Emergency management staff told the committee on July 15 that the county's hazard mitigation plan is under review by New York State and will be sent to FEMA after state approval.

Why it matters: An approved mitigation plan is a prerequisite for some federal mitigation grants and can affect eligibility for certain post-disaster assistance.

Emergency management staff said the consulting firm submitted a county draft in May and revised the plan after state comments; a new draft was submitted June 24 and remained in the state review process. "The plan draft is...in process," an emergency-management official said, explaining that drafts visible publicly may not be the final, review-ready document.

Officials emphasized that FEMA assistance after a disaster requires meeting monetary thresholds. The emergency manager explained that for a county-level disaster to trigger FEMA public-assistance funding, county damage must exceed a local threshold (noted at about $290,000 in discussion) and the state as a whole must meet a higher aggregate threshold (discussed as approximately $40,000,000). The chair and staff noted that if damages are localized and the state threshold is not met, a county may not receive FEMA public-assistance funds. The emergency manager said New York State had indicated it would expedite review but that the process could still take months.

Committee members raised concerns that some town-submitted updates were not reflected in the version they saw; staff said they would request the most recent draft and ensure town corrections were incorporated before the state/federal review proceeds.

Ending: Emergency management staff will continue to follow the state review and forward the plan to FEMA when state approval is complete; they will also attempt to confirm that town-submitted corrections are included in the current draft.