To: Board of Supervisors
From: David O. Livingston, Sheriff-Coroner
Report Title: ACCEPT a report from the Office of Emergency Services on the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan and APPROVE the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan - County Base Plan.
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
ADOPT a Resolution to:
1. ACCEPT a report from the Office of Emergency Services on the Local Hazard Mitigation
Plan, and
2. APPROVE the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan - County Base Plan
FISCAL IMPACT:
No direct fiscal impact.
BACKGROUND:
The County of Contra Costa was awarded funding by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to update the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP). LHMPs should be updated every five years and are used to identify the hazards that impact communities and mitigation actions to reduce losses from those hazards. The Plan is developed through a collaborative process among the participating jurisdictions to implement the plan.
Under Section 404 of the Stafford Act, the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) which is administered by FEMA, provides grants to states and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures after a major disaster declaration. Having a FEMA and CalOES-approved plan allows special districts, cities, and counties to be eligible to receive pre- and post-disaster mitigation funding from the State of California and FEMA. The previous LHMP expired on April 19, 2023. While Contra Costa County Office of Emergency Services began the update process in March 2021, delays in the FEMA grant awarding process, low staffing, and a declared federal disaster in January of 2023 significantly impacted planning efforts.
Planning Process
March 2023, the County Office of Emergency Services awarded the contract to Integrated Solutions Consulting (ISC). to update the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan through an RFP process.
ISC lead the plan update process with the support of County OES staff. The planning process consisted of five main steps:
1) Formation of the Steering Committee: The steering committee consists of city and county representatives with varying fields of expertise, such as public information, planning, and engineering. The committee serves to inform and guide the overall development of the plan.
2) Develop Community Profile: Using local plans, census data, and other information, a community profile was developed for each participating jurisdiction. These profiles provide an overview of resources, capabilities, critical infrastructure, and population.
3) Hazard Profile and Risk Ranking: Following a data-driven quantitative assessment, the planning team utilized subject matter knowledge and expertise to rank and profile hazards. Other rankings were used to inform the analysis, such as the previous mitigation plan, the County’s Vulnerability Assessment, and the FEMA National Risk Index Scores. Each participating agency has a different risk ranking depending on their community profiles, vulnerabilities, and input from their planning team. Countywide, 10 natural and 5 technological/human-caused hazards were identified within the County.
4) Update and Develop Mitigation Strategies: FEMA requires that each participating jurisdiction identify and analyze a comprehensive range of specific mitigation actions and projects for each jurisdiction being considered to reduce the effects of hazards, with emphasis on new and existing buildings and infrastructure (Requirement 44 CFR § 201.6(c)(3)(ii)). The plan must include at least one (1) mitigation action per hazard for each plan participant (i.e., municipalities, special districts). Actions must be identified in the hazard mitigation plan to qualify for FEMA funding.
5) Inform, Educate, and Involve the Public: Throughout the planning process, the public was invited to learn about the hazard mitigation plan development, help shape risk ranking, and inform mitigation strategies. The public was invited to participate through two surveys and an extensive series of public outreach events throughout the County.
Planning Partners
Contra Costa County OES made multiple attempts to invite all eligible cities and special districts to participate in the planning process. In total, 40 additional participants, including 16 cities and 24 special districts, participated in the planning process. This planning cycle included the largest number of participants in our mitigation planning process.
Given the number of participants, the plan is divided into two volumes. Volume I is the county annex; it includes the overall analysis of the hazards, a county profile, and the countywide mitigation action items. Volume II is comprised of the annexes for each city and special district. Forty annexes are included as part of the second volume.
New Guidelines
This planning cycle saw significant challenges. On April 19, 2023, FEMA implemented new guidelines that increased the requirements necessary for plan participants to receive plan approval. This included increased specificity on who should be included as part of the planning process, consideration for underserved populations in the hazard ranking process, and the promotion of LHMP integration into other county plans.
The new guidelines also created a more robust requirement for public outreach. In the previous plan, outreach conducted by Contra Costa County OES for Volume I met the requirements for public outreach, whereas the new guidelines require that each plan participant conduct their own individual outreach strategy, including both virtual and in-person events. A comprehensive outreach strategy was created to support each jurisdiction to elicit public involvement. Plan participants were provided outreach materials for their outreach endeavors, including printed materials, presentation slides, a social media toolkit, and other tools. All outreach materials for this plan were translated into Spanish, Tagalog, and Traditional and Simplified Chinese.
Additionally, two coordination calls were held with plan participants in order to ensure there was clarity on strategy and that opportunities to collaborate across jurisdictions were presented. Over 80 outreach events were attended by plan participants throughout the course of the plan.
The updated planning guidance greatly increased the burden on all participants throughout the planning process. Historically, Volume I (the County Plan) covered a significant portion of the data needs, such as population impacts and development trends. The new regulations required the same data from every plan participant, including special districts and reclamation districts.
Contra Costa County is the first county in the state to have an approved reclamation district under the new FEMA guidelines. After coordination with other counties and CalOES we anticipated a significant challenge in ensuring reclamation districts could meet the updated guidelines. Due to the increased reporting and documentation lift, other counties have pulled all their reclamation districts from the planning process. Our vendor, ISC, worked extensively with their GIS team to accurately depict county layers and district boundaries to ensure that critical information could be presented on the reclamation districts.
