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Home My WebLink AboutCC 2026-02-10_09g 2025-2030 Multi-Jurisdicational Hazard Mitigation PlanItem 9.g. MEMORANDUM TO: City Council FROM: Brian Pedrotti, Director of Community Development SUBJECT: 2025-2030 Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan DATE: February 10, 2026 RECOMMENDATION: 1) Adopt a Resolution approving the 2025 -2030 Update to the San Luis Obispo County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP) and accompanying City-specific annex (Annex A); and 2) Find that the approval of the MJHMP is exempt from CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061 subd. (b)(3). IMPACT ON FINANCIAL AND PERSONNEL RESOURCES: The total cost to develop the MJHMP is $245,030. Participating in an operational areawide hazard mitigation plan allowed the Count y to obtain a federal hazard mitigation grant on July 8, 2024, which covered up to 75% of the cost. The remaining 25% costs were divided on a per capita basis among the participating agencies, requiring the City to contribute $3,125 in Fiscal Year 2025-26. BACKGROUND: On June 22, 2020, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved the MJHMP for the City of Arroyo Grande, the City of Grover Beach, the Lucia Mar Unified School District, and the South San Luis Obispo County Sanitation District, which updated the previous plan adopted by Council in December 2012. Local Hazard Mitigation Plans are required to be revised every 5 years to reflect any hazard changes within the existing plan. In July 2023, the City of Arroyo Grande signed a letter of inte rest to be involved in the MJHMP process for the County of San Luis Obispo. Participating in the countywide MJHMP meets federal and State requirements and provides a cost -effective opportunity to comprehensively evaluate hazards. The City agreed to partici pate in the multi- jurisdictional plan along with twenty-two (22) other agencies. The participating agencies include the County of San Luis Obispo, seven (7) cities, and fourteen (14) community services districts and special districts, all of which are identified in the plan. Page 113 of 137 Item 9.g. City Council 2025-2030 Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan February 10, 2026 Page 2 Development of the countywide MJHMP process took place over the past two years and involved multiple meetings with the participating agencies and multiple public workshops and surveys held during the plan development process. This multi-jurisdictional plan built on previous hazard mitigation planning and incorporated updated hazard mapping, risk assessment, and threat analysis. The MJHMP was prepared by WSP (consultant) with draft copies submitted to the California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) and to FEMA for their approval. San Luis Obispo County Planning and Building has coordinated the update of the Hazard Mitigation Plan. Cal OES reviewed and approved the plan on October 17, 2025, and forwarded it on to FEMA for review. FE MA has reviewed and approved the plan, pending adoption by the Council. This Council item is to formally adopt the plan for implementation, which will allow FEMA to issue its final plan approval letter. ANALYSIS OF ISSUES: The primary purpose of the MJHMP update is to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from natural hazards and their effects on the San Luis Obispo County planning area. The planning process followed during the update utilized the input from a multi-jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee (HMPC) consisting of representatives from each participating jurisdiction. Through a grant secured by the County, a contractor was hired to oversee the project with the County as the lead jurisdiction, leading the participating agencies. The planning process was developed for the MJHMP using the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA 2000) planning requirements and FEMA’s associated guidance. The original FEMA planning guidance is structured around a four-phase process; however, the HMPC integrated a more detailed 10-step planning process used for FEMA’s Community Rating System (CRS) and Flood Mitigation Assistance programs that meets the requirements of major grant programs including: FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program, Flood Mitigation Assistance Program, and flood control projects authorized by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The 10 -step process consisted of the following: A) Organize Resources 1. Organize the Planning Effort 2. Involve the Public 3. Coordinate with Other Departments and Agencies B) Assess Risks 4. Identify the Hazards 5. Assess the Risks C) Develop the Mitigation Plan 6. Set Goals 7. Review Possible Activities 8. Draft an Action Plan D) Implement the Plan and Monitor Progress 9. Adopt the Plan Page 114 of 137 Item 9.g. City Council 2025-2030 Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan February 10, 2026 Page 3 10. Implement, Evaluate, and Revise the Plan The MJHMP consists of eight sections, jurisdiction-specific annexes, and appendices as described below. The eight sections are written at both the County level as well at each jurisdictional annex specific to each agency.  