City Council Agenda Report
Meeting Date: April 4, 2023
From: Lisa Pope, City Clerk
Department: City Clerk
Submitted by: Lisa Pope, City Clerk
Subject
City of Vernon Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
Recommendation
A. Find that the proposed action is exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review, because it is an administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment, and therefore does not constitute a “project” as defined by CEQA Guidelines Section 15378. The Local Hazard Mitigation Plan acts as a guide for hazard mitigation strategies but does not implement any specific project, action, or funding; and B. Adopt Resolution No. 2023-05 adopting the City of Vernon 2023 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan.
Background
In 2021, the City initiated the preparation of the update to the 2004 City of Vernon Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan, which addresses natural and human-caused hazards that may impact the community. This update to the former plan has evolved into the 2023 City of Vernon Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP). Preparation of the LHMP is governed by the Stafford Act, as amended by the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA 2000). These requirements ensure that a community focuses on the reduction of loss of life and property, human suffering, and economic disruption, as well as provides disaster assistance for costs resulting from natural disasters.
While the LHMP is intended to function independently, the State of California adopted Assembly Bill 2140 (codified as Government Code Section 65302.6), which recommends incorporation of the LHMP into the General Plan Safety Element, so both documents are internally consistent and reinforce how hazards are addressed and risk is mitigated within the City.
This is the City’s first update to the LHMP since 2004. Under the requirements of DMA 2000, an LHMP must be updated and approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) every five years to maintain eligibility for federal grant opportunities under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA), and Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) programs. These funding opportunities become available annually, or as a result of a Presidential Disaster Declaration.
One of the many requirements to receive State and Federal approval includes incorporating community feedback, as well as, developing a robust planning team of key community stakeholders with expertise on local hazards. The planning team consisted of key stakeholders from City departments, and key stakeholders versed in the issues surrounding hazards in Vernon.
The first planning meeting took place in August 2021. Subsequent meetings and plan development continued through August 2022.
The 2023 Vernon LHMP assesses the significant natural and human-caused hazards that may affect the City and its inhabitants. The plan evaluates these relevant hazards, assesses the population and potentially vulnerable structures, and recommends mitigation strategies and actions to be implemented in the future to reduce these vulnerabilities and aid in creating a more resilient community. These future mitigation actions include policies, programs, projects, and tools to implement over the long term to reduce future economic, infrastructure and personal property losses community wide.
The plan was presented to City Council on September 6, 2022, as the plan was released for public review. The City did not receive any comments on the Public Review Draft LHMP. The plan was then sent to the California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) for its review and approval. CalOES completed review and transmitted the document to FEMA for its review and approval. On March 9, 2023, FEMA transmitted the “Approvable Pending Adoption” letter that allows the City to adopt this plan starting the 5-year implementation period.
Fiscal Impact
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report, although, the creation and implementation of the mitigation strategies and actions developed within the plan will increase the City’s development of risk reduction programs and improvements which can ultimately reduce significant costs associated with future disaster response and recovery within the City.
Attachments
1. Resolution No. 2023-05
2. 2023 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan