Adopt City of Portland 2021 Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan, also known as the Mitigation Action Plan, which describes natural hazards in Portland, their potential impacts, and the City’s strategies to increase resilience to these hazards
WHEREAS, the Portland City Council recognizes that the City is at risk from natural hazards such as earthquakes, floods, landslides, and severe weather and that these hazards pose a threat to lives and property throughout the City; and
WHEREAS, Portland's Mitigation Action Plan is a comprehensive update to and expansion of the 2016 Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 and the Federal Emergency Management Agency require the City to have an approved Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, updated on a 5-year cycle, to be eligible for certain pre- and post-disaster grant funds; and
WHEREAS, the Community Rating System and the National Flood Insurance Program compliance standards also require an approved Local Hazard Mitigation Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Mitigation Action Plan recognizes that underserved and frontline communities tend to suffer greater consequences from natural hazards, and furthers the City of Portland’s commitment to equity and anti-racism by centering these communities in the Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Mitigation Action Plan includes actions to address significant risks of climate change, such as extreme heat and smoke, as well as other important risks such as earthquakes and flooding; and
WHEREAS, Portland's Mitigation Action Plan update process was guided by a steering committee that included representatives from Portland Bureau of Emergency Management, Environmental Services, Parks and Recreation, Planning and Sustainability, Office of Equity and Human Rights, Transportation, Development Services, Fire, Portland Police, and Multnomah and Clackamas County; and
WHEREAS, by adopting the Mitigation Action Plan, the Portland City Council will demonstrate its commitment to reducing risk and potential impacts of natural hazards through hazard mitigation planning and implementation; and
WHEREAS, the draft Mitigation Action Plan has been approved by the State of Oregon Office of Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Agency;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City of Portland adopts Portland's Mitigation Action Plan as Non-Binding City Policy attached as Exhibit A and intends to direct resources toward the implementation of the actions included therein to the extent practicable.
Official Record (Efiles)
Impact Statement
Purpose of Proposed Legislation and Background Information
This resolution adopts the City’s 2021 natural hazard mitigation plan, known as the Mitigation Action Plan. A state- and federally approved hazard mitigation plan is required under federal Stafford Act regulations for the city to be eligible for certain types of federal pre- and post-disaster mitigation funding. To remain in compliance, a federally approved plan must undergo a comprehensive update every 5 years. This will be the fourth version of Portland’s natural hazard mitigation plan; Portland’s first approved hazard mitigation plan was adopted by City Council in 2004; the second was in 2010 and the third was in 2016. Where appropriate, the 2021 Mitigation Action Plan incorporates policies from previous versions; however, it should be considered a full replacement of the 2016 plan and supersedes any policies therein.
Financial and Budgetary Impacts
Adoption of the 2021 Mitigation Action Plan does not commit the City to additional expenditures, changes in staffing, changes in revenues, new financial agreements, or any other budget impacts. Projects listed in the Mitigation Action Plan may be implemented at City Council and bureau discretion as resources allow; the plan is a non-binding City policy and should serve as guidance for future policies and priority-setting.
Community Impacts and Community Involvement
Individuals and groups with fewer resources and who have a more difficult time accessing information and services tend to suffer greater consequences during natural hazard events. For this reason, the 2021 Mitigation Action Plan incorporates an equity lens to ensure that the benefits from the plan are focused on those who are most likely to suffer most, and also distributes the burdens equitably. Vulnerability analyses were conducted for each hazard profiled, to demonstrate potentially vulnerable groups living in hazardous areas. Populations assessed included people of color, renters, people who are over 65 and under 15 years of age, and people with limited English proficiency. Issues related to disability were also discussed, although demographic data on people with disabilities were not available at the scale necessary for the analysis.
Risks for each of the nine hazards profiled in the plan are reported citywide and by geographic area, roughly aligning with neighborhood coalition areas and budget reporting areas. This demonstrates the risks most relevant for each reporting area, as well as its distinct population vulnerabilities. Portland's Mitigation Action Plan update process was guided by a steering committee that included representatives from Portland Bureau of Emergency Management, Environmental Services, Parks and Recreation, Planning and Sustainability, Office of Equity and Human Rights, Transportation, Development Services, Fire, Portland Police, and neighboring jurisdictions—Multnomah and Clackamas County.
Budget Office Financial Impact Analysis
No direct fiscal impact. The bureau notes: “Projects listed in the Mitigation Action Plan may be implemented at City Council and bureau discretion as resources allow; the plan is a non-binding City policy and should serve as guidance for future policies and priority-setting.”
Agenda Items
949 Time Certain in November 9, 2022 Council Agenda
Adopted
- Commissioner Mingus Mapps Yea
- Commissioner Carmen Rubio Yea
- Commissioner Dan Ryan Yea
- Former Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty Absent
- Mayor Ted Wheeler Yea