in depth look at the County’s wildfire risk.

2.2.3 Changes in Development
Hazard mitigation plan updates must reflect changes in development within the OA since the previous plan (44 CFR Section 201.6(d)(3)). The plan must describe development changes in hazard-prone areas that increased or decreased vulnerability for each planning partner since the last plan was approved. If no changes in development impacted the partner’s overall vulnerability, plan updates may validate the information in the previously approved plan. The intent of this requirement is to ensure the plan’s mitigation strategy continues to accurately address the risk and vulnerability of existing and potential development and takes into consideration possible future conditions that could impact vulnerability.

According to data from the California Department of Finance, the OA decreased in population by .5 percent between 2015 and 2022. 4F4F
5 The COVIID-19 pandemic, relocation of remote workers, and rising cost of housing likely contributed to some of this change. Other large urban centers around the nation experienced similar trends during the pandemic.
5 California Department of Finance. (n.d.). Demographic Reports. https://dof.ca.gov/reports/demographic-reports/

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 2: Plan Update: What Has Changed 6
Participating planning partners have adopted General Plans that govern land-use decisions and policymaking, as well as building codes and specialty ordinances based on state and federal mandates. 5F5F 6 Information on planning partner-specific changes in development is included in the participant annexes in Volume 2.

2.3 Why Update? — What is Different?
This update seeks to capitalize on some of the successes of the prior plan update, including the good participation rates and format changes. The Santa Clara County OA’s 2010 Hazard Mitigation Plan Update was prepared under the ABAG process however, the County OEM determined that the new format established in the 2017 multijurisdictional hazard mitigation plan update would be best to use moving forward as it better suits the needs and capabilities of the planning partners.

The plan update process included a greater focus on public involvement that concentrated on targeted public engagement instead of simply opening technical workshops to the public. A renewed effort was made to establish a plan maintenance and implementation protocol that clearly defines ongoing commitment to the plan’s success. Some of the major differences between the current and previous plans are as follows:
• The plan has been totally restructured as an Operational Area plan, focusing only on the geographic area of Santa Clara County. The risk assessment is not a subset of a larger regional effort. Instead, it is isolated to the Santa Clara County OA and focuses on the hazards of concern for the OA.
• The risk assessment has been prepared to best support future grant applications by providing information on risk and vulnerability that will directly support the measurement of “costeffectiveness” required under FEMA mitigation grant programs. • Newly available data and tools provide for a more detailed and accurate risk assessment using means such as FEMA’s Hazards U.S. (Hazus) Multi-Hazard computer model or new data such as FEMA’s countywide Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps. • The planning process creates the opportunity for all municipal planning partners to prepare to meet the requirements of California Senate Bill 379 during the next plan update. That bill will require integration of quantitative climate change risk assessment in the development of climate change related initiatives as part of the safety element of general plans. • The plan is more user-friendly because it is confined to one package. • The update created an opportunity for the County of Santa Clara, local cities and towns, and other planning partners to engage citizens directly in a coordinated approach to gauge their perception of risk and support of the concept of risk reduction through mitigation. 6 San José Spotlight. (2022, April 2). Silicon Valley Residents Left in Droves During Pandemic. https://sanjosespotlight.com/silicon-valley-san-jose-santa-clara-sunnyvale-residents-left-in-droves-exodus-duringcovid-19-pandemic/

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 2: Plan Update: What Has Changed 7
• While priorities have remained the same, the plan’s goals objectives and actions are more clearly defined. The plan identifies actions rather than strategies as was the case with the prior plans. Strategies provide direction, but actions are fundable under grant programs. This plan replaces strategies with a guiding principle, goals, and objectives. The actions identified meet multiple objectives that are measurable, so that each planning partner can measure the effectiveness of its mitigation actions, which was difficult prior to this plan update.

Below is a table comparing the 2017 MHJMP and 2023 MHJMP. Changes to the plan’s format and contents involved a multistep process that included best practices research and an assessment of jurisdiction and special district planning needs.

Table 2: Summary of Changes in the 2023 MJHMP
Changes Throughout the Plan
• Comprehensive review and update of hazard history, risk and vulnerability data and information • New hazards of climate change, sea-level rise, wildfire smoke, and air quality added • Expanded outreach to vulnerable and historically underserved populations • Lens of planning for climate change and equitable outcomes used to create a comprehensive and inclusive plan
• Integrated MJHMP planning process with the planning processes of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan and Safety Element of the General Plan update • It was determined that all CRS requirements will be met in a forthcoming floodplain management plan created by Santa Clara Valley Water District
• City of Monte Sereno was not an active participant in this plan update, but is referenced in the plan as applicable
• Santa Clara Valley Water District and Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District joined as Planning Partners
• Plan was updated to meet 2023 FEMA hazard mitigation plan guidance and requirements Volume I: Base Plan
Section Changes
Section 1: Introduction to Hazard
Mitigation Planning
• Updated explanation of importance and purpose of hazard mitigation planning
Section 2: Plan Update: What Has
Changed
• Summary list of plan changes and updates included
Section 3: Planning for Climate
Change and Equitable Outcomes
• Section added to highlight Santa Clara County’s goal of continuing to integrate equity into all aspects of emergency management Section 4: Plan Update Approach • Information added to highlight the concentrated effort to ensure plan integration between the County Community Wildfire
Protection Plan and County Safety Element of the County General Plan updates as well as other approved plans
• Explanation of the ways planning partners engaged residents, particularly those who are underserved and/or socially vulnerable,

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 2: Plan Update: What Has Changed 8
Volume I: Base Plan
Section Changes
and gauged their perception of risk and support for risk reduction through mitigation
• Explanation of the ways planning partners engaged community stakeholders, particularly those that assist underserved and/or socially vulnerable, and gauged their perception of risk and support for risk reduction through mitigation
• Updated plan development chronology and milestones
Section 5: Santa Clara County
Operational Area Profile
• All information updated using the most recent data available Sections 6-16: Identified Hazards
of Concern and Risk Assessment
• The risk assessment includes further considerations of emerging hazards, like the impact of climate change, wildfire smoke, and air quality, which have recently impacted the OA with increasing frequency since the 2017 plan
• Hazard risk ranking updated and is now hazard risk index criteria • Wildfire, drought, and climate change are now considered to have higher average overall hazard risk by Planning Partners when compared to their hazard risk ranking scores in the 2017 plan • Updated and expanded information on hazard history, location, extent, frequency, and severity; exposure, vulnerability, cascading hazards, and how climate change may impact the frequency, extent, and severity of each hazard
• The risk assessment has been formatted to provide information on risk and vulnerability that will allow a measurement of costeffectiveness • Severe weather terminology updated to inclement weather • Updated maps and graphics
• Hazus data and findings updated
• The plan was developed in accordance with the most recent EMAP standards
• Latest disaster declaration data added
• High Hazard Potential Dam Grant Program (HHPD) requirements were considered and referenced
Section 17: Mitigation Strategy • Mitigation goals and objectives and criteria for mitigation action item prioritization have been updated to include climate change, resiliency, and benefits to populations that are underserved and/or socially vulnerable.
• Expanded detail on plan monitoring, evaluating, and updating to include roles and responsibilities and description of specific methods and schedules

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 2: Plan Update: What Has Changed 9
Volume 2: Planning Partner Annexes
• Each Planning Partner has a minimum of one mitigation action per a hazard that can impact them • Actions and project identified in the Santa Clara County Community Wildfire Protection Plan included in annexes, as applicable
• Expanded information about Planning Partner participation and compliance in the National Flood Insurance Program
• All data and information updated, including Local Planning Team members, jurisdiction or special district profile, capability assessment, opportunities to integrate the mitigation plan into other local planning initiatives, hazard event history, jurisdiction- or special district-specific vulnerabilities, future development trends, hazard risk index, future needs to better understand risk and vulnerability, status of previous action items, and maps.
• Mitigation successes highlighted, as applicable
• Risk and vulnerability assessment expanded to include climate change, wildfire smoke, and air quality • Local floodplain managers identified by name in each annex, as applicable • Development trends since the 2017 plan identified
• Sea-level rise map added to the City of Palo Alto’s annex Appendices
• Appendix B updated from progress report template to adoption resolutions from all participating jurisdictions.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 3: Planning for Climate Change and Equitable Outcomes 10 3 Planning for Climate Change and Equitable
Outcomes
Local jurisdictions have a responsibility to ensure that the plan’s mitigation strategy complies with all applicable legal requirements related to civil rights, to ensure nondiscrimination. Such compliance can help achieve equitable outcomes through the mitigation planning process for all communities, including underserved communities and socially vulnerable populations.

