County resilience officer outlines 2025 priorities, hazard mitigation plan and partnership goals

Beth Gibbons, Washtenaw County’s resilience officer, summarized the office’s work, staffing and priorities for 2025 and encouraged county and municipal partners to pursue coordinated mitigation, energy transition and resilience projects.

Key points

- Office staffing and remit: Gibbons said the resilience office is a three‑person team and described the office as “a small and mighty office.” She said the team focuses on implementing the Resilient Washtenaw Plan’s eight strategies, which include energy transition, housing, mobility, health, working lands and infrastructure.

- Carbon neutrality targets: The Resilient Washtenaw Plan sets targets to reach carbon neutrality for county operations by 2030 and the entire county by 2035, Gibbons said. The office plans to develop an emissions inventory tailored to county decision‑making and a “decarbonization menu” to guide project prioritization.

- Technical assistance and partnerships: Gibbons reported success securing technical assistance placements from state and federal programs and two summer internship tracks; the office is working closely with facilities management, parks and rec, public health, emergency operations and the water resources commission.

- Hazard mitigation plan: Gibbons said Washtenaw County is one of a handful of counties without a FEMA hazard mitigation plan and described a multijurisdictional plan as a priority. She said a countywide hazard mitigation plan would enable municipalities to apply for FEMA’s BRIC (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities) funding and allow communities to participate in the Community Rating System, which can lower flood‑insurance premiums for residents.

- Natural and agricultural programs: She said the county had received a termination notice for the “climate smart ag” program with the Washtenaw County Conservation District on April 14 and noted disruptions in multiple federal programs affecting partnership funding. Gibbons said she expects work and collaboration to continue despite the termination.

- Implementation emphasis: Gibbons said implementation, integration and communications are core priorities; the office is launching a municipal “con‑energy concierge,” model zoning support for renewable projects, a renewable energy planning and technical‑assistance program, and a countywide climate practitioners convening.

Questions and commissioner responses

Commissioners asked about the hazard mitigation plan’s benefits and process. Gibbons explained that a FEMA‑acceptable hazard mitigation plan generally must be adopted by participating municipalities and would allow them individually to apply for resilience funding and to seek reduced flood‑insurance rates through the National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System.

Commissioners also asked about federal tariffs and supply‑chain impacts on solar equipment; Gibbons said tariffs and international production constraints could affect project costs and offered to return with a policy update on how federal changes affect local implementation.

Ending

Commissioners and environmental council members praised the office’s work and offered to coordinate with economic development, brownfield and municipal planning staff to accelerate renewable and resilience projects. Gibbons said she would return to the board with more detailed updates and a briefing on federal policy impacts when appropriate.