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SECTION 8: PLANNING PARTNERSHIP DMA 2000 Hazard Mitigation Plan – Cayuga County, New York 8-1 August 2013 SECTION 8: PLANNING PARTNERSHIP BACKGROUND Section 201.6.a(4) of Chapter 44 of the Code of Federal Regulations (44CFR) states: “Multi-jurisdictional plans (e.g. watershed plans) may be accepted, as appropriate, as long as each jurisdiction has participated in the process and has officially adopted the plan.” The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and New York State Office of Emergency Management (NYSOEM) both encourage multi- jurisdictional planning. Therefore, in the preparation of the Cayuga County Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP), a Planning Partnership was formed to pursue grant funding for the plan and to meet requirements of the federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA) for as many eligible local governments in Cayuga County as possible. The DMA defines a local government as follows: “Any county, municipality, city, town, township, public authority, school district, special district, intrastate district, council of governments (regardless of whether the council of governments is incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under State law), regional or interstate government entity, or agency or instrumentality of a local government; any Indian tribe or authorized tribal organization, or Alaska Native village or organization; and any rural community, unincorporated town or village, or other public entity.” THE PLANNING PARTNERSHIP Initial Solicitation and Letters of Intent Cayuga County solicited the participation of all local governments in Cayuga County at the commencement of this project. Local governments interested signed a “Letter of Intent” and/or a resolution committing their participation and resources to the development of the Cayuga County Multi- Jurisdictional All-Hazards Mitigation Plan. Cayuga County and all municipal jurisdictions (with the exception of the Town of Cato) are participating in the planning process (Table 8-1). Table 8-1 Participating Jurisdictions in Cayuga County Jurisdictions City of Auburn Town of Ira Town of Scipio Town of Aurelius Town of Ledyard Town of Sempronius Village of Aurora Town of Locke Town of Sennett Town of Brutus Town of Mentz Town of Springport Town of Cato* Village of Meridian Town of Sterling Village of Cato Town of Montezuma Town of Summerhill Village of Cayuga Town of Moravia Town of Throop Town of Conquest Village of Moravia Village of Union Springs Village of Fair Haven Town of Niles Town of Venice Town of Fleming Town of Owasco Town of Victory Town of Genoa Village of Port Byron Village of Weedsport *Town has indicated that it will not be participating in the plan. ---PAGE BREAK--- SECTION 8: PLANNING PARTNERSHIP DMA 2000 Hazard Mitigation Plan – Cayuga County, New York 8-2 August 2013 Planning Partner Expectations The Planning Committee agreed to the following list of expectations: Establish Plan development goals; Establish a timeline for completion of the Plan; Ensure that the Plan meets the requirements of DMA 2000 and FEMA and NYSOEM guidance; Solicit and encourage the participation of regional agencies, a range of stakeholders, and citizens in the Plan development process; Assist in gathering information for inclusion in the Plan, including the use of previously developed reports and data; Organize and oversee the public involvement process; Develop, revise, adopt, and maintain Volume I of the Plan in its entirety and the local jurisdictional annex in Volume II. Jurisdiction Annex Templates Jurisdictional annex templates were created to help the Planning Committee prepare their jurisdiction- specific annexes and ensure all criteria of Section 201.6 of 44CFR would be met, based on the partners’ capabilities and mode of operation. The template and detailed instructions were designed to lead each partner through a series of steps that would generate the DMA-required elements that are specific for each partner. The designated point-of-contact for each participating jurisdiction, as well as Cayuga County, was asked to complete the template using the detailed instructions, guidance from the consultant and technical assistance provided at the jurisdictional annex workshop (discussed below). The templates and their instructions can be found in Appendix F. Workshop Jurisdictional annex workshops were held on March 20th and 21st, 2013 for the Mitigation Planning Partnership. Attendance at this workshop was highly recommended for plan participants and representatives from all participating municipalities attended. At the workshop, an overview was provided for each section in the annex. The workshop was designed to be instructional, but also allow for open discussion and questions. In addition, personalized technical assistance was available and provided to each jurisdiction, if needed. Topics discussed during this session included: DMA 2000 overview Jurisdictional Annex Templates Tools Jurisdictional Annex Template o Overview o Risk ranking o Cost/benefit review The Planning Committee was led through an exercise to rank risk for Cayuga County as a whole. This was a collaborative effort by all workshop attendees. Concurrently, each committee member was asked to rank each risk specifically for its jurisdiction, based on probability of occurrence and estimates of potential dollar losses to structures vulnerable to the hazard. Maps illustrating hazard areas and tables ---PAGE BREAK--- SECTION 8: PLANNING PARTNERSHIP DMA 2000 Hazard Mitigation Plan – Cayuga County, New York 8-3 August 2013 estimating exposure and losses were provided to each jurisdiction as a tool, in addition to the risk assessment, to complete this exercise. Benefit/Cost Review Each jurisdiction’s annex includes an action plan of prioritized initiatives to mitigate natural hazards. Section 201.6.c.3iii of 44CFR requires the prioritization of the action plan to emphasize the extent to which benefits are maximized according to a cost/benefit review of the proposed projects and their associated costs. As part of jurisdiction annex template completion, the Planning Committee was asked to weigh the estimated benefits of a project versus the estimated costs to establish a parameter to be used in the prioritization of a project. This benefit/cost review was qualitative; that is, it did not include the level of detail required by FEMA for project grant eligibility under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) grant program. This qualitative approach was used because projects may not be implemented for up to 10 years, and the associated costs and benefits could change dramatically in that time. Each project was assessed by assigning subjective ratings (high, medium, and low) to its costs and benefits, as follows: Table 8-2 Benefit/Cost Review Costs High Existing funding levels are not adequate to cover the costs of the proposed project, and implementation would require an increase in revenue through an alternative source bonds, grants, and fee increases). Medium The project could be implemented with existing funding but would require a re- apportionment of the budget or a budget amendment, or the cost of the project would have to be spread over multiple years. Low The project could be funded under the existing budget. The project is part of or can be part of an existing, ongoing program. Benefits High Project will have an immediate impact on the reduction of risk exposure to life and property. Medium Project will have a long-term impact on the reduction of risk exposure to life and property or will provide an immediate reduction in the risk exposure to property. Low Long-term benefits of the project are difficult to quantify in the short term. Using this approach, projects with positive benefit versus cost ratios (such as high over high, high over medium, medium over low, etc.) are considered cost-beneficial and are prioritized accordingly. For many of the initiatives identified in the action plans, participating jurisdictions may seek financial assistance under FEMA’s HMGP or PDM programs. Both of these programs require detailed benefit/cost analysis as part of the application process. These analyses will be performed when funding applications are prepared, using the FEMA model process. The Planning Committee is committed to implementing mitigation strategies with benefits that exceed costs. For projects not seeking financial assistance from grant programs that require this sort of analysis, the Planning Committee reserves the right to define “benefits” according to parameters that meet its needs and the goals and objectives of this plan. Completion of the Planning Process All participating towns and villages in Cayuga County completed the planning and annex-preparation process. Completed jurisdictional annexes are presented in Section 9.