Council adopts Greater Ketchikan hazard mitigation plan to retain FEMA grant eligibility

Chief Owens presented the updated Greater Ketchikan multi‑jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan and asked the council to adopt Resolution 26‑3025. He said the plan, updated with grant support, inventories potential hazards (listed as 11 categories including earthquake, tsunami, landslide, flood, erosion, severe weather, wildfire and cyber incidents), identifies priority mitigation actions (22 actions), and has undergone FEMA and state review.

Chief Owens warned that failure to adopt the plan would jeopardize the city's eligibility for FEMA multi‑hazard mitigation assistance and related grant programs that staff are pursuing for telecommunications, electric division, ports and harbors, and fire/public‑works projects. "If we don't adopt it, we lose the eligibility for FEMA multi hazard mitigation assistance and a wide range of other grants," he said.

Council moved, seconded, and adopted Resolution 26‑3025; staff committed to sending council a link or copy of the plan (the full document was large and posted online). The adoption preserves access to federal hazard mitigation funds the city expects to pursue for resilience projects.