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Part 5 Plan Maintenance Process City of Redmond Hazards Mitigation Plan • 161 CHAPTER 14 - Plan Maintenance Process Plan Maintenance Process FEMA Requirements Requirement §201.6(b)(4)(i): A section describing the method and schedule of monitoring, evaluating, and updating the mitigation plan within a five-year cycle. Requirement §201.6(c)(4)(ii): A process by which local governments incorporate the requirements of the mitigation plan into other planning mechanisms such as comprehensive or capital improvement plans, when appropriate. Requirement §201.6(c)(4)(iii): Discussion on how the community will continue public participation in the plan maintenance process. Federal Requirement for Monitoring, Evaluating, and Updating the Plan This plan is an update of the 2004 City of Redmond Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP). Although it is an update, this document has been redesigned so that it looks, feels, and reads differently than the original. This is due to several factors: new hazard information has become available that drives new definitions of risk, the City has matured and new capabilities are now available, and the new format will allow readers to more easily understand the content. In addition, the 2004 HMP included several action items that have been completed, creating an opportunity for developing new mitigation strategies. The Mitigation Implementation Committee (MIC) constituted at the writing of the 2004 HMP was tasked with monitoring the strategies described in the Plan. That committee did not effectively track the progress of the strategies. As a result, a consultant, Bob Freitag, was hired in 2006 to complete a mid-course review and update of the 2004 Plan. The strategies identified in the 2004 Plan were then updated in the 2006 revision and are included in this plan. This plan includes a much more thorough process for tracking the progress of the 2009 mitigation strategies. The MIC, under the direction of the Planning Director will meet at least annually to track the progress of the strategies and make any adjustments or recommendations as required. Another key aspect of the Plan monitoring system requires that the MIC review the Plan, especially the strategies and vulnerabilities, in the aftermath of a declared event. The Plan should be updated or modified pursuant to the results of that review. The plan maintenance section details the process that will ensure that the City of Redmond HMP remains a comprehensive and useful document throughout the five-year update cycle. The following plan maintenance process section outlines the procedure for monitoring and evaluating the plan and producing an updated plan every five years. This section also explains how the City intends to incorporate the mitigation strategies outlined in the HMP into existing plans and programs, such as the Comprehensive Plan, and the Municipal Code, among others. Furthermore, this chapter describes how the City will integrate public participation throughout the plan implementation process. Finally, there is a section on emerging trends in the field of hazards mitigation planning. 14.1 Monitoring, Evaluating, and Updating the HMP In support of the Planning Department, the lead agency for the HMP, the Redmond Office of Emergency Management (OEM) will monitor the implementation of mitigation actions identified in the Plan. The OEM will maintain adequate mitigation planning staff to monitor and evaluate the Plan. As part of the monitoring and evaluation processes, the OEM will work at a minimum to: ---PAGE BREAK--- Part 5 Plan Maintenance Process City of Redmond Hazards Mitigation Plan • 162 CHAPTER 14 - Plan Maintenance Process Provide a summary of any hazard events that occurred during the prior year and • the impact on the community. Review successful mitigation strategies identified in the HMP. • Explain why any strategies have not been implemented. • Review the action items to determine if the project timelines need to be amended • and if there are changes in funding or grant opportunities. Create recommendations for new mitigation projects. • Provide a report on impacts of any other planning programs or initiatives within • the City that involve hazards mitigation. Assess the current version of the Plan and determine the necessary improvements • for the five-year HMP update. Conduct site visits to obtain reports of completed or initiated mitigation strategies • to incorporate in the plan update as needed. Research and document new natural disaster information pertaining to Redmond • during the five-year HMP update cycle. Organize annual meetings with the Mitigation Implementation Committee (MIC) • to discuss relevant hazards mitigation issues, provide status updates, and discuss available grant opportunities. Convene a meeting of the MIC following a natural disaster or when funding is • announced to prioritize and submit potential mitigation actions for funding. Section 201.6.