REPORT TO PLANNING COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Recommendation to City Council to Adopt a General Plan Amendment to Incorporate the Santa Clara County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP) and the City of Santa Clara Local Annex into the City's General Plan
Report
BACKGROUND
In November 2022, the City of Santa Clara participated in a coalition of Santa Clara County cities and special districts preparing to lessen the impacts of natural hazards by updating the Santa Clara County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP). A MJHMP is a document that outlines strategies to reduce the vulnerability of a community across multiple jurisdictions to natural and man-made hazards by identifying potential risks, assessing vulnerabilities, and developing mitigation actions to minimize damage from disasters, often requiring collaboration between cities, counties, and state agencies. The MJHMP allows the City to access Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding in case of a natural disaster.
The City Council adopted the MJHMP and the City of Santa Clara Local Annex on August 27, 2024 (Attachment 3). This is the fourth update to the Hazard Mitigation Plan, which was initially approved in 2005.
As a follow-on action, the City is proposing a General Plan Amendment to recognize the updated MJHMP in the Safety Element of the City’s General Plan. This update will provide consistency between the City’s documents.
DISCUSSION
The proposed General Plan Amendment updates existing language in the Emergency Preparedness subsection of Section 5.10.5, Safety Goals and Policies, to reference the most recent update to the MJHMP.
Incorporation of the MJHMP and Local Annex makes the City eligible to be considered for part or all of its local-share costs on eligible Public Assistance projects to be provided by the state through the California Disaster Assistance Act (CDAA). A CDAA (AB 2140 (2006)) fact sheet is attached to this report (Attachment 2).
AB 2140 also directs the City to include web links to the MJHMP and Local Annex. The links are included in the proposed resolution (Attachment 1). The report includes links to the MJHMP (Attachment 4) and the Local Annex (Attachment 5).
There are no known disadvantages to incorporating the most recent update of the MJHMP and Local Annex into the General Plan.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered would make a minor update to the 2010-2035 General Plan, and the City Council certified an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the General Plan on November 16, 2010. The proposed amendment updates the existing hazard mitigation plan in the General Plan and the update does not introduce new or more significant environmental effects than those discussed in the EIR, and therefore no further environmental review is warranted.
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office and the Office of Emergency Services.
PUBLIC CONTACT
On February 5, 2025, a hearing notice was published in the Santa Clara Weekly. Public contact was also made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov> or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Recommend that the City Council adopt a General Plan Amendment to incorporate the Santa Clara County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP) and the City of Santa Clara Local Annex into the subsection “Emergency Preparedness” of Section 5.10.5, “Safety Goals and Policies” of the City of Santa Clara 2010-2035 General Plan.
Staff
Reviewed by: Alexander Abbe, Assistant City Attorney
Approved by: Afshan Hamid, Community Development Director
ATTACHMENTS
1. LHMP recommendation resolution
2. AB 2140 fact sheet
3. RTC 24-1433 adoption report
4. Santa Clara County Multi-jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP) <https://files.santaclaracounty.gov/exjcpb1566/2024-10/final-vol-i-santa-clara-county-mjhmp_7-26-2024.pdf>
5. City of Santa Clara Local Annex <https://www.santaclaraca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/85991/638732399897128007>