Board adopts county hazard-mitigation plan to remain eligible for FEMA funding

Trustees voted to adopt the county hazardous mitigation plan and to sign the resolution required for FEMA grant eligibility at their July 9 meeting. Staff said FEMA informed the district that quasi-municipal governments must adopt the local hazard-mitigation plan to be eligible for FEMA funding and that the district could not proceed with a pending FEMA application until the resolution was in place.
A staff member described the administrative steps: the county plan must be adopted and the provided resolution form returned to FEMA before the agency will consider the district's application. Staff said the county is preparing to review and update its plan and that district representatives will be invited to workshops and exercises connected to the process.
Staff also alerted trustees to a newly rolled out MEMA (state emergency management) intended-use plan that includes a hazard-mitigation SRF fund offering low-interest loans; staff said the district could be eligible for a roughly 1% loan to meet matching requirements for a generator project, provided the project is included on the intended-use list.
Trustees moved, seconded and approved adoption of the county plan and the related resolution form. Staff noted the FEMA application had stalled pending the district's adoption of the plan and that submitting the signed resolution would allow FEMA to proceed.
Discussion only: FEMA eligibility and participation in county workshops and exercises. Direction: staff to complete and submit the required resolution to FEMA and to pursue placement on the state MEMA intended-use plan where appropriate. Formal action: adoption of the county hazardous mitigation plan and authorization to sign the required resolution.