To ensure that the planning process and outcomes of the local mitigation plan benefit the whole community, equity must be central in its development. Climate change increases the frequency, duration, and intensity of natural hazards, such as wildfires, extreme heat, drought, storms, heavy precipitation, and sea level rise. Communities are feeling the impacts of a changing climate now.

Respecting and leveraging the diversity of cultures in Santa Clara County ensures that mitigation planning is fair and equitable by applying a race and social justice framework to analyzing situations, evaluating options, and implementing solutions.

The Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management (SCCOEM) has adopted the FEMA’s equity definition of “the consistent and systematic fair, just and impartial treatment of all individuals.” In addition, SCCOEM acknowledges that historically underserved communities and individuals are often overburdened by systemic injustices/disparities, and these are amplified during the disaster cycle including mitigation.

Therefore, the County of Santa Clara’s goal is to continue integrating equity into all aspects of emergency management by:
 Leveraging the Access and Functional Needs (AFN) and Cultural Competency Working Group that regularly meets with members of the entire Operational Area, including the community.  Involving members from a variety of groups represent the diverse community living in the County, as well as representatives from historically marginalized groups in the planning process.  Conducting outreach events that focus on the county’s diverse population and most vulnerable community members like people with access and functional needs.  Providing multilingual outreach and communication to residents of the County.  Adopting Communication, Maintaining Health, Independence, Safety, Support Services, and SelfDetermination, and Transportation (C-MIST) Framework. C-MIST is a function-based perspective composed of the five (5) functions that delineate areas where preparedness intervention can reduce disaster vulnerability and risk to the whole community.  Building, engaging, and sustaining partnerships with groups that have experienced inequities. For example, individuals experiencing communication, health, independence, safety, support services, self-determination, and transportation barriers during disasters.  Developing assessments and plans that prioritize assistance to those with the greatest needs and include vulnerable populations in the planning process.  Identifying needs and assets, as well as pre-existing vulnerability and resilience.  All community members can exercise their agency through free and informed choice(s).

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 3: Planning for Climate Change and Equitable Outcomes 11 Through these strategies, SCCOEM will continue to lay the foundation for closing gaps identified through lessons learned from previous EOC activations such as COVID-19, Wildfires, and Inclement Weather Episodes, and Active Shooter events that have impacted Santa Clara County.

Mitigation decisions and actions strive to provide benefit for all residents equally. SCCOEM Mitigation Program is designed to identify and remove social and institutional barriers that hinder or preclude people with disabilities and all those in the community historically subjected to unequal treatment from full and equal enjoyment of the programs, goods, services, activities, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations provided. Additionally, during mitigation planning and applying for mitigation funding, the County will identify opportunities to increase equity and create new opportunities for the post-disaster state of the County.

An equitable community mitigation rests on the foundation of a “complete community” that applies equitable and fair practices in all the County’s planning and implementation. The concept demonstrates local government’s commitment to inclusion and fairness while managing a recovery process that links regional, state, and federal practices.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 4: Plan Update Approach 12
4 Plan Update Approach
This plan update process had the following primary objectives:
 Secure grant funding.
 Form a planning group.
 Identify stakeholders.
 Establish a planning partnership.
 Define the Santa Clara County OA.
 Identify and coordinate with other agencies involved in hazard mitigation activities.  Review and integrate existing plans, policies, and programs.  Engage the public.

These objectives are discussed in the following sections.

4.1 Grant Funding
This planning effort was supplemented by a FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) grant under DR-4569 California Wildfires. The County of Santa Clara Office of Emergency Management (OEM) was the sub-applicant for the grant. OEM applied in 2021 and was awarded the grant in 2022. It covered 75 percent of the cost for the development of this plan.

4.2 Formation of the Core Planning Team
Santa Clara County OEM hired IEM to assist with the development and implementation of the plan. The lead IEM planner reported directly to the Santa Clara County Operational Area Mitigation Program Manager and the project manager for the plan update. Meetings were held on a weekly and biweekly basis to discuss the plan update status, outreach and engagement strategies, and planning milestones. A Core Planning Team was formed to lead the planning effort, made up of the following members:
 Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management
 Santa Clara County Office of Sustainability
 Santa Clara County Department of Planning and Development  IEM
This planning team—designated the Santa Clara County Operational Area Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP) Core Planning Team (or the Core Planning Team)—coordinated regularly over the course of this project to track plan development milestones, brainstorm outreach and engagement strategies, and identify meeting content to help with development of the update. The Core Planning Team also consisted of members of the County Safety Element update, ensuring visibility between plans.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 4: Plan Update Approach 13

4.3 Defining Stakeholders
For this planning process, “stakeholder” was defined as: any person or public or private entity that owns or operates facilities that would benefit from the mitigation actions of this plan, and/or has an authority or capability to support mitigation actions identified by this plan. This includes, but is not limited to, local and regional agencies involved in hazard mitigation activities, agencies that have the authority to regulate development, neighboring communities, representatives of businesses, academic, and other private organizations such as those that sustain community lifelines, and representatives of nonprofit organizations including community-based organizations that work directly with and/or provide support to underserved communities and socially vulnerable populations.

For the sake of clarity, when developing outreach materials, stakeholders were separated into two categories:
 Internal Stakeholders: Stakeholders identified and engaged by participants to enhance the planning process and the update of the MJHMP. These stakeholders are subject matter experts within the participating jurisdictions or special districts who impact or may be impacted by a mitigation action or policy. This included people in positions who had the authority to regulate development of the plan. These stakeholders informed the planning teams about specific topics and offered different points of view while providing data, reviewing the MJMP draft, attending planning workshops, and advocating for mitigation measures. Internal stakeholders for each planning partner are identified in the participant annexes in Volume 2.  External Stakeholders: Planning partners identified stakeholders outside their jurisdiction or special district who impact or can be impacted by a mitigation action or policy. These stakeholders were not necessarily involved in all stages of the planning process, but as subject matter experts, they informed the planning teams on specific topics and offered different points of view while providing data, reviewing the MJHMP draft, and advocating for mitigation measures.

At the beginning of the planning process, planning partners identified a list of stakeholders to engage during the development of the Santa Clara County Operational Area Hazard Mitigation Plan. The following stakeholders were invited to play a role in the planning process via email:

Table 3: External Stakeholders Invited to Be Involved in Planning Process Agency or Organization Point of Contact
American Red Cross Ann Herosy, Disaster Services
American Red Cross – Silicon Valley Chapter Ginny Ortiz, Disaster Program Manager Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) Barton Smith, Coordinator Avenidas John Sink, Vice President
CADRE - Collaborating Agencies’ Disaster Relief
Effort
Marsha Hovey, Executive Director
California Office of Emergency Services (Cal
OES)
Victoria LaMar-Haas, Chief, Mitigation Planning
Division
Cal OES Brian Buckhout, Emergency Services Coordinator
California Department of Forestry and Fire
Protection
Edgar Orre, Division Chief
California Department of Transportation Shawn Casteel, Acting Senior Environmental Supervisor
Campbell Community Emergency Response
Team
Mark Dunkle, President

