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Report regarding a resolution authorizing the adoption of the 2021 update to the San Mateo County Hazard Mitigation Plan and the South San Francisco Annex. (Emergency Services Manager, Ken Anderson)
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution authorizing the adoption of the 2021 update to the San Mateo County Hazard Mitigation Plan (Volumes 1 and 2) which includes the South San Francisco Annex.
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BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
A Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) is a plan that outlines processes for identifying the natural hazards, risks, and vulnerabilities in communities such as South San Francisco. The development of a LHMP is required under the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA 2000), which the inclusion of the South San Francisco Annex satisfies. This resolution is specific to adopting the 2021 version of the San Mateo County Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) and the related South San Francisco Annex.
A coalition of San Mateo County cities and special districts, including the City of South San Francisco, worked together to revise the San Mateo County Hazard Mitigation Plan. The 2021 San Mateo County LHMP and Annexes is an update to the 2016 hazard mitigation plan developed by the San Mateo County coalition. The initial LHMP was developed with the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in November of 2005. Since the DMA 2000 was enacted, South San Francisco adopted the LHMP in 2005 with revisions in 2012 and 2016.
The planning area for the LHMP encompasses the entire geographic area of San Mateo County.
The LHMP:
• Systematically assesses local natural and human-caused hazards, such as flooding, drought, wildfire, landslides, severe weather, terrorism, cyber threats, pandemic, and the impact of climate change.
• Identifies mitigation actions that will be implemented by the County and its planning partner jurisdictions to reduce the level of injury, property damage, and community disruption that might otherwise result from such hazards.
• Pools resources from throughout the County and creates a uniform local hazard mitigation plan that can be consistently implemented.
• Ensures eligibility for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Cal OES grants.
The LHMP development process included the following activities:
1. Identification of potential planning partners. Partners who chose to participate submitted Letters of Intent committing resources to the development effort;
2. Identification and assessment of the risks of natural and human-caused hazards;
3. Development of actions to mitigate the risks and a plan to implement the actions over the next five years;
4. Public involvement in the development and review of the LHMP; and
5. Review and approval of the LHMP by Cal OES and FEMA.
The 2021 LHMP builds on the adopted 2016 Plan, with multiple distinguishing features that ensure broader commitment to implementation and positive impact for the citizens of San Mateo County including:
• Expansion of Participating Partners: The 2016 LHMP included 28 planning partners; in 2021, it includes 36 partners,
• Inclusion of Every San Mateo County City/Town: In 2016, 18 Cities/Towns participated; in 2021, all 20 Cities/Towns in the County participated.
• Extensive Increase in Public Participation: In 2016, the County received 250 responses from the public to the survey; in 2021, over 2,000 responses were received.
• Incorporation of New and Critical Risk Areas: In 2016, the LHMP included approximately 500 mitigation actions; in 2021, it contains over 700 actions.
The South San Francisco Annex of the 2021 LHMP was developed with input from multiple City departments. The County of San Mateo website was used to publish information on the plans and obtain public comment between August 5, 2021 and August 23, 2021. Social media was used to notify the public about the opportunity to enter comments by taking an online LHMP survey.
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors adopted the San Mateo County LHMP on November 16, 2021. Their adoption finalized the LHMP and cleared the way for the City of South San Francisco to adopt the LHMP and South San Francisco Annex. Following adoption by the South San Francisco City Council, the South San Francisco LHMP. The two-volume LHMP was reviewed and approved by FEMA and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), allowing the City of South San Francisco to apply for various grant funds available to states and local governments. These grants can be used to implement long term-hazard mitigation measures specified within the City of South San Francisco LHMP before and after a major disaster declaration. The LHMP is a living document that allows staff to adjust upon the discovery of additional hazards, new strategies, and projects. The LHMP will be evaluated and revised on a continual five-year cycle as required by FEMA.
Environmental Review
Fire Department staff worked with the South San Francisco Planning Division to ensure that the proposed mitigation actions complied with all the applicable General Plan Policies. Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the proposed plan update was found to be exempt under CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), as it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that adoption of an update to the San Mateo County Hazard Mitigation Plan will have a significant effect on the environment. In addition, the plan update also qualifies for a categorical exemption under Section 15306 Class 6, as an update to the San Mateo Hazard Mitigation Plan includes basic data collection, research, experimental management, and resource evaluation activities which do not result in a serious or major disturbance to an environmental resource. Finally, the proposed plan update does not require the preparation of an additional Environmental Impact Report (EIR) or Negative Declaration under CEQA Guidelines Sections 15183(d) and 15262 as it is a project consistent with the City’s General Plan and does not have any project-specific significant effects.
CONCLUSION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution authorizing the adoption of the 2021 update to the San Mateo County Hazard Mitigation Plan (Volumes 1 and 2) which includes the South San Francisco Annex.