Larimer County staff told commissioners on Sept. 8 that the county has started a federally funded update to its multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan, a five-year FEMA requirement that preserves local and participating jurisdictions’ eligibility for hazard mitigation grants.

Josh Roberts, mitigation coordinator, said the county’s current plan was written in 2021 and expires in 2026 under FEMA guidelines. He said keeping a current, FEMA-approved plan is important for eligibility for Hazard Mitigation Assistance and other programs and that the county’s Climate Smart Future Ready Framework and Master Water Plan were partly funded with FEMA hazard mitigation assistance.

Roberts said the county received a $200,000 grant (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities, administered through the state emergency management office) for the update; the county’s local share is $50,000 and staff expect to meet that match largely through in‑kind work rather than cash outlays. The county solicited proposals, evaluated 12 responses, and selected WSP, a planning firm, as the vendor to lead the update.

Roberts said the hazard mitigation update will identify relevant hazards, assess risk, perform mapping and geospatial analysis, and include public engagement (a survey and meetings). He said the project will take about a year and that staff plan to incorporate findings from the PEERS plan-integration project to identify gaps and conflicts before finalizing the hazard mitigation plan.

Roberts also said the scope of work includes assistance to the cities of Fort Collins and Loveland to maintain their FEMA Community Rating System (CRS) classifications — ratings that can lower flood insurance premiums for property owners in those jurisdictions.

Ending: Staff said they will hold public engagement events and surveys as part of the update and that the updated plan is intended to maintain grant eligibility for the county and participating jurisdictions and to set priorities for mitigation and risk reduction.