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York County adopts regional hazard mitigation plan resolution to keep projects eligible for FEMA funding
Summary
The York County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution approving a multi‑jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan so the county and its cities and villages remain eligible for FEMA hazard mitigation project funding once FEMA finishes its review.
York County commissioners voted to adopt a resolution approving a multi‑jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan so the county, its cities and villages remain eligible for future FEMA mitigation project funding.
The approval came after Gary Peterson, the county’s emergency management director, briefed commissioners on FEMA’s requested revisions and the need to document identified mitigation projects in the plan. "They sent back some revisions, and the majority of those, just had to do with some additional wording that they wanted in there," Peterson said, adding FEMA asked for more detail about the planning process and underserved populations.
Peterson told the board FEMA’s review required the plan to identify specific mitigation projects before project applications will be approved. "If you don't identify projects within the hazard mitigation plan, then you can't — there's no sense in applying for them because they're not gonna be approved," he said, while stressing the plan remains a living document and projects can be added later.
Peterson said the plan was prepared through the Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District with Seward, York and Hamilton counties participating and that the NRD acted as a fiscal agent. He said the county obtained a grant covering about 75 percent of the planning process and used a consultant to assemble the plan. He also noted typical FEMA cost‑share for projects is 75 percent federal and 25 percent local and that some communities had not identified local cost‑share sources for specific projects.
Commissioners voted on a resolution to adopt the plan; the motion passed on roll call with commissioners voting in the affirmative. Peterson said once FEMA grants final approval, the county and its cities and villages will be eligible to apply for hazard mitigation project funds.
The board did not identify any immediate projects for county funding during the meeting; Peterson said that, if the county applies for a project, it will provide a letter committing to the local 25 percent share when required.
The resolution passed; FEMA review and final approval remain outstanding.
