Aransas Pass council adopts 2026 San Patricio County hazard mitigation plan

The Aransas Pass City Council voted to adopt the 2026 San Patricio County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Action Plan after a presentation by county emergency management staff and a short round of questions about costs and grant administration.

Nate McNew, Emergency Management Specialist with the San Patricio County Office of Emergency Management, told the council adopting the plan would allow the city "to be able to go for some of those grant reimbursements." McNew said there is "no cost at all to this," characterizing adoption as a "win-win." Council members noted the city previously participated in an Aransas County plan and that the new county plan is more specific to Aransas Pass.

The plan is the county’s multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation document, produced with grant funding and contract support from the county. McNew said the plan documents a range of hazards and ranks them to support both disaster reimbursement and future mitigation grants. He listed top hazards such as floods, extreme heat and tropical storms and said moderate hazards include thunderstorm winds, lightning, wildfires, drought, utility infrastructure failure and major disease outbreaks.

McNew told the council the plan identifies 59 potential mitigation projects the city could pursue in the future. The listing, he said, is intended to serve as documentation the city can cite in subsequent grant applications: "If we submit for a grant two years from now for that project, we can say...we've already identified this as an issue." McNew said the plan-writing process included Aransas Pass staff and that the city had been involved for roughly 18 to 24 months.

Council members asked who would prepare grant applications if the city pursues funding. Aaron, a city staff member referenced in the meeting, said he "primarily" handles that work and added that "99.9% of the grants that we would see, we're gonna write for us, for our city" and therefore funds would come to the city when the city is the grant applicant.

A council member moved to "consider and act a resolution to adopt the 2026 San Patricio County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Action Plan." The motion received a second and the council approved the resolution by voice vote; the presiding officer declared the motion "passes." The transcript records affirmative "Aye" responses in the room but does not include a full roll-call tally in the record provided.

The council did not identify any immediate local costs tied to adoption. County staff and city staff said adoption does not change how awarded grant funds would be disbursed: funds flow to the entity named in any successful grant application. The council adjourned after completing the item.