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DATE:
TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
January 30, 2012
MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL
MEETING DATE: 02/21/12
ITEM NO:
CONSENT
GREG LARSON, TOWN MANAGER
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ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION APPROVING THE TOWN OF LOS GATOS
ANNEX TO THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA ANNEX TO THE 2010
ASSOCIATION OF BAY AREA GOVERNMENTS LOCAL HAZARD
MITIGATION PLAN ENTITLED "TAMING NATURAL DISASTERS"
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the attached resolution (Attachment 2).
BACKGROUND
For the past two years, the Town has been collaborating with ABAG, the County and other Santa
Clara County jurisdictions on the preparation of a hazard mitigation plan. A hazard mitigation
plan identifies the hazards a community or region faces, assesses their vulnerability to the
hazards, and identifies specific actions that can be taken to reduce the risk from the hazards. The
Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA 2000) outlines a process which cities, counties,
and special districts can follow to develop a Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. Development of this
plan is a requirement for certain benefits from California Emergency Management Agency
(CalEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
ABAG is the lead agency on the regional multi - jurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJ-
LHMP) for the San Francisco Bay Area, which is known as the "Taming 11Tatural Disasters:
Multi - Jurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan for the San Francisco Bay Area." This plan is
available for review at: http:Hguake.abag.ca.gov /miti atg ion/ Cities and counties can adopt and
use all or part of this multi- jurisdictional plan in lieu of preparing all or part of a Local Hazard
Mitigation Plan themselves. However, in order to adopt the plan as their own to secure the
FEMA benefits discussed later in this report, jurisdictions needed to participate in the
development of the multi - jurisdictional plan. Participation was voluntary, and the Town did not
PREPARED BY : Andie. R. Rooney, Director of Community Development
Reviewed by: f S)_Assistant Town
Attorney yinance
NADEWC REPORTS\2012 \Resolution approving the Hazard Mitigation Plan Annex.doex
Reformatted: 580/02
PAGE 2
MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL
SUBJECT: Adoption of Resolution approving the Los Gatos Annex to the Santa Clara County
Annex of the Bay Area Association of Governments Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
January 30, 2012
join the original effort in 2005. The first update to the plan commenced in 2009, and the Town
elected to participate in this process. Development of the Town's plan, which is an annex
(chapter or appendix) to the regional plan, was an extensive process that involved identification
of the following:
• Both natural and built hazard vulnerabilities
• Critical municipal facilities
• Mitigation Strategies
• Mitigation Actions
Local governments who adopt a hazard mitigation plan may be eligible for the following
benefits:
Eligibility for hazard mitigation assistance programs, including Hazard Mitigation Grant
Program, Pre - Disaster Mitigation, Flood Mitigation Assistance and Severe Repetitive
Loss grant programs
Eligibility for points under the National Flood Insurance Program's Community Rating
System (CRS)
Eligibility for waiver of the 6.25% local match for Public Assistance money (FEMA
funds) after a disaster for municipal facilities.
Based on the fact that jurisdictions are more competitive for pre- disaster mitigation grants when
two or more are collaborating on projects and that these types of projects generally extend
beyond municipal boundaries, Santa Clara County proposed to develop a County plan that
incorporated all the participating jurisdictions. Los Gatos, as well as most of the other County
jurisdictions, participated in the county plan. This plan is an annex to the ABAG regional
Hazard Mitigation Plan. Attachment 1 is the Town's draft annex to the Santa Clara County Plan.
The entire County plan is available for review at:
http://www.
T?patly-
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ANALYSIS
The Town's Plan is organized into following subsections:
Internal Planning Process, which includes a discussion of the community survey that was
conducted in November 2010 regarding concerns for hazard risks;
Capability Assessment, where the Town identified and prioritized 361 mitigation
strategies that are or will be implemented to reduce the Town's vulnerability to natural
PAGE
MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL
SUBJECT: Adoption of Resolution approving the Los Gatos Annex to the Santa Clara County
Annex of the Bay Area Association of Governments Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
January 30, 2012
disasters. These strategies address the areas of Economy, Education, Environment,
Govermnent Services, Health, Housing, Infrastructure, and Land Use.
Vulnerability Assessment; where the Town assessed its exposures to risks, including
ground shaking, liquefaction, fault raptures, landslides, fire hazards, floods, and dam
failure.