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 4: Plan Update Approach 14
Agency or Organization Point of Contact
Campbell Union School District Rosana Palomo, Director, Student Services Cattlemen’s Association Brent Kirk, President
City of East Palo Alto Melvin Gaines, City Manager
City of Menlo Park Justin Murphy, City Manager
Cooper-Garrod Estate Vineyards Bill Cooper, Vintner
Cupertino Sanitation District Benjamin Porter, District Manager Department of Homeland Security Staff, Transportation Security Administration Coordination Center
Department of Toxic Substances Claude Jemison, Regulator for Los Lagos Golf Course and SAP Center (former landfill and
cleanup site)
Department of Toxic Substances Sagar Bhatt, Regulator for Watson Park (former landfill)
Department of Toxic Substances Jovanne Villamater, Regulator for Vista Montana Parks
Department of Toxic Substances Julie Pettijohn, Manager for all regulatory sites except Watson Park
Downtown Streets Team Jim Rettew, Interim Executive Director Emergency Medical Services Michael Cubano, Duty Chief
Emergency Services Volunteer Representative Annette Glanckopft, Volunteer Emergency Services Volunteer Representative Esther Nigenda, Volunteer Federal Aviation Administration David Zakaski, Airport Tower Manager Fellowship Plaza Shreya Shah, Senior Project Manager
Foothill - De Anza Community College District Simon Pennington, Associate Vice President, College and Community Relations, Marketing, and
Communications
Foothill - De Anza Community College District Joel Cadiz, Executive Director, Facilities Foothill - De Anza Community College District
Police Department
Daniel Acosta, Police Chief
Gavilan College Jaime Mata, Interim Vice President,
Administrative Services
Gilroy Unified School District Aurelio Rodriguez Coordinator, Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Gilroy/Hollister California Highway Patrol Phil Cooper, Captain Google Katherine Williams, Corporate Communications
Hidden Villa farm Lukas Wiborg, Assistant Property Manager Intel Corporation Stacy Sher, Crisis Manager
Kaiser Permanente—Santa Clara Brendan Gadd, Safety Specialist Kaiser Permanente—Santa Clara Charles L. Smith, Support Services Administrator Life Moves Philip Dah, Opportunity Center Manager
Loma Prieta Volunteer Fire Department Alex Leman, Chief Los Altos Hills County Fire District J. Logan, General Manager

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 4: Plan Update Approach 15
Agency or Organization Point of Contact
Los Altos Hills County Fire District Captain (Ret.) Denise Gluhan Los Altos Hills County Fire District Eugenia Woods, Programs, Planning and Grants Manager
Los Altos School District Erik Walukiewicz, Assistant Superintendent, Business Services
Loma Prieta Resource Conservation District Dina Iden, Executive Director Morgan Hill Unified School District Carmen Garcia, Superintendent Moffett Field Ames Research Center, National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Anastasiya Maynich, Emergency Management
Specialist
National Weather Service, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Brian Garcia, Meteorologist
Pacheco Pass Water District Neelima Palacherla, Executive Officer Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce Charlie Weidanz, Executive Director Palo Alto Medical Foundation Richard Stilleke, Director, Environmental Health and Safety
Palo Alto Planning and Transportation
Commission
Doria Summa, Vice Chair
Palo Alto Unified School District Mike Jacobs, Emergency Manager Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) Kevin Conant, Senior Public Safety Specialist Purissima Water District Phil Witt, General Manager
Purissima Water District Anthony Stoloski, Operations Manager Ravenswood Family Health Center Daisy Garcia, Associate, Disaster Preparedness and Project Management
Regional Water Quality Control Board Ava Castanha, Regulator, Environmental Innovation Center
Regional Water Quality Control Board Celina Hernandez, Regulator, Fire Training Regional Water Quality Control Board Alyx Karpowicz, Regulator, Roberts and Story Road Landfills
Regional Water Quality Control Board Vic Pal, Regulator, Singleton Landfill Rotating Safe Car Park Norman Puck, Program Director
San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority Margaret Bruce, Executive Director San José Water John Tang, Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and Government Relations
Santa Clara County CERT President
Santa Clara County FireSafe Council Seth Schalet, Chief Executive Officer Santa Clara County FireSafe Council Amanda Brenner, Program Director, Hazardous Fuel Reduction
Santa Clara County FireSafe Council Dede Smullen, 2nd Vice President Santa Clara County Local Oversight Program Gerald O’Regan, Regulator for Fire Training Santa Clara County Local Oversight Program Joe Muzzio, Regulator for Fire Station at 1138 Olinder Road
Santa Clara County Local Oversight Program Shalom Marquardt, Regulator for Fire Station 8

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 4: Plan Update Approach 16
Agency or Organization Point of Contact
Santa Clara County Parks Don Rocha, Director
Santa Clara County Planning & Development Samuel Gutierrez, Principal Planner Santa Clara County Planning & Development Michael Alvarez, Deputy Director Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office Neil Valenzuela, Commander, West Valley Patrol Division
Santa Clara University Tyler Masamori, Emergency Planning Manager Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority Derek Newman, Manager, Field Operations Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority Megan Robinson, Supervising Open Space Technician
Santa Cruz County David Reid, Director, Office of Emergency Management
Saratoga Amateur Radio Association Jack Griswold, President Saratoga Area Senior Coordinating Council Tylor Taylor, Executive Director Saratoga CERT Charles Rader, Volunteer Lead
Saratoga Fire Protection District Commissioner Joseph Long Jr.

Saratoga Fire Protection District Commissioner Ernest Kraule Saratoga Fire Protection District Commissioner Eugene Zambetti Saratoga Fire Protection District Trina Whitley, Business Manager Saratoga Retirement Community Sarah Stel, Executive Director Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority (SVACA) Heidi Springer, Executive Assistant Silicon Valley Clean Energy Girish Balachandran, Executive Director San José Fire Department, San José Mineta
International Airport
Brendan Buller, Battalion Chief
San José Police Department, San José Mineta
International Airport
Jason Pierce, Lieutenant
Spring Valley Volunteer Fire Department Mike Hacke, Chief St. Louise Hospital (Santa Clara County Hospital
System)
Geoff Tull, Emergency Management Coordinator
Stanford Healthcare Kathy Harris, Emergency Manager
Stanford Healthcare Laura Jackson, Senior Manager, Office of Emergency Management
Stanford Healthcare Monica Plumb, Project Coordinator, Office of Emergency Management
Stanford Healthcare Taylor Wyatt, Project Coordinator, Office of Emergency Management
Stanford University Cody Hill, Associate Director, Stanford Resiliency and Emergency Response
Stanford University Board of Trustees Staff, Board of Trustees Office Stanford University Office of Emergency
Management
Keith Perry, Assistant Director and Emergency
Manager
Stanford University, IT Facilities, Infrastructure,
and Resilience
Matthew Ricks, Senior Director

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 4: Plan Update Approach 17
Agency or Organization Point of Contact
Stanford University, Water Resources and Civil
Infrastructure
Tom Zigterman, Senior Director
Stanford University/Real Estate Mark Smith, Manager
Stanford University/Real Estate Ramsey Shuayto, Director, Asset Management The Villas Scott Clawson, Manager
Valley Water Flood Information Team Greg Meamber, Senior Engineer Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired Karae Lisle, Chief Executive Officer West Valley Clean Water Program Authority Sheila Tucker, Executive Director West Valley College Stephanie Kashima, President
West Valley Sanitation District Jon Newby, District Manager Westwind Barn Tori Dye, Barn Manager

4.4 Establishment of the Planning Partnership
Santa Clara County OEM opened this planning effort to all eligible local governments and special districts within the OA. Each jurisdiction or special district wishing to join the planning partnership was asked to provide a “letter of intent to participate” that designated a point of contact and confirmed the organization’s commitment to the process and understanding of expectations. All planning partners provided this letter of intent. The planning partners covered under this plan are listed below.

Table 4: Planning Partner Main Points of Contact
Planning Partner Main Point of Contact
County of Santa Clara Dr. Parastou Najaf, Senior Emergency Manager – Mitigation/Recovery, Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management
City of Campbell Dan Livingston, Captain of Support Services Division, Police Department
City of Cupertino Meredith Gerhardt, Emergency Management Analyst, Office of Emergency Management
City of Gilroy Andrew Young, Emergency Services and Volunteer Coordinator, Office of Emergency Services
City of Los Altos Kathryn Krauss, Captain of Operations, Police Department Town of Los Altos Hills Ann Hepenstal, Emergency Preparedness Consultant, Town of Los Altos Hills
Town of Los Gatos Nicolle Burnham, Director, Parks and Public Works Department
City of Milpitas Toni-Lynn Charlop, Manager, Office of Emergency Services City of Morgan Hill Jennifer Ponce, Coordinator, Office of Emergency Services City of Mountain View Robert Maitland, Emergency Services Coordinator, Office of Emergency Services
City of Palo Alto Nathaniel Rainey, Emergency Services Coordinator, Office of Emergency Services

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 4: Plan Update Approach 18
Planning Partner Main Point of Contact
City of San José Jay McAmis, Deputy Director, Office of Emergency Management
City of Santa Clara Jennifer Guzman, Emergency Management Analyst, Office of Emergency Services
City of Saratoga Crystal Bothelio, Assistant City Manager, City Manager’s Department
City of Sunnyvale Daniel Moskowitz, Lieutenant, Office of Emergency Services, Department of Public Safety
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space
District
Brandon Stewart, Land and Facilities Department Manager, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
Santa Clara County Fire Department Louay Toma, Senior Emergency Manager, Santa Clara County Fire Department
Santa Clara Valley Water District Juan Ledesma, Program Administrator Supervisor, Office of Emergency Services
One-on-one planning meetings were held with planning partners throughout the planning process. A total of 43 individual meetings were held with plan participants to gather information and to provide guidance for the jurisdictions and special districts throughout the planning stages. Each meeting is described in Table 5.

