Title
Resolution to Approve City of Ann Arbor 2017 Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
Memorandum
This resolution requests City Council adopt the State of Michigan approved 2017 update to the City’s Hazard Mitigation Plan. The Hazard Mitigation Plan Update received a favorably review by FEMA for compliance with the requirements of the Disaster Mitigation Act and related regulations.
Budget/Fiscal Impact: Adoption of the Hazard Mitigation Plan has no direct impact on the City’s budget. The 2017 Plan Update includes identified mitigation priorities and action plan, the components of which may be submitted to Council later for funding and implementation.
Ann Arbor has been engaged in planning since the passage of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000. Prior to 2012, the city participated in the Washtenaw County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan as a participating jurisdiction. In 2012, the city developed a stand-alone citywide plan to address city-specific issues and vulnerability and meet associated grant deadlines. This 2012 version of the hazard mitigation plan, integrated the city’s 2007 Flood Mitigation Plan (FMP). The FMP included a much more detailed flood analysis than had been included in the Washtenaw County hazard mitigation plan and was heavily focused on implementation. The FMP’s strategies addressed the following areas: Mapping & Technology, Education and Outreach, Planning and Zoning, Regulation and Development Standards, Corrective Actions, Infrastructure, and Emergency Services. In 2017, the city received a planning grant, which permitted contractor assistance for development of the 2017 Ann Arbor Hazard Mitigation Plan Update.
The preparation of the Plan required a series of meetings and workshops for facilitating discussion, gaining consensus and initiating data collection efforts with local government staff, community officials, and other identified stakeholders (including neighboring jurisdictions, the public, and those involved in hazard mitigation activities. More importantly, the meetings prompted continuous input and feedback from relevant participants throughout the drafting stages of the plan. Public meetings were well publicized to invite a broad range of stakeholders.
In order to guide the development of the Plan, Rick Norman, Emergency Management Director, with the assistance of Stantec Consulting Services, the City’s contractor, identified and recruited a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), a community based planning team made up of representatives from various city departments and other key stakeholders which had been identified to serve as critical partners in the planning process. TAC members included:
Andrew Box, Assistant Fire Chief, Ann Arbor Fire Department
Samantha Brandfornd, Director, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System Emergency Management
Andrew Burchfield, Emergency Management Director, UM Public Safety and Security
Glen Dempsey, Building Official, Ann Arbor Construction and Building Department
Moonson River Eninsche, Human Services Supervisor, Washtenaw County Office of Community and Economic Development
Rebecca Esselman, Watershed Manager, Huron River Watershed Council
Mary Joan Fales, Senior Assistant City Attorney
Dave Halterman, Emergency Services Director, Washtenaw County Office of the Sheriff
Jerry Hancock, Floodplain Coordinator, Ann Arbor Floodplain Administration and Stormwater Management
John Hradsky, Applications Specialist, Ann Arbor GIS
Mike Kennedy, Emergency Management Specialist, UM Division of Public Safety and Security
Michael Lambrecht, Inter, Washtenaw County Public Health Department
Josh Landefeld, Deputy Parks Manager, Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation
Jen Lawson, Water Quality Manager, Ann Arbor Floodplain Administration and Stormwater Management
Brett Lenart, Planning Manager, Ann Arbor City Planning Division
Molly Maciejewski, Public Works Manager, Ann Arbor Public Works - Transportation
Matt Naud, Environmental Coordinator, Ann Arbor Office of Sustainability
Andrea Plevek, Director, Washtenaw County Office of Community and Economic Development
Joanna Satterlee, City Communications Manager, Ann Arbor Public Information Office
Tom Shewchuk, Director, Ann Arbor ITSD
Matt Warba, Assistant Manager, Ann Arbor Public Works
Lisa Wondrash, Communications Unit Manager (Public Information Officer), Ann Arbor Public Information Office
Hazard mitigation techniques include structural measures (such as strengthening or protecting buildings and infrastructure from destructive forces of potential hazards) and non-structural measures (such as the adoption of sound land use policies, regulations, and creation of public awareness programs).
The purpose of the City of Ann Arbor Hazard Mitigation Plan Update is to:
• Update the existing City of Ann Arbor Hazard Mitigation Plan to demonstrate progress and reflect current conditions;
• Increase public awareness and education of hazards and hazard mitigation;
• Maintain grant eligibility for participating jurisdictions;
• Update plans in accordance with Community Rating System (CRS) requirements; and
• Maintain compliance with state and federal legislative requirements for local hazard mitigation plans.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requires that communities adopt a Hazard Mitigation Plan and perform periodic updates as a condition of continued funding eligibility and that the adopted plan be updated periodically.
The value of a Hazard Mitigation Plan and adopting its mitigation strategies and goals is in reducing future emergencies and events by identifying potential hazards to the Ann Arbor community, analyzing areas particularly vulnerable to hazards and increasing the resilience of the city, by ensuring hazard mitigation is integrated in the City planning processes, receives consideration for funding and expands public awareness through community partnerships.
Staff
Prepared by: Mary Joan Fales, Senior Assistant City Attorney
Reviewed by: Rick A. Norman, Emergency Management Coordinator
Larry Collins, Chief, Ann Arbor Fire Unit
Approved by: Howard S. Lazarus, City Administrator
Body
Whereas, The City of Ann Arbor is committed to the mitigation of potential hazards and the protection of the public health, and the reduction of property damage and loss of life that can result from hazardous events;
Whereas, The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requires that communities have an adopted Hazard Mitigation Plan and to periodically assess and update the Plan to recognize the physical development of the community and new or continuing susceptibility to natural and man-made hazards as a requirement to receive funding under certain FEMA programs;
Whereas, Ann Arbor has been engaged in planning since the passage of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000;
Whereas, Prior to 2012, the City participated in the Washtenaw County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan as a participating jurisdiction (R-471-11-04);
Whereas, In 2012, the City adopted its own citywide hazard mitigation plan to address city specific issues (R-12-439);
Whereas, The Emergency Management Division, received grant funding in 2017 and working with Stantec Consulting Services, the City’s contractor, and a community-wide Technical Advisory Committee completed a risk assessment, developed mitigation strategies and developed an action plan;
Whereas, Public input was solicited on the action plan at two public meetings and through a community-wide survey;
Whereas, The 2017 Hazard Mitigation Plan Update has been reviewed by the Michigan Department of State Police, Emergency Management Division and FEMA and satisfies all statutory and regulatory compliance requirements; and
Whereas, The City of Ann Arbor is required for grant compliance to approve the 2017 Hazard Mitigation Plan Update to make the City eligible for future grants to implement the recommendations of the plan, if and when funds become available;
RESOLVED, That City Council approve the City of Ann Arbor 2017 Hazard Mitigation Plan Update; and
RESOLVED, That City Council recommends the mitigation strategies and goals be incorporated, when possible, in City planning processes, with the understanding that implementation is based on the availability of funding and staff resources.