Promulgation and Adoption – Includes history of previous adoptions.  Introduction and Executive Summary – Provides a plan description purpose and authority.  Planning Process – Describes and documents the planning process including coordination among agencies and the key stakeholders. In addition, this section documents the public participation process.  County Profile – Provides County history, geography, demographics, population profile, economy, climate, transportation, land use and development trends.  Risk Assessment – Describes the process through which the MJHMP team identified and prioritized relevant hazards including methodology and results. This section also provides disaster declaration history, climate change consideration summary, asset summary and detailed hazard analysis and risk assessment for each identified hazard.  Capability Assessment – Presents San Luis Obispo County’s mitigation capabilities: programs and policies currently in use to reduce hazard impacts or that could be used to implement hazard mitigation activities. It also identifies select state and federal departments/agencies that can supplement the County’s mitigation capabilities.  Mitigation Strategy – Describes mitigation goals and objectives, identification and analysis of mitigation actions and a mitigation action plan.  Implementation and Monitoring – Describes the role of the MJHMP planning committee in implementation and maintenance and processe s for incorporation into existing planning mechanisms. This section also outlines maintenance monitoring and evaluation and continued public involvement. Local Considerations Jurisdictional annexes were developed for the participating agencies, including the cities, community services districts, and special districts. The City of Arroyo Grande annex is “Annex A” and is provided as a separate attachment to this report for review purposes (Attachment 3). The MJHMP will be incorporated into the Safety Eleme nt of the General Plan Update as recommended by Assembly Bill (AB) 2140. The City has used the previous mitigation plan as a basis for the Emergency Operations Plan. A review of jurisdictional priorities found no significant changes in priorities since the last update. The proposed MJHMP update and associated annex will supersede the current 2020 Arroyo Grande MJHMP . Page 115 of 137 Item 9.g. City Council 2025-2030 Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan February 10, 2026 Page 4 The City of Arroyo Grande Planning Division identified the hazards that affect the City and summarized their geographic area, probability of future occurrence, magnitude/severity, and overall significance to the community (see Table A-6). The information contained within the City’s Annex will be used by the City to help inform updates and the development of local plans, programs, and policies. The Community Development Department may utilize the hazard information when reviewing a site plan or other type of development applications. Page 116 of 137 Item 9.g. City Council 2025-2030 Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan February 10, 2026 Page 5 ALTERNATIVES: The following alternatives are provided for the Council’s consideration: 1. Adopt the Resolution to approve the 2025-2030 update to the San Luis Obispo County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan; 2. Do not adopt the Resolution; or 3. Provide other direction to staff. ADVANTAGES: Adoption of the Resolution will satisfy the requirement to update the City’s MJHMP and allows the City to apply for future grants to implement hazard mitigation projects. DISADVANTAGES: City staff time and resources were utilized as part of the preparatio n and review of the plan. The MJHMP will necessitate future efforts from staff, including incorporation into the General Plan and further coordination with other County jurisdictions. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: The MJHMP is not a project subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) because it has no potential to result in either a direct, or reasonably foreseeable indirect, physical change in the environment. (State CEQA Guidelines, §§ 15060, subd. (b)(2)-(3), 15378.) because it is a mitigation plan document for planning purposes, and any future projects associated with the plan will be subject to CEQA review. Alternatively, the MJHMP is exempt from CEQA on the basis that it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment. (State CEQA Guidelines, § 15061, subd. (b)(3).) PUBLIC NOTIFICATION AND COMMENTS: The Agenda was posted at City Hall and on the City’s website in accordance with Government Code Section 54954.2. ATTACHMENTS: 1. Resolution 2. 