October 4, 2004                                                                                           ITEM # 7

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Item Title:      Public Hearing on Wake County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan

 

Specific Action Requested:

That the Board of Commissioners hold a public hearing and receive public comment on the Hazard Mitigation Plan.  (The Board must wait at least two (2) weeks after receiving public comment before voting on this plan.)

 

Item Summary: 

The Hazard Mitigation Plan’s primary objective is to develop mitigation strategies that will minimize human casualties and property damage that may result from the occurrence of a natural hazard event.

 

Background: 

Federal and state law requires that every county and municipality develop, adopt, and implement a Hazard Mitigation Plan in order to be eligible for post-disaster public assistance funds following a future natural hazard event.  Public assistance funds help communities recover from disasters by paying for a significant portion of the cost of clean up and restoration of public services.

 

Analysis: 

The Wake County Hazard Mitigation Plan was developed over the course of the last year in accordance with the format and content requirements of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the North Carolina Department of Crime Control and Public Safety’s Division of Emergency Management (NCDEM).  One of these requirements is that the plan be developed with as much public participation as possible.  A brief presentation of the planning process and purpose was made at the Wake County Planning Board’s September 3, 2003 meeting, and an announcement was posted on the County’s web site.

 

A Hazard Mitigation Task Force was created in the summer of 2003 to provide public input in the development of the plan.  The Task Force was comprised of a diversified group of citizens with representation from all twelve of Wake County’s municipalities, the development community, environmental groups and several Wake County appointed and elected boards.  The individuals that either participated in the meetings directly, or that were sent copies of the plan sections as they were being developed, are listed in Tables I-1 and I-2 in the plan.

 

The Wake County Planning Board received a presentation on the draft plan on August 18, 2004 and provided an opportunity for public comment at that meeting as well as their September 15, 2004 meeting. The plan was also presented to the Wake County Environmental Services Committee on September 10, 2004.  The Wake County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on the plan at their October 4, 2004 meeting, and make a formal vote on the plan at their October 18, 2004 meeting.

 

The Hazard Mitigation Plan evaluated the 12 natural hazard events (e.g.—hurricanes, tornadoes, etc…) that were dictated by FEMA and NCDEM.  The Hazard Mitigation Plan Task Force undertook the following steps in the planning process:

 

Step 1: Hazard Identification and Analysis

Step 2. Community Vulnerability Assessment

Step 3. Community Capabilities Assessment

Step 4. Form Interim Conclusions

Step 5. Community Goals and Objectives

Step 6. Mitigation Strategies

Step 7. Procedures for Monitoring, Evaluating and Reporting Progress

Step 8. Procedures for Revisions and Updates

Step 9. Adoption

 

During this planning process, the Task Force established community goals and objectives, identified critical facilities, and developed a mitigation action plan that outlines the specific hazard mitigation actions that the County should undertake in order to minimize human casualties and property damage that may result from the occurrence of a natural hazard event.  The Task Force’s Mitigation Action Plan, Table II-1, is included as an attachment to this staff report.  This table represents the outcome of the planning process, and indicates the specific actions to which the County is committing its resources for hazard mitigation with the 5-year planning period. 

 

Staff Findings: 

The adoption of the attached Hazard Mitigation Plan is desirable because it would:

 

  1. Comply with mandates by federal and state laws to develop, adopt and implement such a plan in order for the County to remain eligible for public assistance funds, which are used for post-disaster recovery efforts.
  2. Establish mitigation strategies that will minimize human casualties and damage to homes, businesses and public buildings and infrastructure.
  3. Speed recovery and redevelopment following future natural hazard events.
  4. Help the County qualify for additional funding for both pre-disaster and post-disaster situations.

 

Planning Staff Recommendation: 

That the Board of Commissioners hold a public hearing and receive public comment on the Wake County Hazard Mitigation Plan.  (The Board must wait at least two (2) weeks after receiving public comment before voting on this plan.)

 

Planning Board Recommendation: 

The Planning Board recommended at their September 15, 2004 meeting, by a vote of 6 to 0, that the Board of Commissioners approve the Wake County Hazard Mitigation Plan as presented.

 

 

Attachments:

1.      Staff Report

2.      Mitigation Action Table

3.      Draft Wake County Hazard Mitigation Plan

4.      Schedule for the Wake County Hazard Mitigation Plan

5.      Excerpt of August 18, 2004 Planning Board Minutes

6.      Excerpt of September 15, 2004 Planning Board Minutes

7.      Resolution

8.      PowerPoint Presentation