Subject:
Title
Resolution approving the required 5-year update and adoption of the 2020 Pinellas County Local Mitigation Strategy, also known as the All Hazards Mitigation Plan.
label
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approval of the Resolution approving the required 5-year update and adoption of the 2020 Pinellas County Local Mitigation Strategy (LMS), also known as the All Hazards Mitigation Plan.
• The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the State of Florida require a comprehensive update to the LMS every five years.
• Adoption of the 2020 LMS the County ensures the ability of Pinellas County and its 24 municipalities to apply for and receive various Federal hazard mitigation grants.
• The LMS also serves as the County’s Floodplain Management Plan, required for participation in the Community Rating System program.
• The LMS establishes an ongoing multi-jurisdictional process that identifies plans, programs, policies and ordinances, and studies/reports to augment hazard mitigation efforts at the local level.
• The LMS includes a description of the types of hazards that may impact Pinellas County, their probability of occurrence, the geographic areas that are most vulnerable, and an estimate of potential losses from various hazards.
• The Florida Division of Emergency Management has reviewed the 2020 update to the LMS and has determined that the Pinellas County LMS plan is compliant with federal standards related to hazard mitigation and is ready for adoption by the County and municipalities (see attached letter dated March 17, 2020).
• A draft of the Executive Summary for the 2020 LMS is attached and may also be viewed at <http://www.pinellaslms.org> .
• A full draft of the 2020 LMS Plan, can be provided upon request to the Pinellas County Planning Department.
• New for this Plan, a GIS storyboard of the Local Mitigation Strategy is available through the County’s public facing GIS application: https://egis.pinellas.gov/apps/egis/#intro <https://egis.pinellas.gov/apps/egis/> .
Body
Strategic Plan:
Ensure Public Health, Safety, and Welfare
2.1 Provide planning, coordination, prevention, and protective services to ensure a safe and secure community
Summary:
Summary
The Board is being requested to adopt the 2020 update of the Pinellas County Local Mitigation Strategy (LMS). The LMS is a countywide hazard mitigation plan that is applicable to Pinellas County, its 24 municipalities, as well as several public and private agencies and non-profit organizations. The LMS is a multi-jurisdictional plan that is developed to reduce and/or eliminate the risks associated with natural and man-made hazards. These plans must be in accordance with the Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000. Without an approved LMS the County would be unable to apply for various Federal hazard mitigation grants. The current LMS expires on May 5, 2020. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the State of Florida require a comprehensive update to the LMS every five years. Board adoption of the 2020 update to the LMS is critical to ensure that we continue to make Pinellas County eligible for these grants as they become available.
The LMS also serves as the County’s Floodplain Management Plan, as required for participation in the Community Rating System (CRS) Program. The Pinellas County Program for Public Information (PPI) was introduced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a new planning tool to provide a step-by-step coordinated approach to flood hazard outreach. With this intent in mind, Pinellas County’s Program for Public Information committee was convened in 2014 to provide input and insight regarding target audiences, messaging and methods of delivery of flood related public information. In 2019, the PPI committee transitioned into a multi-jurisdictional stakeholder working group, the Pinellas County Flood Risk and Mitigation Public Information Working Group (FRMPIWG), to improve consistency in messaging countywide and avoid duplication of efforts. The purpose is to improve communication with citizens, and to provide information about flood hazards, flood safety, flood insurance, and ways to protect property and natural floodplain functions to those who can benefit from it. The PPI is outlined in Appendix H of the 2020 LMS Plan. A Repetitive Loss Area Analysis (RLAA) is outlined in Appendix I. Submittal of the PPI, RLAA and LMS annual updates to the Board are required as a part of the County’s participation in the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) CRS Program. The County’s participation in the CRS Program results in over $27 million of annual savings for flood insurance premiums. The 2020 LMS 5-Year update includes the PPI, an updated Repetitive Loss Area Analysis and fulfills the 2019 LMS Annual Update requirements as well. The adoption of the 2020 LMS update, will therefore enable us to meet the annual requirements of the CRS Program.
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Background Information:
The LMS establishes an ongoing multi-jurisdictional process that identifies plans, programs, policies and ordinances, and studies/reports to augment hazard mitigation efforts at the local level. The LMS includes a description of the types of hazards that may impact Pinellas County, their probability of occurrence, the geographic areas that are most vulnerable, and an estimate of potential losses from various natural hazards. Measures or initiatives to mitigate the potential impact of the various hazards to which Pinellas County is susceptible are identified in the 2020 LMS Plan in the Risk Assessment Section with additional detailed tables for each of the local governments, provided in Appendix B - Risk Assessment Tables. A list of ongoing and potential mitigation initiatives is provided in Appendix D - Mitigation Initiatives. When a local government receives federal hazard mitigation grants, they are used to implement initiatives identified in the LMS.
The first unified LMS for Pinellas County was adopted in 1999, with 5-year updates in 2004, 2009 and 2015. The 2020 LMS Plan was developed by the LMS Working Group with consulting assistance from Atkins Group and Pinellas County’s Flood Risk and Mitigation Public Information Working Work. This 5-year update process involved extensive public outreach and an elaborate review and update to the LMS by the LMS Working Group, FRMPIWG members and the Florida Department of Emergency Management (FDEM). As a part of this update, the LMS Working Group launched an online ESRI Storymap at https://arcg.is/15a1yi to serve as a concise public-friendly version of Pinellas County’s LMS. Created with help from Pinellas County’s municipalities and various other agencies, this educational tool is intended to help complement and expand mitigation outreach. In addition to this, two publicly noticed workshops were conducted, and a mitigation survey released to gain public input on hazard analysis and final draft plan. All outreach efforts in support of the 2020 LMS update are outlined in Appendix A - Planning Process Documentation.
FDEM has reviewed the 2020 update to the LMS and has determined that the Pinellas County LMS plan is compliant with federal standards related to hazard mitigation and is ready for adoption by the County and municipalities (see attached letter dated March 17, 2020). A draft of the Executive Summary for the 2020 LMS can be viewed at http://www.pinellaslms.org. A full draft of the 2020 LMS Plan, can be received upon request to the Pinellas County Planning Department.
Fiscal Impact:
Failure to maintain an approved LMS may result in the loss of Federal Emergency Management Grant funds.
Staff Member Responsible:
Renea Vincent, Director, Planning
Partners:
The Multi-jurisdictional Pinellas County LMS Working and the FRMPIWG which includes, participating municipalities, various governmental agencies, local non-profits, universities, neighborhood associations, and real estate and mortgage industry stakeholders.
Attachments:
Executive Summary of the LMS
Resolution of Approval
Attachment “A” to Resolution (Pinellas County LMS Appendix H PROGRAM FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION)
Attachment “B” to the Resolution (Repetitive Loss Area Analysis)
LMS Working Group Roster
FDEM Letter of March 17, 2020 “Approved Pending Adoption”