Table 5: One-on-One Meetings with Planning Partners
Planning Partner Date Discussion Topic(s)
City of Campbell February 13, 2023  Planning process contacts  Capabilities assessment
May 15, 2023  Planning documentation review
City of Cupertino February 6, 2023  Planning process contacts  Capabilities assessment
April 20, 2023  Mitigation strategy
City of Gilroy February 14, 2023  Planning process contacts  Capabilities assessment
City of Los Altos February 14, 2023  Planning process contacts  Capabilities assessment
April 27, 2023  Capabilities assessment
 Mitigation strategy
May 9, 2023  Planning documentation review
City of Milpitas March 17, 2023  Planning process contacts  Capabilities assessment
 Risk assessment
May 1, 2023  Risk assessment
 Mitigation strategy
City of Morgan Hill February 14, 2023  Planning process contacts  Capabilities assessment

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 4: Plan Update Approach 19
Planning Partner Date Discussion Topic(s)
City of Mountain View January 31, 2023  Planning process contacts  Capabilities assessment
March 15, 2023  Risk assessment
April 13, 2023  Mitigation action items
May 1, 2023  Mitigation strategy
City of Palo Alto February 7, 2023  Planning process contacts  Capabilities assessment
 Planning process timeline
City of Santa Clara February 8, 2023  Planning process contacts  Capabilities assessment
 Planning process timeline
March 16, 2023  Risk assessment with local planning team March 17, 2023  Risk assessment with water and sewer team March 26, 2023  Mitigation strategy
May 10, 2023  Planning documentation review
City of San José February 13, 2023  Planning process contacts  Capabilities assessment
April 27, 2023  Capabilities assessment
 Mitigation strategy
May 16, 2023  Planning documentation review
City of Saratoga February 9, 2023  Planning process contacts  Capabilities assessment
March 14, 2023  Risk assessment
City of Sunnyvale January 26, 2023  Planning process contacts  Capabilities assessment
March 3, 2023  Risk assessment
April 7, 2023  Risk assessment
 Mitigation strategy
Midpeninsula
Regional Open
Space District
March 6, 2023  Planning process contacts
 Capabilities assessment
 Risk assessment
 Planning process timeline
Santa Clara County
and Santa Clara
County Fire
Department*
February 10, 2023  Planning process contacts
 Capabilities assessment
March 2, 2023  Planning process contacts
 Capabilities assessment
March 8, 2023  Capabilities assessment
 Risk assessment
March 28, 2023  Capabilities assessment
 Risk assessment
 Mitigation strategy

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 4: Plan Update Approach 20
Planning Partner Date Discussion Topic(s)
Santa Clara Valley
Water District
January 23, 2023  Annex layout and contents
 Community Rating System
February 21, 2023  Community Rating System
March 13, 2023  Community Rating System
April 21, 2023  Mitigation strategy
 GIS and mapping
Town of Los Altos
Hills
March 17, 2023  Risk assessment
April 25, 2023  Risk assessment
 Mitigation strategy
June 20, 2023  Annex draft review
Town of Los Gatos February 13, 2023  Planning process contacts  Capabilities assessment
April 27, 2023  Capabilities assessment
 Mitigation strategy
*Santa Clara County and Santa Clara County Fire Department held meeting together due to shared staff and resources.

Figure 1: Planning Partners Meeting

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 4: Plan Update Approach 21
Figure 2: Planning Partners Mitigation Strategy Meeting

4.5 Defining the Planning Area
The defined planning area for this update has been defined as the Santa Clara County Operational Area (OA). The OA is defined as the unincorporated county and incorporated cities within the geographical boundary of Santa Clara County. Relevant OA characteristics are described in Section 5. The City of Monte Sereno did not actively participate in this MJHMP and does not have a planning partner annex; however, information and data related to the city are included throughout the plan as appropriate and relevant.

4.6 Review of Existing Programs
Hazard mitigation planning must include review and incorporation, if appropriate, of existing plans, studies, reports, and technical information (44 CFR, Section 201.6(b)(3)). Section 5.9 of this plan provides a review of laws and ordinances in effect within the OA that can affect hazard mitigation actions. In addition, the following programs can affect mitigation within the OA:
 California Fire Code.
 2016 California Building Code.
 California State Hazard Mitigation Forum.
 Local Capital Improvement Programs.
 Local Emergency Operations Plan.
 Local General Plans.
 Housing Element.
 Safety Element (prior and 2023 draft components).
 Community Wildfire Protection Plan (2016 version and components of the 2023 draft).  Local Zoning Ordinances.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 4: Plan Update Approach 22
 Local Coastal Program Policies.

An assessment of all planning partners’ regulatory, technical, and financial capabilities to implement hazard mitigation actions is presented in the individual planning partner-specific annexes in Volume 2.

Many of these relevant plans, studies and regulations are cited in the capability assessment.

4.7 Public Involvement
Broad public participation in the planning process helps ensure that diverse points of view about the OA’s needs are considered and addressed. Additionally, the plan must document how the public had an opportunity to be involved in the planning process, including underserved communities and vulnerable populations within the planning area were provided an opportunity to be involved. The public must have opportunities to comment on disaster mitigation plans during the drafting stages and prior to plan approval (44 CFR, Section 201.6(b)(1)).

4.7.1 Strategy
The planning team developed a robust public outreach process within the very short project timeline, attempting to reach as many Santa Clara County community members and stakeholders as possible through the following activities:
 Development of a public outreach plan approved by the Core Planning Team.  Partner with planners updating the Safety Element and Community Wildfire Protection Plan planning processes to expand public outreach efforts.
 Attendance at advertised public outreach events and virtual meetings with live interaction.  Development and advertisement of a public survey posted on the SCCOEM’s webpage to collect pertinent information from residents and the business community.  Publication of the survey in Santa Clara County’s most spoken languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.
 Use of social media, such as Nextdoor, Facebook, and Twitter to publicize the survey.

Stakeholder Outreach
Stakeholders are the individuals, departments, agencies, and jurisdictions that have a vested interest in the recommendations of the hazard mitigation plan. The effort to include stakeholders in this process included stakeholder participation on the Steering Committee. The following federal, state, regional, and local stakeholders also played a role in the planning process:
 FEMA Region IX provided planning guidance throughout the planning process.  The California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) provided planning guidance throughout the planning process. Cal OES also reviewed the draft and final version of the MJHMP as part of the hazard mitigation planning process required by DMA.  Many local external stakeholders, including state agencies, local agencies, universities, and nonprofit organizations, were given the opportunity to review the draft plan and provide input. A list of these stakeholders is included in Table 3.

The strategy to involve the public and external stakeholders in this plan include the following:
 Utilize a survey to determine if the public’s perception of risk and support of hazard mitigation has changed since the initial planning process.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 4: Plan Update Approach 23
 Utilize social media and local media to share information about the MJHMP process and inform OA citizens about opportunities to participate.
 Identify and involve a comprehensive range of OA stakeholders.  Partner with planners updating both the Safety Element and the Community Wildfire Protection Plan to expand public outreach efforts.

Public Survey
The planning team relied on the community survey (available in English, Spanish, Tagalog, Chinese, and Vietnamese) as the primary method for gathering information and feedback from the public. The secondary method was multiple in-person combined planning meetings which participants were introduced to hazard mitigation and invited to take the survey. The survey was approved by the Core Planning Team and was available to complete via the Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management’s website. Flyers were also posted around the County and on participating jurisdiction’s official websites and social media pages.

Figure 3: Picture of Public Survey Announcement

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 4: Plan Update Approach 24
Figure 4: Public Survey Media Announcement
The survey included 35 questions to:
 Gauge the public’s perception of risk and identify what citizens are concerned about;  Identify the best ways to communicate with the public;  Determine the level of public support for the different mitigation strategies; and  Understand the public’s willingness to invest in hazard mitigation.

