REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Adoption of a General Plan Amendment to Incorporate the Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Program into the Safety Element of the City's General Plan
Report
COUNCIL PILLAR
Deliver and Enhance High Quality Efficient Services and Infrastructure
BACKGROUND
The City Council adopted the Santa Clara County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP) and the City of Santa Clara Local Annex on August 27, 2024 (Attachments 1 and 2).
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 August 2024 adoption of the MJHMP allows the City to access Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding in case of a natural disaster.
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. The proposed General Plan Amendment resolution is provided as Attachment 3. This update will provide consistency between the City's documents and will allow the City to access state funds offered through the California Disaster Assistance Act (CDAA), AB 2140 (2006). A fact sheet describing AB 2140 is provided as Attachment 4.
DISCUSSION
At the February 19, 2025 Planning Commission meeting, Community Development staff provided a presentation describing the proposed General Plan Amendment, emphasizing the benefits of access to state disaster assistance funding that would result from the amendment, and the additional obligation of making the MJHMP accessible through the City's General Plan. The Planning Commission briefly discussed hazards covered in the MJHMP and Local Annex. The Commission then voted to recommend approval of the General Plan Amendment (mo...
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