Coordination with Other Counties, CalOES, & FEMA
The increased challenges in the planning process and the new guidelines required Contra Costa County OES to proactively coordinate with other counties, CalOES, and FEMA to ensure the new guidelines were fully implemented throughout the plan. Across the state, Contra Costa County OES met with other County Emergency Management Agencies that had undergone the updated LHMP process and used their lessons learned and best practices to inform the plan development. Throughout the planning process, OES staff met with CalOES multiple times to obtain additional clarity on the state’s interpretation of the new FEMA guidelines. OES staff also met with FEMA and CalOES to champion involvement by the Reclamation Districts and advocate for ways to maintain them as part of the planning process. The increased coordination ensured we aligned with the State and FEMA throughout the process.
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Current Status of the Plan
The plan was submitted for a concurrent review with FEMA and CalOES on July 15, 2024. CalOES and FEMA reviewed the County base plan and Diablo Water District’s Annex and returned for revisions on September 3, 2024. Contra Costa County OES submitted the revised base plan and Diablo Water District Annex for review on September 17, 2024. Cal OES and FEMA approved the plan on September 20, 2024. The Bethel Island Municipal Improvement District annex was approved on October 23, 2024. The remaining 38 annexes were returned for revisions on September 20, 2024 and resubmitted for review on November 1, 2024.
Due to the expedited timeline, a concurrent review is not standard practice for this plan and is rarely approved when requested. Due to the expired status of our current plan, Contra Costa County requested a concurrent review of the plan which benefits the County in multiple ways. First, it provides the opportunity for a more streamlined review process since CalOES and FEMA will review the documents simultaneously, ensuring that comments from both agencies will be in alignment. This is important given some of the anticipated difficulties for the approval of the remaining reclamation district annexes. Due to the expired status of our previous plan, we are not currently eligible for pre- or post-disaster hazard mitigation funding; a concurrent review expedites the review process and increases the likelihood of the County qualifying for the next round of hazard mitigation funding.
LHMP Safety Element Integration
Assembly Bill No. 2140 (AB 2140) allows local jurisdictions to qualify for an additional cost-share on declared and eligible Public Assistance projects. To qualify, an approved LHMP must be integrated into the Health and Safety Element of the General Plan. The County may be eligible for increased state coverage of part or all of the local cost share on Public Assistance projects by linking the two plans. Contra Costa County OES is working with the Department of Conservation and Development to integrate the LHMP into the safety element of the General Plan. Participating cities will be encouraged to integrate their plans as well. This legislation does not apply to special districts; as a result, they are not eligible for this benefit.
Future LHMP Updates
The plan requires annual maintenance, including annual meetings with the steering committee and plan participants. During these annual meetings, plan participants will update the status of their mitigation actions and include any new ones developed. Continuous public outreach must also be conducted, consisting of annual public meetings and requests for feedback throughout the County. As part of the review process for the 2029 LHMP update, CalOES has indicated that they will be reviewing the ongoing maintenance for the plan. This change will require increased and ongoing coordination from County OES to maintain the plan and support participating agencies.
Timeline/Conclusion
The Local Hazard Mitigation Plan is a 5-year plan that sets the hazard and mitigation priorities for the County. The new FEMA guidelines increased the effort, coordination, and time needed to complete the plan. Approval of the County Base Plan of the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan will allow the county to be eligible to apply for Hazard Mitigation Program Grants and highlight the County’s commitment to the importance of mitigation planning and projects.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
A negative action would mean that the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan - County Base Plan would not be approved and the County would not be eligible for Hazard Mitigation Program grants or potential additional disaster funding if AB2140 compliance is established.
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
and for Special Districts, Agencies and Authorities Governed by the Board
bIN THE MATTER OF Adoption of the Contra Costa County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update, Countywide
WHEREAS, disasters start and end at the local level, it is the inherent responsibility of local government to lead hazard mitigation and the reduction of risk and vulnerability to hazards; and
WHEREAS, the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors will adopt the Contra Costa County Base Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan into the Health and Safety Element of the General Plan,
WHEREAS, the Contra Costa County Base Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan identifies mitigation goals and actions to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property in Contra Costa County from the impacts of future hazards and disasters; and
WHEREAS, adoption by the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors demonstrates its commitment to hazard mitigation and achieving the goals outlined in the September 2024 Update of the Contra Costa County Base Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan systems, and mitigation actions to protect Contra Costa County populations and infrastructure from environmental hazards
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, this Board
1) Adopts in its entirety Volume 1 of the 2024 Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan,
2) Will use the adopted and approved portion of the Hazard Mitigation Plan to guide pre- and post-disaster mitigation of hazards identified,
3) Will coordinate the strategies identified in the Hazard Mitigation Plan with other planning programs and mechanisms under its jurisdictional authority,
4) Will continue its support of the Steering Committee and continue to participate in the Planning Partnership described by the Hazard Mitigation Plan.
end