Social Media
At the beginning of the plan development process, a website hosted on the Santa Clara County OEM main website was utilized to keep the public posted on plan development milestones and to solicit relevant input. The website was publicized in all press releases and public meetings. Information on the plan development process, the survey, and phased drafts of the plan was made available to the public on the site throughout the process. Santa Clara County OEM intends to keep a website active after the plan’s completion to keep the public informed about successful mitigation projects and future plan updates.

The website can be accessed at this link: https://emergencymanagement.sccgov.org/multijurisdictional-hazard-mitigation-plan-mjhmp.

Many of the participating local jurisdictions also promoted the website on social media and used social media platforms to share public meeting information, notice of the public survey, and notice of the public comment period. Valley Water, for example, posted to Twitter five times and Facebook 4 times as part of a multi-prong strategy. An example of the social media outreach is provided below.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 4: Plan Update Approach 25
Figure 5: City of Campbell Social Media Outreach
Local Media and Press Releases
The Planning Team conducted a wide range of outreach activities in local media. The County developed three key messages to highlight the significance of the Public Survey Period:

1. Announcement of the Public Survey Period: Informing the community about the survey’s availability.

2. Planning for the Future: Emphasizing the importance of proactive hazard mitigation planning.

3. Your Participation Matters: Encouraging community members to participate and contribute to the planning process by taking the survey.

During the Public Survey Period for the MJHMP, Santa Clara County disseminated one press release to the various media outlets and utilized a specific media monitoring service to report media coverage for the MJHMP. Unfortunately, despite the County’s best efforts, no major media outlets covered the event.

However, Sing Tao Dailey, a prominent Chinese media outlet, published the information on their website on April 17, 2023. This media outlet boasts a wide-reaching presence across the United States, maintaining offices in major markets which includes New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. The press release was also published to the Office of Emergency Management’s website as part of the Newsroom page.

Valley Water also reached out to communities via local media, including Chinese News, El Observador, Murcury News, Metro, Nextdoor, and Vietnam Daily.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 4: Plan Update Approach 26
Information was posted to the County’s social media sites including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, as well as the Department of Planning and Development’s website and the County’s main website during the public survey period. To amplify public messaging, the County encouraged key stakeholders, including the Operational Area Joint Information System, the Access and Functional Needs & Cultural Competency Work Group, and the Operational Area Emergency Managers to amplify messaging with their served community members.

To simplify access to the survey and increase participation, the County established a user-friendly vanity URL. This URL received significant traction, directing 74% of community members to the Hazard Mitigation Webpage, resulting in 880-page views and 767 visits. Additionally, 81% of users who accessed the Hazard Mitigation Page were successfully redirected to the actual survey page. The Hazard Mitigation page was the second most popular site for the period.

The strategic use of local communication channels successfully enhanced community engagement, ensuring a more robust Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan.

Joint MJHMP Outreach
Plan integration was considered throughout the development of a public outreach approach for this plan update. As the Safety Element was being updated at the same time as the Santa Clara County Operational Area HMP, the Core Planning Team members coordinated to include hazard mitigation planning components during outreach for the Safety Element. At this meeting, members of the public were presented with interactive boards and polling questions to gauge their hazard concerns, personal preparedness measures, public outreach and education needs, and support for common infrastructure enhancements. The Hazard Mitigation Plan update was discussed, and the public was provided with information on hazard mitigation and hazard mitigation planning including a link to the public survey. This meeting was conducted at the Campbell Community Center, targeting vulnerable populations in the City of San Jose and central Santa Clara valley. The county geographically designed this approach to ensure that those residence who could not travel to the South County community outreach event in Gilroy (mentioned below) still had an opportunity to have their voices heard. Valley Water had staff representation in the audience to respond to and capture inquiries pertaining to Valley Water’s jurisdictions. More than 40 residents from across the county, including vulnerable pockets in the City of San Jose and the Santa Cruz mountain range, interacted and worked with the MJHMP to voice their concerns.

In determining which vulnerable communities to target for outreach, planning partners referenced the California Hazard Exposure and Social Vulnerability map, Figure 6 below. Two underserved or socially vulnerable communities were identified according to their estimated hazard exposure and social vulnerability. The largest area in San Jose is east of Highway 87 and a much smaller area is in South Santa Clara County, specifically the City of Gilroy. In addition, by using the CalEMA GIS dashboard, these two areas are also recognized for having a median household income of less than 80% of the statewide average and for having significant earthquake ground shaking potential.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 4: Plan Update Approach 27
Figure 6: Hazard Exposure and Social Vulnerability Map for Santa Clara Valley The County also actively facilitated meetings and coordinated outreach between the team working on the HMP and the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). Like the HMP, the CWPP includes recommendations for mitigation measures across the OA. It also includes annexes for the many of the same planning partners which highlight their unique wildfire history and considerations. These similarities presented a valuable opportunity for the two teams to solicit input from the public together. Four joint inperson Public Outreach meetings were conducted in remote, access and functional needs (AFN) areas of the incorporated County as well as an in-person meeting in the Gilroy/South County area where there are pre-identified vulnerable populations. All were welcome to attend. For those that could not make it in person, an additional online outreach meeting was held.

Draft Plan Final Public Comment Period
A public comment period was conducted to allow the public to provide feedback on the proposed draft of the plan prior to submittal to Cal OES for pre-adoption review and approval. This public comment period ran for 14 days from July 14 to July 28, 2023. The draft plan was shared by participating jurisdictions via their social media sites and emails to external stakeholders. The posted plan was accompanied by a narrative explaining to the public the purpose and content of the plan and was available to view on the County’s website.

The Planning Team received 17 comments from the public during the comment period. These comments were reviewed by the Planning Team and incorporated in the plan as appropriate.

4.7.2 Public Involvement Results
Survey Results
The survey received 588 responses. There were 576 responses to the English survey, 10 responses to the Chinese survey, and 2 responses to the Spanish survey. The use of multi-lingual outreach material proved to be valuable in providing the opportunity for more participation and in receiving a

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 4: Plan Update Approach 28
broader range of feedback. The results of the survey were presented to the planning partners and will be used in all future decisions making regarding mitigation, risks, and hazards. The survey results regarding respondent’s concern for hazards are summarized in Appendix A of this volume.

Public Outreach Events
As mentioned, many joint planning efforts occurred between the Santa Clara County MJHMP, Safety Element, and Community Wildfire Protection Plan. This is the first time in Santa Clara County history that this kind of planning effort and coordination has occurred. There were several public meetings for each planning initiative, and each meeting included presentations about the Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan.

By engaging the public both virtually and in person, the concept of mitigation was widely shared, and the public was provided the opportunity to review the draft plan. Participants at each meeting were encouraged to participate via the public survey. Table 6 summarizes each public outreach meeting that occurred across the OA.

Recordings of each meeting can be found at https://sccfiresafe.org/cwpp/ Figure 7: Public and Stakeholder Meeting with 99 Participants

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 4: Plan Update Approach 29
Figure 8: Public and Stakeholder Meeting with 104 Participants Table 6: Summary of Public Outreach
Date Summary of Outreach
November 10,
2022
MJHMP presentation and invitation for public comment and feedback at the joint Safety Element Virtual Town Hall (virtual)
December 6,
2022
MJHMP presentation and invitation for public comment and feedback at the joint CWPP Community Outreach Meeting Campbell (in-person)
 59 fliers distributed, 24 individual risk assessments conducted, 75+ contacts made regarding the plan
December 7,
2022
MJHMP presentation and invitation for public comment and feedback at the joint CWPP Community Outreach Meeting San Jose (in-person)
December 13,
2022
MJHMP presentation and invitation for public comment and feedback at the joint CWPP Community Outreach Meeting Milpitas (in-person)
December 15,
2022
MJHMP presentation and invitation for public comment and feedback at the joint CWPP Community Outreach Meeting Morgan Hill (in-person) December 15,
2022
MJHMP presentation and invitation for public comment and feedback at the joint Safety Element CARAS South County Community Listening Meeting (in-person) March 15,
2023
MJHMP presentation and invitation for public comment and feedback at the joint Safety Element Listening Session
June 14-28, 2023 Draft MJHMP published online and a public comment period was in place for two weeks. Comments were considered and implemented where applicable.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 4: Plan Update Approach 30
Draft MJHMP Public Comment Period
During the development of the MJHMP, the public had the opportunity to review the Draft and make final comments. Every participating jurisdiction advertised this public comment period by using multiple online resources, including official social media accounts, websites, and online newsletters. These comments were taken into consideration and implemented where applicable.

