Muskegon County committee adopts updated hazard mitigation plan to preserve grant eligibility

The Muskegon County Courts and Public Safety Committee voted to adopt the county's updated Hazard Mitigation Plan, a five-year statutory update officials said is required for the county to remain eligible for hazard mitigation funding.

Renee Gavin, Muskegon County emergency manager, told the committee that "adopting it makes us eligible" to apply for hazard mitigation funds and that the plan must be updated every five years to preserve eligibility. Gavin said one or more municipalities within the county had not yet completed adoption, which could affect those municipalities' access to grants.

The presentation described a substantial outreach effort to municipal officials, including personal visits and board-level briefings, and noted the team had to reformat the submission after the state changed the plan template and requirements during the update process. Gavin said the plan runs to hundreds of pages under the new format and that staff made adjustments to meet the revised state template.

Committee members thanked Gavin for the work and then voted; the chair called for the motion, members responded "Aye," and the motion to adopt the plan carried.

Adoption makes the county eligible to pursue mitigation funding; meeting minutes did not specify any immediate implementation schedule or funding applications tied to the adoption.

The committee moved on to the next agenda items after recording the adoption vote.