REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on the 2019 Evaluation Report of the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
Report
BACKGROUND
The City of Santa Clara's Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) was adopted by the City Council on December 19, 2017 as Annex L of the City's Emergency Operations Plan. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) determined Volume 2 of the HMP to also be the City's Floodplain Management Plan during the 2018 audit of the City's National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS). Consequently, an Annual Evaluation of the HMP is required by FEMA as part of their annual audit of the City's CRS.
The CRS is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages floodplain management activities that exceed the minimum NFIP requirements. Flood insurance premium rates for residents and businesses are discounted to reflect the reduced flood risk. The City is currently designated as CRS Class 8, which means the City's residents and businesses in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) are eligible for a 10% insurance premium discount, and others in the City not in a SFHA are eligible for a 5% insurance premium discount.
DISCUSSION
The Evaluation Report of the HMP documents the City's progress on hazard mitigation objectives determined in 2017. The report was prepared by the City's Office of Emergency Services with input from the Hazard Mitigation Review Committee comprised of City Department leaders and private sector partners.
Of the 30 objectives established in 2017, 24 are ongoing or in progress, four are not yet started and one is finished. One objective was deleted and integrated into two others for clarity. In addition, two new objectives are identified.
The finished objective is the completion of the desilting of the Westside Retention Basin. This desilting restored the original storage of the basin to hold additional storm water and reduce flooding risk.
Flood preparedness will continue to increase with the introductio...
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