Figure 9: Samples of Public Comment Period Advertisements Public Representation
In addition to directly providing the public the opportunity to comment on the plan, the Santa Clara County Access and Functional Needs and Cultural Competency Working Group which represents tens of community and faith-based organizations within the SCC operational area were consulted on the plan and were able to provide feedback based on the populations they serve. Approximately 100 non-profits and VOAD members participate in the AFN and Cultural Competency Working Group. SCC also has representation from community centers and two consulate generals. In addition, there are also advocates who do not have an affiliation but are Santa Clara County residents and provide input on LGBTQ+ and Disability topics. Some of the organizations include but are not limited to San Andreas Regional Center, Immigrant Info Services, Vista Center for the Blind, American Red Cross, Parents Helping Parents, Lighthouse. In general, the direct interaction and represented voices shared similar sentiments in concern for specifically the extreme heat and wildfire hazard, community preparedness, and education and outreach activities. Therefore, prioritization of the wildfire hazard, and the corresponding mitigation actions, along with high attention to public outreach and education efforts informed the many such related mitigation actions in the plan.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 4: Plan Update Approach 31

4.8 Plan Development Chronology and Milestones
Table 7 summarizes important milestones in the plan update process.

Table 7: Plan Development Chronology and Milestones
Date Event Description
December
8, 2022
Initial meeting with Core Planning
Team
 Planning groups
 IEM project staff
 Project phases
 Proposed workshop schedule
 Administration and logistics
December
14, 2022
Kick off meeting with planning
partners
 Introductions
 IEM project staff
 Planning groups
 Mitigation overview
 Mitigation planning benefits
 Intent of plan update
 Plan participants
 Hazards covered
 Updated FEMA requirements
 Planning expectations
 Project phases
 County planning efforts underway
 Plan integration opportunities
 Stakeholder identification
 Use of SharePoint
January 18,
2023
Community Capabilities Review
Workshop with planning partners
 Planning groups
 Planning process contacts
▪ Local planning teams
▪ Internal stakeholders
▪ External stakeholders
 Capabilities assessment
 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
 Use of SharePoint
February
15, 2023
Risk Assessment Workshop with
planning partners
 Project phases
 Public outreach and documentation
 Hazus
 GIS
 Community Rating System (CRS)
 Risk assessment
 Planning documents
 Risk ranking
March 15,
2023
Stakeholder Engagement
Workshop #1
 Workshop goals
 Hazard mitigation planning
▪ Overview

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 4: Plan Update Approach 32
Date Event Description
▪ Planning process
 Project phases
 Mitigation action items
 Feedback on data sources
April 3,
2023
Stakeholder Engagement
Workshop #2
 Workshop goals
 Multijurisdictional hazard mitigation plan recap
 Mitigation strategy
 Mitigation action items
 Funding sources
 Mitigation integration
April 3,
2023
Mitigation Strategy Workshop with
planning partners
 Mitigation strategy
 Mitigation projects working group
 2017 mitigation strategy
 Review of 2017 actions
 New action items
 Mitigation incorporation
April 4,
2023
Public survey published on County
of Santa Clara Office of
Emergency Management website
Thirty-five question survey published at
https://emergencymanagement.sccgov.org/pa
rtners/hazard-mitigation-program
April 18,
2023
Mitigation Strategy Working Group
Meeting
 Working group expectations
 Review of 2017 MHMP goals and objectives
 Review of 2017 MHMP projects
 Discussion of the current gaps in identifying
projects and accessing funding
May 19,
2023
Public survey closed Total of 588 responses received: 576 in English, 10 in Chinese, and 2 in Spanish.

June 2,
2023
Planning process wrap up meeting
with planning partners
 Public survey results summary
 Implementation
 Monitoring and evaluation
 Maintenance
 Adoption
 Draft review
 Draft plan publicity for public and stakeholders
July 13,
2023
Draft plan published on County of
Santa Clara Office of Emergency
Management website for public
and stakeholder review
Public comment period was open for two weeks
to give the public a chance to review the Draft
and make comments.

September
25, 2023
Plan submittal to Cal OES Final draft plan submitted to Cal OES for review and approval.

January 16,
2024
Plan submittal to FEMA Final draft plan submitted to FEMA for review and approval.

Plan Approvable Pending
Adoption (APA) by FEMA.

FEMA to provide APA Letter once they approve
the final draft plan.

February 8,
2024
First planning partner adopts
approved plan.

All participants must formally adopt the plan. The
five-year lifecycle begins with the first adoption.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 5: Santa Clara County Operational Area Profile 33 5 Santa Clara County Operational Area Profile

5.1 Geographic Overview
The Santa Clara County Operational Area is in north-central California in the southern portion of the San Francisco Bay area (see Figure 9). With its numerous natural amenities and one of the highest standards of living in the country, the OA has long been considered one of the best areas in the United States in which to live and work. The county is also referred to as “Silicon Valley.” The Santa Clara County OA has a total area of 1,312 square miles. With a diverse population of more than 1.9 million residents,6F6F
7 it is one of the largest counties in the state and encompasses 15 incorporated cities.

San José is the largest city, with just over 1 million people, 7F7F 8 followed by Sunnyvale and Santa Clara; the
west valley bedroom communities of Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, and Saratoga; the high-tech communities of Campbell, Cupertino, Mountain View, and Palo Alto; industrial Milpitas, and the south county suburban expansion/rural interface areas of Gilroy, Morgan Hill, and their surrounding unincorporated areas. A significant portion of the county’s land area is unincorporated ranch and farmland.

The OA has a rich culture of ethnic diversity, artistic endeavors, sports venues, and academic institutions.

Numerous public and private golf courses are located throughout the OA and Santa Clara County operates 28 parks covering more than 50,000 acres, including lakes, streams, and miles of hiking and biking trails. The OA is home to three major universities—Stanford University, Santa Clara University, and San José State University—as well as several community colleges.

5.2 Historical Overview
The early inhabitants of the area now known as Santa Clara County were the indigenous Ohlone people, thought to occupy the area at least 1,000 years before Spain began to colonize California in the 18th century.

Spanish settlers established the Santa Clara Valley’s first mission and pueblo in Santa Clara and San José, respectively, and governed “El Llano de Los Robles” (Plain of the Oaks), until the Mexican Revolution led to Mexican control from the 1820s through 1840s. In 1850, California was admitted into the United States, and Santa Clara County was incorporated as one of the state’s original 27 counties.

Deriving its name from Mission Santa Clara, the county originally included much of what was Washington Township (part of Union City and Fremont) in what is now Alameda County. The current county boundaries were set in 1853 when Alameda County was established.

From 1850 to 1870, ranchers made a transition from raising cattle and sheep to cultivating hay and grain.

French immigrants planted the first vineyards. Mercury mining flourished. California’s first colleges were founded in Santa Clara County and the coming of the railroad produced a small boom in real estate. 7 United States Census Bureau. (2020). Quick Facts: Santa Clara County. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/santaclaracountycalifornia 8 United States Census Bureau. (2020). Quick Facts: San José City. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/sanjosecitycalifornia,santaclaracountycalifornia/PST045222

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 5: Santa Clara County Operational Area Profile 34 Figure 10: Santa Clara County Operational Area (Planning Area) After 1870, orchards began displacing grain fields and vineyards. The Santa Clara Valley became the world’s leading producer of canned fruit and processed dried fruit. By the end of the 19th century, wealthy San Franciscans, such as Leland Stanford and James Lick, established farms and summer homes in the county.

Santa Clara County remained pastoral until World War II, when many people gravitated to California to work in war-related industries. To accommodate the growing population, mass-produced housing spread across the Santa Clara Valley, and agricultural land was subdivided and developed for housing. Like much of the rest of the United States in the decades immediately following the war, development in the county shifted from largely agricultural to largely suburban.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 5: Santa Clara County Operational Area Profile 35 At the same time, technology companies began to flourish in Santa Clara County, with significant support and encouragement from Stanford University. The Stanford Industrial Park, established in 1951, later became the Stanford Research Park and provided space for companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Eastman Kodak, General Electric, and Lockheed. Related companies began to form around the region, and by the 1970s Santa Clara County and surrounding areas became known as a center of hightechnology development. The term Silicon Valley was coined in 1971, referring to the high concentration of companies in the area that are involved in making silicon semiconductors and the computers that rely on them. Technology industries remain central to the area’s economy to this day.

