Title
Joint resolution adopting the multi-jurisdictional 2022 Lake County All-Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan (ANHMP).
Staff Summary
• The plan is required to be updated every five years by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to be eligible for FEMA hazard mitigation grant funds.
• The plan addresses natural hazards that may impact Lake County, such as floods, severe storms, tornadoes, and identifies mitigation measures that can be undertaken to reduce the impact of hazards to our residents and the operational services we provide.
• The plan update was developed through a cooperative effort between Lake County Emergency Management Agency, Lake County Stormwater Management Commission, and community participation.
• The ANHMP is one of several key components of Lake County's Emergency Management Program and integral to our overall preparedness and response efforts.
Body
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, one of the most important missions of Lake County is to protect the life, health, and safety of the residents of the County; and
WHEREAS, the mission of the Lake County Emergency Management Agency includes the charge to identify hazards and vulnerabilities, whether caused by nature or human activity, within the corporate limits of Lake County, and provide programs to eliminate or reduce the effects of such threats; and
WHEREAS, the mission of the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission includes the charge to identify flood hazards and vulnerabilities within the corporate limits of the County and municipalities, and provide programs to eliminate or reduce the effects of flood damage; and
WHEREAS, approval of a Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan is required for Lake County to be eligible to receive Federal Mitigation funds including the Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant Program (HMGP) project grants, the Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) Grant Program, and the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Grant Program (BRIC); and
WHEREAS, Lake County is subject to flooding, tornadoes, winter storms and other natural hazards that can damage properties, close businesses, disrupt traffic and present a public health and safety hazard; and
WHEREAS, the Lake County All-Natural Hazards Mitigation Planning Committee, comprised of representatives of the County, municipalities, and stakeholder organizations, has prepared a recommended All-Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan that reviews options to reduce damage and protect people from the identified hazards; and
WHEREAS, the recommended All-Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan has been widely circulated for review by the County’s residents and federal, state, and regional agencies and has been supported by those reviewers; and
WHEREAS, the draft plan was shared with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for coordination of state/federal agency review and comment on the draft; and
WHEREAS, the draft plan was conditionally approved by IEMA and FEMA, contingent upon adoption by the County and participating municipalities/local units of government.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by this County Board of Lake County, Illinois, that:
1. The 2022 All-Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan is hereby adopted as an official plan of Lake County.
2. The Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee (HMPC) is hereby established as a permanent advisory body. It shall be composed of representatives from the following groups, as appointed by the County Board Chair and approved by the County Board:
a. The following County Offices and Departments:
1) County Administrator
2) Emergency Management Agency
3) Stormwater Management Commission
4) Planning, Building and Development Department
b. Those municipalities that pass a resolution to adopt the All-Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan that send a representative to attend the meetings of the Committee.
c. Representatives of other interested agencies, organizations and associations appointed by the Chair of the County Board to represent stakeholders in hazard mitigation and the general public.
3. The Committee shall meet as often as necessary to prepare or review mitigation activities and progress toward implementing the All-Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan. It shall meet at least once each year to review the status of ongoing projects.
4. The schedule of Committee meetings shall be posted in appropriate places. All meetings of the Committee shall be open to the public.
5. The Committee shall prepare an annual evaluation report on the All-Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan for the County Board and the member municipalities. The report will cover the following points:
a. A review of the original plan.
b. A review of any natural disasters that have occurred the previous year.
c. A review of the action items in the original plan, including any accomplishments of the previous year.
d. A discussion of why any action items scheduled for completion the previous year were not completed or why implementation is behind schedule.
e. Recommendation for new projects, revised schedules, or revised actions, subject to review and approval by the County Board and/or the affected municipalities governing boards as amendments to the previously adopted plan.
6. The director of each County office identified as “responsible party” for the Mitigation Plan’s action items shall ensure that the action item is implemented by the listed deadline, subject to fiscal and time constraints, including federal and state funding, where appropriate.
7. The County Administrators Office, the Emergency Management Agency and the Stormwater Management Commission shall provide staff support for the Committee’s work.
DATED, at Waukegan, Illinois, on June 13, 2023.