Explanation
BACKGROUND
The Franklin County Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan serves as the official plan for Franklin County and all included jurisdictions. Mitigation planning efforts for the county began in 2005 with the creation of the first Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved plan for the county. That plan was formally adopted in 2007. The 2012 version was the first official update to that plan. The 2018 plan represents the most recent version of the mitigation plan for Franklin County. Adoption of the plan is a condition of eligibility to receive federal mitigation funds available through FEMA.
The natural hazards mitigation planning process consisted of gathering and analyzing data available from various sources, including the Risk Assessment for Franklin County. The data shows that the hazards most likely to result in costly damages are flooding, tornados, high winds, heavy snow, and ice.
The plan recommends a number of public education efforts, continued support of flood mitigation buy-outs, and the examination and potential modification of planning guidance and other development regulations to ensure the risk of damage to new structures is minimized.
By adopting this plan, Franklin County, the City of Columbus, and other cities, villages, and townships within the county, commit to working with residents and businesses to make the county and city safer.
Title
To adopt the Franklin County 2018 Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan; and to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, Franklin County has a history of experiencing damage from flooding, tornadoes, severe summer weather, thunder storms, winter storms, and other hazards resulting in loss of life, property loss, economic hardship, and threats to public health and safety; and
WHEREAS, the Franklin County 2018 Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan has been developed after more than a year of research and work done by Franklin County Emergency Management and Homeland Security and representatives of various local governmental agencies and stakeholder organizations; and
WHEREAS, the plan recommends many hazard mitigation actions, prepared and submitted by local jurisdictions, designed to protect the people and property impacted by the natural hazards and threats faced by Franklin County; and
WHEREAS, adoption of a natural hazards mitigation plan is a condition of eligibility to receive federal mitigation funds available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Public Safety in that it is immediately necessary to pass this resolution as an emergency measure for the preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety, and welfare; now, therefore;
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1: That Columbus City Council does hereby adopt the Franklin County 2018 Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan.
SECTION 2: That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this resolution is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.