5.3 Major Past Hazard Events
Presidential disaster declarations are typically issued for hazard events that cause more damage than state and local governments can handle without assistance from the federal government. A presidential disaster declaration puts federal recovery programs into motion to help disaster victims, businesses, and public entities. Some of the programs are matched by state programs. Santa Clara County has experienced 20 events (14 major disaster declarations, three emergency declarations, two fire management assistance declarations, and one fire suppression declaration) since 1950 for which presidential disaster declarations were issued. These events are listed in Table 8.

Table 8: Presidential Disaster Declarations8F8F
9 Type of Event FEMA Disaster
Number* Date
Severe Winter Storm DR-3592 03/10/2023
Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides DR-4683 January 14, 2023 Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides EM-3591 January 9, 2023 Wildfires DR-4558 August 22, 2020
SCU Lightning Complex Fire DR-5338 August 21, 2020
COVID-19 Pandemic DR-4482 March 22, 2020
COVID-19 EM-3428 March 13, 2020
Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides DR-4308 April 1, 2017 Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides DR-4301 February 14, 2017 Summit Fire DR-2766 May 22, 2008
Wildfires DR-3287 06/28/2008
Croy Fire FS-2465 September 25, 2002
Severe Winter Storms and Flooding DR-1203 February 9, 1998 Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides DR-1155 January 4, 1997 Severe Winter Storms, Flooding Landslides, and Mud Flow DR-1046 March 12, 1995 Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mud Flows DR-1044 January 10, 1995 Severe Freeze DR-894 February 11, 1991
Loma Prieta Earthquake DR-845 October 18, 1989
Severe Storms and Flooding DR-758 February 21, 1986
Grass, Wildlands, and Forest Fires DR-739 July 18, 1985 9 Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2023). Declared Disasters. https://www.fema.gov/disaster/declarations

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 5: Santa Clara County Operational Area Profile 36 Type of Event FEMA Disaster
Number* Date
Coastal Storms, Floods, Slides, and Tornadoes DR-677 February 9, 1983 Severe Storms, Flood, Mudslides, and High Tide DR-651 January 7, 1982 Drought EM-3023 January 20, 1977
* DR = Disaster Declaration; EM = Emergency Declaration; FM = Fire Management; FS = Fire Suppression Review of these events helps to identify targets for risk reduction and ways to increase a community’s capability to avoid large-scale events in the future. Still, many natural hazard events do not trigger federal disaster protocol but have significant impacts on their communities. These events are also important to consider in establishing recurrence intervals for hazards of concern. Additional information about previous hazard events is included in Section 6 of this plan.

5.4 Physical Setting

5.4.1 Geology and Topography
The OA’s topography is characterized by its location in the southern San Francisco Bay area. The Santa Clara Valley runs the entire length of the county from north to south, ringed by the rolling hills of the Diablo Range on the east, and the Santa Cruz Mountains on the west. Salt marshes and wetlands lie in the northwestern part of the county, adjacent to the waters of San Francisco Bay.

5.4.2 Soils
Prior to 1950 and as far back as the late 1800s, Santa Clara Valley was the scene of a vibrant and productive agriculture industry. Many of the soils of the Santa Clara Valley are alluvial, deposited on fans or floodplains within the valley. The young, deep soils (Elder, Elpaloalto, Still, Stevens Creek, Landelspark, Botella, and Campbell) are naturally very fertile. Field crops were cultivated on the lower parts of the valley, and orchards spanned from the hills east of Milpitas and San José across the valley to Los Altos and Palo Alto. With the introduction of the electric water pump in the early 20th century, irrigation water from the plentiful ground-water supply became readily available on farms, increasing productivity.

The Santa Clara Valley became widely known for the production of high-quality orchard fruits, which were shipped across the United States.

Dams were constructed on major streams to store irrigation water and control flooding. As groundwater was rapidly pumped from a depth of several hundred feet, subsurface materials compacted which led to land subsidence. Subsidence damaged pipes and other in-ground structures, and levees were required to block tidewater from entering subsided land. The benefit of this control of streams and pumping of groundwater was a valley relatively free from flooding and high groundwater, an ideal condition for the rapid urban expansion that followed.

After World War II, urban growth in the San Francisco Bay area began to expand down to the south end of the bay and into the Santa Clara Valley. After 1950, the pace of development quickened, and subdivisions began to spring up. The first wave of development occurred on the soils along the El Camino Real corridor, where the alluvial fans were relatively level, with slopes of 2 percent or less. Development exploded in the 1960s and topsoil was moved to house lots from the street areas. This type of subdivision construction continued until about 1980, when more shaping of house lots to control drainage began. By 1980, home construction had started to slow because many of the level areas fit for construction were now already developed.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 5: Santa Clara County Operational Area Profile 37 After 1980, subdivision development moved up areas of alluvial fans and greater slopes, and lot-shaping became more common. After 1990, development moved into steep areas at the edge of the valley and the foothills. Soil disturbance can be severe in these areas, with more than 5 feet of cuts or fills.

Fills may consist of materials from several feet below the soil surface, have a high content of clay or fragments, and be low in organic matter and fertility. Cut areas may have subsoil materials at the surface, which also may have a high content of clay or fragments and be low in organic matter and fertility. Many residents have modified the soil surface texture in garden areas with sandy materials and mulches. In areas of the basin soils (Hangerone, Clear Lake, and Embarcadero), clay surface and subsurface textures and slow internal drainage due to a high clay content are problems for gardens, ornamental plants, and lawns.9F9F
10 5.4.3 Climate
Table 9 summarizes normal climate date from 1981 through 2022 at the National Climatic Data Center weather station at San José. The Mediterranean climate of the OA remains temperate year-round due to the area’s geography and its proximity to the Pacific Ocean. The area is warm and dry much of the year.

Rarely is the humidity uncomfortable, and the thermometer seldom drops below freezing. Rain is generally limited to winter and snow to the tops of local mountains.

Table 9: Normal Precipitation and Temperatures in the Operational Area, 1981–20221 0F10F 11 Months Mean Precipitation
(inches)
Minimum
Temperature (°F)
Maximum
Temperature (°F)
January 2.65 32 68
February 2.56 35 74
March 2.28 38 79
April 0.91 41 87
May 0.41 46 91
June 0.10 50 97
July 0.01 53 95
August 0.02 54 96
September 0.16 51 95
October 0.66 45 90
November 1.55 37 77
December 2.35 32 68
Annual 13.39 30 100
10 United States Department of Agriculture. (2015). Supplement to the Soil Survey of Santa Clara. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/conservation-basics/natural-resource-concerns/soil/soil-science 11 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (n.d.). Climate Data Online. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/cdo-web/

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 5: Santa Clara County Operational Area Profile 38

5.5 Development Profile

5.5.1 Land Use
Table 10 shows current land use for unincorporated Santa Clara County; complete land use data was not available for municipalities in the OA. Land use information is analyzed in this plan for each identified hazard that has a defined spatial extent and location.

For hazards that lack this spatial reference, the information in the table serves as a baseline estimate of land use and exposure. The distribution of land uses for the unincorporated county will change over time.

Table 10: Unincorporated County Land Use
Type of Land Use Area (acres) Percentage of Total Area
Agricultural 33,355.5 5.53
General / Institutional 5,381.3 0.89
Open Space 548,603.4 90.88
Low Density Residential 15,988.7 2.65
High Density Residential 68.6 0.01
Commercial 161.8 0.03
Industrial 85.0 0.01
Total 603,644.5 100.00

5.5.2 Critical Facilities, Infrastructure, and Assets
Critical facilities and infrastructure are those that are essential to the health and welfare of the population.

These features become especially important after a hazard event. Critical facilities typically include public safety stations, schools, department operation centers, and emergency operations centers. Critical infrastructure can include the roads and bridges that provide ingress and egress and allow emergency vehicles access to those in need, and the utilities that provide water, electricity, and communication services to the community. Critical facilities identified in this plan were selected, mapped, and included in geographic information system (GIS) databases based on information provided through the Working Group meetings, stakeholder information requests, and the 2018 State of California Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan.