(d)(3) of Title 44 of the CFR requires that the HMP be reviewed, revised if appropriate, and resubmitted to FEMA for approval in order to remain eligible for funding given out by FEMA under the Disaster Mitigation Act (DMA).142 The HMP will be updated every five years to reflect the results of the annual reports and on- going plan monitoring and evaluation by the OEM and MIC. The OEM and MIC will assess and incorporate recommended comments expressed by FEMA in the initial review into the plan revision. At the end of the planning cycle, the OEM will submit the updated Plan to the Emergency Management Division of the State of Washington for review and preliminary approval. The State will then submit the Plan to FEMA for a final review. After the State and FEMA have approved Redmond’s HMP, the City will formally adopt the Plan by a City Council vote. As part of this process, some minimum requirements will need to be met, including: The hazards risk assessments will be reviewed and updated using best available • information and technologies on an annual basis. This effort shall include new analysis of Redmond’s Hazard Inventory Assessment using new data available to the city (e.g. recently completed LiDAR datasets available through King County). (See Map 31, Differences Between Current County Data and KC LiDAR Data) Critical structures will be evaluated and mapping will be updated. • The action items will be reviewed and revised to account for any actions • 142 Title 44 §201.6(c)(3), of the Code of Federal Regulations, Chapter 1 Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security, Part 201 Mitigation Planning, http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi- bin/get-cfr.cgi. ---PAGE BREAK--- Part 5 Plan Maintenance Process City of Redmond Hazards Mitigation Plan • 163 CHAPTER 14 - Plan Maintenance Process completed, dropped, or changed, and to account for changes in the risk assessment or new City policies identified under other planning mechanisms (such as the Comprehensive Plan), as appropriate. The draft HMP update will be sent to appropriate agencies for comment. • The public will be given an opportunity to comment prior to adoption. • The City Council will adopt the updated plan, as approved by FEMA. • 14.2 Incorporation Into Existing Planning Mechanisms The HMP is based on information available at the time the plan and its updates are written.143 In addition to the HMP, the City of Redmond has a series of master plans, ordinances, and guidelines by which the City abides when considering planning and development. Per Washington State’s Growth Management Act (1990), Redmond first created and adopted a Comprehensive Plan in 1995 with an allowance for yearly amendments.144 This plan has been updated, and the most current Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2006. This plan is the primary guideline for the City’s planning and development goals.145 Additional documents include, but are not limited to: General Documents • o The Redmond Municipal Code o City Ordinances Land Use Documents (additional to the Comprehensive Plan) • o Community Development Guide (includes Zoning Code) Public Works Documents • o Stormwater Management Program Plan o Transportation Master Plan o Water Quality (Including Wellhead Protection Ordinance) Through adoption of this HMP, the City Council will coordinate the HMP recommendations with the recommendations of these additional documents, particularly as they pertain to achieving Comprehensive Plan goals and objectives. Although the City’s Comprehensive Plan does not explicitly mention coordination with the HMP, many of the HMP strategies support the goals of the Comprehensive Plan. The following are examples of correlations between the HMP and the Comprehensive Plan’s goals: Land Use/Planning: Downtown and Overlake The Comprehensive Plan goals are to enhance the vitality of the existing Downtown area through retail, business, protection of historic buildings, and creating pedestrian environments. While the Downtown area will act as the cultural and economic core 143 City of Santa Cruz, “Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, 2007-2012,” http://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/pl/LHMP/ LHMP%20Final%20Sept%2011%202007.pdf. 144 City of Redmond, “Plan Updates,” http://www.redmond.gov/intheworks/Redmond2022/proposedupdates. asp. 145 City of Redmond, “Redmond Comprehensive Plan, 2006,” http://www.codepublishing.com/WA/Redmond/ CompPlan/PDF/. ---PAGE BREAK--- Part 5 Plan Maintenance Process City of Redmond Hazards Mitigation Plan • 164 CHAPTER 14 - Plan Maintenance Process of Redmond, the Comprehensive Plan also encourages the development of Overlake as an urban center focusing on high technology and employment.146 The HMP strategies recommend that Redmond take advantage of decentralizing the core centers by providing redundancy of critical facilities in the Overlake and Education Hill neighborhoods. This redundancy provides a secondary area of refuge and support in the case of a hazard event that creates isolation between Downtown, Overlake and Education Hill. It also allows for Redmond to be prepared for the several types of earthquakes that would have varying impacts