Olathe council adopts updated Region L hazard mitigation plan, outlines $5 million in projects

The Olathe City Council on Tuesday voted 6-0 to adopt Resolution No. 205-10-18, approving the updated 2024 Region L multi‑jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan that covers Olathe and neighboring counties.

City and emergency management officials said the plan compiles regional risks and identifies mitigation projects the city can seek federal funding for over the next five years.

Mayor Bacon and council members heard a presentation from Jeff DeGrafftterbeid, Fire Chief and Director of Emergency Management, who told the council the plan stems from the Disaster Mitigation Act and regional work with Wyandotte, Johnson and Leavenworth counties. "From that comes a list of items that we propose, and we put in front of FEMA who approves that they meet the intent of the funding," DeGrafftterbeid said.

The plan lists 11 projects totaling nearly $5 million, officials said. Projects range from infrastructure work — such as dam safety improvements and adding power generation to wastewater lift stations — to community preparedness projects such as storm sheltering near 119th and Ridgeview. DeGrafftterbeid said some projects address power generation for hospitals and schools and other critical facilities.

Council members pressed staff on near‑term funding and implementation. One council member asked whether four items with a one‑year completion timeframe — described in the staff presentation as amounting to about $4 million — had been submitted for grant consideration. DeGrafftterbeid said the submissions have been made and that some proposals have been identified for further review by grantors. "That's usually a good sign if they want to look at it and ask some questions," he said.

City Engineer Nate Baldwin and staff also described a separate city effort to increase resiliency at traffic signals. Baldwin said most signals now have battery backup, and the city is down to about eight intersections without battery backup. He said the battery backups typically sustain a signal for about 12 hours.

DeGrafftterbeid said the plan is not an exhaustive list of city needs but a prioritized set of projects that meet federal hazard mitigation funding criteria. If FEMA or other grantors do not fund a listed project, staff said they would pursue other grant sources or consider budgeting projects through the city's capital improvement program or general fund as appropriate.

The resolution passed on a 6-0 roll call.

The adopted plan will be forwarded through the county and state to FEMA so the jurisdictions are aligned for grant eligibility and coordinated response and mitigation efforts.