Although many facilities and assets of the Santa Clara County OA are important to the quality of life, this plan focuses on those whose loss would result in the greatest impacts on life and safety in the event of a natural hazard. As defined for this hazard mitigation plan update, critical facilities are:

Structures or other improvements, public or private, that, because of function, size, service area, or uniqueness, have the potential to cause serious bodily harm, extensive property damage, or disruption of vital socioeconomic activities if it is destroyed or damaged or if its functionality is impaired. Critical facilities may include but are not limited to health and

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 5: Santa Clara County Operational Area Profile 39 safety facilities, utilities, government facilities, hazardous materials facilities, or vital community economic facilities. 11F11F 12 All critical facilities and infrastructure were analyzed in Hazus to help rank risk and identify mitigation actions. The risk assessment for each hazard qualitatively discusses critical facilities with regard to that hazard. Table 11 summarizes the general types of critical facilities and infrastructure by local jurisdiction.

Figure 10 and Figure 11 show the locations of critical facilities and infrastructure in the OA. Due to the sensitivity of this information, a detailed list of facilities is not provided. The list is on file with Santa Clara County OEM.

Table 11: Critical Facilities and Infrastructure in the Operational Area Jurisdiction Essential
Facilities Transportation Utilities Hazardous Materials Community
Assets Jurisdiction
Campbell 21 23 0 6 7 93
Cupertino 26 26 2 5 16 95
Gilroy 25 34 2 7 13 118
Los Altos 22 8 0 0 11 73
Los Altos Hills 6 21 0 0 2 55
Los Gatos 20 35 0 1 6 79
Milpitas 32 66 1 60 19 178
Monte Sereno 1 1 0 0 1 5
Morgan Hill 22 14 1 8 10 69
Mountain View 37 52 1 20 29 174
Palo Alto 49 42 4 26 46 207
San José 370 498 18 135 191 1,479
Santa Clara
(city)
53 63 9 103 36 295
Saratoga 18 32 0 0 11 70
Sunnyvale 40 49 3 51 27 232
Unincorporated
County
38 187 17 4 48 327
Total 777 1151 58 426 473 3,549
12 Organization of American States. (n.d.). Critical Facilities Mapping. https://www.oas.org/dsd/publications/Unit/oea66e/ch07.htm

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 5: Santa Clara County Operational Area Profile 40 Figure 11: Critical Facilities in the Operational Area

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 5: Santa Clara County Operational Area Profile 41 Figure 12: Critical Infrastructure in the Operational Area

5.5.3 Future Trends in Development
An understanding of population and development trends can assist in planning for future development and ensuring that appropriate mitigation, planning, and preparedness measures are in place to protect human health and community infrastructure. The DMA requires that communities consider land use trends, which can alter the need for, and priority of, mitigation options over time. Land use and development trends significantly affect exposure and vulnerability to various hazards. For example, significant development in a hazard area increases the building stock and population exposed to that hazard. New development that has occurred in the last five years within the OA and potential future development in the next five years, as identified by each jurisdiction, is addressed in the planning partner annexes located in Volume 2 of this plan.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 5: Santa Clara County Operational Area Profile 42 The municipal planning partners have adopted general plans that govern land use decision and policy making for their jurisdictions. Decisions on land use will be governed by these programs. This plan will work together with these programs to support wise land use in the future by providing vital information on the risk associated with natural hazards in the OA. Incorporating information from the hazard mitigation into the general plan as the plans are updated will ensure that future development will be established with the benefits of the information on risk and vulnerability to natural hazards identified in this plan.

5.6 Demographics
Some populations are at greater risk from hazard events because of decreased resources or physical abilities. Those who are older, for example, may be more likely to require additional assistance. Research has shown that people living near or below the poverty line, those who are older, women, children, those who are racial and/or ethnic minorities, renters, individuals with disabilities, and others with access and functional needs, may all experience more severe impacts from disasters than the general population.

These more vulnerable populations may vary from the general population in risk perception, living conditions, access to information before, during, and after a hazard event, capabilities during an event, and access to resources for post-disaster recovery. Indicators of vulnerability—such as disability, age, poverty, and minority race and ethnicity—often overlap spatially and often in the geographically most vulnerable locations. Detailed spatial analysis to locate areas where there are higher concentrations of more vulnerable community members helps to extend focused public outreach and education and resources to these most vulnerable residents.

5.6.1 Population
Resident Population
Information about population is a critical part of planning because it directly relates to land needs such as housing, industry, stores, public facilities and services, and transportation. The 2020 U.S. Census estimated the OA’s population at 1,936,259. 12F12F
13 Population changes are useful socio-economic indicators. A growing population generally indicates a growing economy, while a decreasing population signifies economic decline. In this case, population estimates are assumed to be influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, rising cost of living including housing, and decline in foreign immigration due to change in federal policy. Since 2011, California has experienced an increased number of people moving out of the State in a year than into it. The OA is no exception. Table 12 shows the population in the OA from 2000 to 2022 according to the California Finance Department.

Table 12: Recent Population Data13F13F
14 Jurisdiction
Population
2000 2005 2010 2015 2022
City of Campbell 38,138 37,406 39,349 41,986 42,833
13 United States Census Bureau. (2020). Quick Facts: Santa Clara County. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/santaclaracountycalifornia 14 State of California Department of Finance. (2021, December). E-2 California County Population Estimates and Components of Change by Year. https://dof.ca.gov/Forecasting/Demographics/e-2-california-county-populationestimates-and-components-of-change-byyear/#:~:text=California%E2%80%99s%20population%20declined%20by%20173%2C000%20persons%20between %20July,estimates%20released%20today%20by%20the%20Department%20of%20Finance.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 5: Santa Clara County Operational Area Profile 43 Jurisdiction
Population
2000 2005 2010 2015 2022
City of Cupertino 50,546 53,632 58,302 58,038 59,610
City of Gilroy 41,464 45,782 48,821 54,324 59,269
City of Los Altos 27,693 27,381 28,976 30,513 31,526
Town of Los Altos Hills 7,902 7,852 7,922 8,595 8,400
Town of Los Gatos 28,592 28,070 29,413 31,157 33,062
City of Milpitas 62,698 62,177 66,790 74,140 80,839
City of Monte Sereno 3,483 3,324 3,341 3,445 3,488
City of Morgan Hill 33,556 35,011 37,822 42,382 46,451
City of Mountain View 70,708 70,629 74,066 76,712 83,864 City of Palo Alto 58,598 60,723 64,403 67,331 67,473
City of San José 894,943 901,159 945,942 1,030,053 976,482 City of Santa Clara 102,361 107,058 116,468 121,580 130,127 City of Saratoga 29,843 29,630 29,926 30,060 30,667
City of Sunnyvale 131,760 131,853 140,081 146,629 156,234 Unincorporated County 100,300 96,547 90,020 87,029 84,458 Total 1,682,585 1,698,234 1,781,642 1,903,974 1,894,783 Daily Commuting Population
According to the California Employment Development Department, Santa Clara County is the single largest commuter destination in Submarket C of the San Francisco Bay Area Economic Market, holding and/or importing 1,009,391 commuters daily. 14F1 4F
15 This large commuter contingent has impacts on planning for the OA’s infrastructure and service needs, as well as on planning for hazard mitigation and emergency management. Commuters may be familiar with the area immediately surrounding their place of business or regular route to work but may be less familiar with the services and resources provided to the population during a disaster event.

The U.S. Census estimates that over 66.8 percent of workers in the OA commute alone (by car, truck, or van) to work, and mean travel time to work is 24 minutes. The state average is 28 minutes. 1 5F15F 16 5.6.2 Age Distribution
As a group, the adults who are older are more apt to lack the physical and economic resources necessary for response and resiliency for hazard events and are more likely to suffer health-related consequences making recovery slower. They are more likely to be vision, hearing, and/or mobility impaired, and more likely to experience mental impairment or dementia. Additionally, adults who are older are more likely to live in assisted- living facilities where emergency preparedness occurs at the discretion of facility operators. These facilities are typically identified as “critical facilities” by emergency managers because 15 California Employment Development Department. (2020, August 28). WIOA Regional Planning Units. https://edd.ca.gov/siteassets/files/Jobs_and_Training/pubs/wsd20-01.pdf 16 United States Census Bureau. (2020). Quick Facts: Santa Clara County; California. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/santaclaracountycalifornia,CA/LFE305221