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County hazard mitigation plan returned with PEMA comments; municipalities urged to adopt promptly
Summary
Perry County staff said the county hazard mitigation draft was sent to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) and the state returned a first round of comments; staff urged municipalities to adopt updated plans quickly to remain eligible for emergency funding.
County planning staff told the commission that the draft Perry County Hazard Mitigation Plan was circulated for public review and that the county sent the draft to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) for initial review. Staff reported that PEMA returned a first round of state comments the day of the meeting.
Commissioners said PEMA and FEMA review is the next step: once PEMA’s comments are addressed, the plan will proceed to FEMA for federal review and recognition. Staff emphasized that municipalities must act promptly: if towns do not adopt the updated hazard mitigation plan within the required timeframe, PEMA and FEMA may not recognize them as having an updated plan and they could lose eligibility for certain emergency funding or grant opportunities.
Staff described outreach plans: county staff will assist municipalities by providing a resolution template and visiting municipalities as needed to ensure adoption. One commissioner said new or soon-to-retire township officials will require targeted outreach and “spoon-feeding” of the process. The commission discussed a likely 3–4 month window for municipalities to return adopted resolutions so the county can package them and submit to PEMA and FEMA.
Next steps: staff will address PEMA’s comments, submit the revised plan for FEMA review and provide templated resolutions and follow-up visits to municipalities to secure timely adoptions.