on the City. Community Character and Historic Preservation Redmond’s historic character is a vital part of its identity. Comprehensive Plan goals of maintaining historic districts, buildings, and gathering spaces is enhanced by the integration of Redmond’s identity as a technological center.147 The HMP encourages this integration by recommending that historic buildings are seismically retrofitted to meet current building codes. Human Services The Comprehensive Plan calls for encouragement of accessibility for human service agencies serving Redmond as well as additional awareness of the need for human services within the City.148 In the event of a hazard, the HMP supports this goal by proposing an educational tool, which will prepare community members to independently survive a hazard for more than three days. The HMP also proposes the strategy of providing food supply centers within neighborhood schools and similar facilities in the event that a hazard renders household kitchens unusable. Transportation Redmond’s transportation goals are to encourage multi-modal transportation including vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle access throughout the City.149 The HMP encourages the development or reconfiguration of the City’s transportation network such that supplies and people can be moved within, into, and out of Redmond in the event of a hazard. The HMP particularly addresses the development of the non- motorized trail system as a means of emergency transportation. Utilities The Comprehensive Plan goals are to provide utilities such as water, electricity, sewer and waste removal, gas supply, and other household utilities.150 The HMP encourages the retrofitting of existing utility supply equipment with safe to fail mechanisms to supplement the Comprehensive Plan goal. Plan Consistency When updating the HMP or other planning documents, the City should coordinate 146 Ibid. 147 Ibid. 148 City of Redmond, “Redmond Comprehensive Plan, 2006,” http://www.codepublishing.com/WA/Redmond/ CompPlan/PDF/. 149 Ibid. 150 Ibid. ---PAGE BREAK--- Part 5 Plan Maintenance Process City of Redmond Hazards Mitigation Plan • 165 CHAPTER 14 - Plan Maintenance Process with existing plans. This coordination will encourage common goals throughout the plans and facilitate the creation of policies for plan implementation. In addition to plan consistency, ongoing consideration of strategy and action item implementation should occur during capital improvement project (CIP) development. 14.3 Continued Public Involvement Redmond is committed to continued public involvement in the hazards mitigation planning and review process. During all phases of plan maintenance, the public will have the opportunity to provide feedback. The 2009 Plan update will be maintained and available for review on the City of Redmond’s website. Individuals will have an opportunity to submit comments for the Plan update at any time by e-mail. Upon initiation of the next HMP update process, a new public involvement strategy will be created. This strategy will be based on the needs and capabilities of the City at the time of the update. At a minimum, this strategy will include the use of local media outlets within the planning area and the City’s website prior to the submission of the next Plan update. Redmond will post a notice on its website requesting feedback on an updated draft HMP. The Project Team will hold community involvement meetings with representatives from academic institutions, the private sector, community groups, and neighboring jurisdictions. This will provide the public an opportunity to express their concerns, opinions, or ideas about any updates or changes to the Plan that are proposed. 14.4 Emerging Trends The world’s urban population is growing, as is the importance of cities to the economic health of their respective countries. Unfortunately, many of the elements that define cities also contribute to their vulnerability. Population growth and further development in hazard-prone areas is increasing the vulnerability to natural hazards. For example, many of the fastest-growing areas in the United States are in the wildland-urban interface, and development in these areas increases the threat of wildland fires. Experts estimate that between 1990 and 2000, 60% of all new housing units in the United States were built in the wildland-urban interface, and that by 2000 about 38% of housing units overall were located in these areas. Further, key scientific assessments indicate that climate change is expected to alter the frequency and severity of severe weather and related natural hazards. Global temperatures have increased over the last 100 years, a trend expected to accelerate over the next century. Along with severe weather, increased temperatures will increase drought occurrences, which, in turn, increase the risk of wildland fires. The changing character and degrees of hazards risks require adaptation, including comprehensive efforts to reduce urban vulnerability and more proactive measures to mitigate hazards impacts. ---PAGE BREAK--- [This page intentionally left blank]