To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Tyler Brown, Sheriff
Prepared By:
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Ashley Cappel, Deputy Director, Office of Emergency Management
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presenter
Presenter: Ashley Cappel, Deputy Director, Office of Emergency Management
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Subject:
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9:30 AM *2025 Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
The purpose of this report is to provide information and request the Board of County Commissioners approve a resolution to adopt the 2025 Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan contingent upon final FEMA approval.
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Alignment with Strategic Plan: Safe and Healthy Communities - Advance public safety by strengthening partnerships across law enforcement, emergency response, and community stakeholders.
Background and Discussion: The Arapahoe County Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) identifies and prioritizes actions to reduce the community’s vulnerability to natural hazards such as flooding, wildfire, and severe storms. FEMA requires local governments to have an approved and adopted HMP to remain eligible for mitigation grant programs. The planning process was led by the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) in accordance with FEMA requirement 44 C.F.R. 201.6 in collaboration with internal Departments, Municipalities, Special Districts and community stakeholders. Public input was collected through surveys and plan review to ensure the plan reflects both technical assessments and community priorities. This plan does compel the adopting agencies to attend annual update meetings and consider mitigation actions listed in the plan in long-range planning. The plan identifies natural and human caused hazards and the people and places at risk across Arapahoe County. It also identifies locally implemented actions and measures to reduce or eliminate long-term risk from natural and human caused hazards and their effects. The overall objective of the plan is to coordinate mitigation measures throughout the county. OEM will submit this Adoption Resolution to the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and FEMA Region VIII officials to enable the Plan’s final approval. While some content may require minor revisions to meet the plan approval requirements, changes occurring after adoption will not require Arapahoe County to re-adopt any further iterations of the plan. Subsequent plan updates following the approval period for this plan will require a separate adoption at or before the end of the next five-year update cycle.
Alternatives: The BOCC could elect not to adopt. The County would be ineligible for certain grants, and the Community Rating System score would increase resulting in direct premium increases for all residents who obtain Flood Insurance.
Fiscal Impact: There is no monetary cost to adopting the plan. There are numerous grants available to participating agencies that link grant requests to goals identified in this plan.
Alignment with Strategic Implementation Strategies: The attached framework helps Arapahoe County institutionalize values-based, transparent decision-making, documenting how we make decisions and carry out actions to achieve the county’s strategic plan.
Staff Recommendation: OEM recommends moving this item to consent.
Concurrence: The Plan was developed in partnership with all Arapahoe County municipalities, Denver Water, and South Metro Fire Rescue. All concur with adopting the Hazard Mitigation Plan.