Mitigation Actions, where the Town collaborated with the County and other jurisdictions
to identify and prioritize mitigation strategies to make the County more disaster resistant,
including dam failure early warning systems, wildfire prevention and preparedness, and
mitigation of soft story apartments, which are most vulnerable to failure in a seismic
event.
Plan Maintenance, where the Town identified the process to monitor the plan on a regular
basis and update every five years.
The Town's annex meets all the required elements for inclusion in both the County plan and the
ABAG regional plan. CalEMA reviewed the Town's annex last summer, found it met
requirements, and forwarded it to FEMA for formal review. FEMA is currently reviewing the
plan; and, its review has been delayed due to FEMA staffing issues. However, ABAG requires
the submittal of the local agency resolutions approving the ABAG plan (including the Town's
annex) by March 24, 2012.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Pursuant to FEMA requirements, the Town held a public comment period on the Town's draft
plan in mid -spring 2011. Staff notified stakeholders of the availability of the Town plan as well
as the County annex and the regional plan. In addition to individuals who requested to be sent
notification of availability of the plan, staff notified the following entities:
• Town of Los Gatos and Monte Sereno Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
• Los Gatos Union School District
• Los Gatos - Saratoga Joint Union High School District
• Campbell Union High School District
• Union High School District
• Cambrian School District
• Campbell Union School District
• Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce
• City of Campbell
• City of Monte Sereno
• Los Gatos El Camino Hospital
• Good Samaritan Hospital
PAGE 4
MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL
SUBJECT: Adoption of Resolution approving the Los Gatos Annex to the Santa Clara County
Amlex of the Bay Area Association of Governments Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
January 30, 2012
The Town received one comment from A. Schenck MHSA, Emergency Operations Manager
Good Samaritan and Mission Oaks Hospitals. The commenter noted that the Mission Oaks
Hospital would incorporate the Town's Plan into their emergency operations plan.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The Town adopted the General Plan in September 2010. The General Plan includes a Safety
Element that contains discussion, goals, policies, actions and programs regarding the following:
geologic hazards, including earthquakes, ground shaking, liquefaction, and landslides; urban and
wildland fire hazards; flood and inundation hazards; hazardous materials management; and
emergency preparedness, response and recovery. The General Plan, including the Safety
Element, was the subject of hundreds of hours of public review and comment and subject to
enviromnental review pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Town
also enforces the requirements of CEQA in its review of public capital improvement projects and
private development proposals. These activities by the Town were the basis for the planning
process for the multi jurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan.
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATION
The Town's plan was developed in collaboration with both local (Santa Clara County) and
regional partners. The plan identifies the Town's vulnerabilities to natural disasters that affect the
regional and proposes methods to reduce the potential impacts. Moreover, the plan also
addresses and is compatible with County -wide hazard mitigation planning. The Town's
Emergency Operations staff is coumnitted to annually monitoring, as well as updating the plan on
a five year basis. Finally, adoption of a hazard mitigation plan that is consistent with FEMA
requirements entitles the Town to benefits that are otherwise not available to jurisdictions
without such a plan. Consequently, staff recommends that the Town Council adopt the attached
resolution approving the ABAG Report "Taming Natural Disaster" as the Town's Local Hazard
Mitigation Plan.
FISCAL IMPACT
The preparation of the Town's Local Hazard Mitigation Plan was completed by Town staff with
no additional financial resources. An approved Local Hazard Mitigation Plan will enable the
Town to be eligible for Hazard mitigation assistance programs, including the Hazard Mitigation
Grant Program, Pre - Disaster Mitigation, Flood Mitigation Assistance and Severe Repetitive Loss
grant programs. However, the most important financial benefit of the approved plan is that the
Town will not be responsible for paying the 6.25% local match for Public Assistance funds
following a disaster. The State passed legislation in 2007 that waived the required match for
damage reimbursement if that jurisdiction has an approved plan.
PAGE 5
MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL
SUBJECT: Adoption of Resolution approving the Los Gatos Annex to the Santa Clara County
Annex of the Bay Area Association of Governments Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
January 30, 2012
Attaclunents
1. Town of Los Gatos Draft Annex to the Santa Clara County and ABAG Hazard Mitigation
Plan
2. Draft Resolution
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N:\DEV \TC REPORT512012 \Resolution approving the Hazard Mitigation Plan Annex.doex
ATTACHMENT 1