2025-2030 Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan1 3. City of Arroyo Grande Annex A2 1https://arroyogrande.org/DocumentCenter/View/14201/2025-County-Multi-Jurisdictional-Hazard- Mitigation-Plan- 2https://arroyogrande.org/DocumentCenter/View/14202/2025-County-Multi-Jurisdictional-Hazard- Mitigation-Plan---Annex-A Page 117 of 137 ATTACHMENT 1 RESOLUTION NO. A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE APPROVING THE 2025-2030 UPDATE TO THE SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN AND ACCOMPANYING CITY-SPECIFIC ANNEX WHEREAS, the cost of disaster recovery in the United States has dramatically increased over the past decades, promoting interest in providing effective ways to minimize our country’s hazard vulnerability; and WHEREAS, the Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 constitutes an effort by t he Federal government to reduce the rising cost of disasters; and WHEREAS, the Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 ties mitigation funding to cities, counties, and special districts that have adopted Local Hazard Mitigation Plans; and WHEREAS, the purpose of the Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 was to establish a national program for pre-disaster mitigation, streamline administration of disaster relief at both the Federal and state levels, and control Federal costs of disaster assistance; and WHEREAS, the City of Arroyo Grande seeks to maintain and enhance both a disaster - resistant City and region by reducing the potential loss of life, property damage, and environmental degradation from natural disasters , while accelerating economic recover from those disasters; and WHEREAS, the City of Arroyo Grande, in coordination with the County of San Luis Obispo, all local Municipalities, Community Service Districts, and local Sanitation Districts participated in the FEMA-prescribed mitigation planning process to prepare a Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan; and WHEREAS, the 2025-2030 Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan will serve as the City of Arroyo Grande’s required update of the 2020 Multi -Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan; and WHEREAS, the California Office of Emergency Services and FEMA officials have reviewed the San Luis Obispo County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan and approved it contingent upon this official adoption of the participating bodies . NOW, THEREFORE, the Council of the City of Arroyo Grande hereby resolves as follows: 1. Recitals. All recitals above are true and correct and hereby incorporated into reference. 2. CEQA. The Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan is not a project subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) because it has no potential to result in either a direct, or reasonably foreseeable indirect, physical change in the environment. (State CEQA Guidelines, §§ 15060, subd. (b)(2)-(3), 15378.) because it is a mitigation plan document for planning purposes, and any future Page 118 of 137 RESOLUTION NO. PAGE 2 projects associated with the plan will be subject to CEQA review. Alternatively, the MJHMP is exempt from CEQA on the basis that it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment. (State CEQA Guidelines, § 15061, subd. (b)(3).) 3. Adoption. Adopt the San Luis Obispo County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, including the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan for the City of Arroyo Grande as set forth in Annex A of the Plan, a full copy of which is on file in the Community Development Department and is hereby incorporated by reference. 4. Filing. Directs the City Clerk to submit a copy of this Resolution to the County of San Luis Obispo to be included with the submissions to the California Office of Emergency Services and FEMA officials to enable the plan’s final approval in accordance with requirements of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000. 5. Severability. If any section, division, sentence, clause, phrase or portion of this resolution or the document in the record in support of this resolution is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, unenforceable, unconstitutional or otherwise void, that determination shall not affect the validity of the remaining sections, divisions, sentences, clauses, or phrases of this resolution. On a motion by Council member _________, seconded by Council member __________, and by the following roll call vote to wit: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: the foregoing Resolution was adopted this 10th day of February, 2026. Page 119 of 137 RESOLUTION NO. PAGE 3 _______________________________________ CAREN RAY RUSSOM, MAYOR ATTEST: _______________________________________ JESSICA MATSON, CITY CLERK APPROVED AS TO CONTENT: _______________________________________ MATTHEW DOWNING, CITY MANAGER APPROVED AS TO FORM: _______________________________________ ISAAC ROSEN, CITY ATTORNEY Page 120 of 137 ATTACHMENT 2 Link to the 2025-203 Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan1 1 https://arroyogrande.org/DocumentCenter/View/14201/2025-County-Multi-Jurisdictional-Hazard- Mitigation-Plan- Page 121 of 137 ATTACHMENT 3 Link to the City of Arroyo Grande Annex A1 1 https://arroyogrande.org/DocumentCenter/View/14202/2025-County-Multi-Jurisdictional-Hazard- Mitigation-Plan---Annex-A Page 122 of 137