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City adopts 2025 hazard mitigation plan; staff cite grant limits and need for homeowner participation on wildfire measures
Summary
The City of Stillwater adopted its 2025 Hazard Mitigation Plan, which staff said largely updates action items rather than core plan structure; emergency management staff warned that many mitigation projects require large matches and homeowners must cooperate on wildfire fuel‑reduction efforts.
The Stillwater City Council on Sept. 8 adopted the 2025 City of Stillwater Hazard Mitigation Plan, as required by state and federal law for continued eligibility for certain mitigation funding. Staff said the plan identifies natural hazards, actions to reduce losses and a coordinated implementation process; the plan has been submitted to the state hazard mitigation officer and FEMA for review and approval and will be posted on the city website and kept in the city clerk’s office.
Emergency management director Rob Hill summarized the update and told council the plan itself has not dramatically changed but that the action items and priorities have been revised based on recent events. Hill said the most recent large natural‑hazard event in the area informed the update and emphasized that the plan serves as a prerequisite for many federal grant programs. He warned that grant matches and upfront costs for mitigation projects can be prohibitive and often require 25 percent or more local match or significant upfront funding that smaller municipalities struggle to provide.
Councilors also asked about dam safety and notification for high‑risk dams upstream of the city. Hill said many dams are not owned by the city; they are inspected twice yearly and the city coordinates notification plans with dam owners and partners when concerns arise. The plan includes Lake McMurtry and Lake Carl Blackwell as upstream water bodies considered in flood and dam failure scenarios.
On wildfire mitigation, Hill said the city and partners are offering property‑owner outreach and work to create defensible space and fuel breaks on private property but that some owners resist allowing work on their land. Hill said those programs are free to homeowners but require homeowner participation for effectiveness. The council adopted the resolution (CC‑2025‑23) by a 4‑0 vote.
