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North St. Paul adopts Ramsey County Hazard Mitigation Plan participation to qualify for FEMA mitigation programs
Summary
Fire Chief Jason Malinger briefed the council on the county'wide Hazard Mitigation Plan identifying floods, storms, infrastructure failures and human'caused hazards; council voted to participate, enabling local eligibility for FEMA mitigation grant programs.
The City of North St. Paul Council voted to participate in the 2025 Ramsey County Hazard Mitigation Plan after a presentation from Fire Chief Jason Malinger.
Chief Malinger told the council the Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) provides a countywide framework that identifies mitigation goals and actions to reduce long'term risk to people and property from hazards including floods, hazardous-material incidents, tornadoes, winter storms, active'shooter and civil unrest scenarios, cyber attacks and major infrastructure failures. He said the plan builds on prior work (the city last participated in 2019) and that the county engaged consultants (Tidal Basin) and local jurisdictions in an extensive planning process.
The chief emphasized that once each community adopts the county plan and the county secures final FEMA approval, cities become eligible for FEMA mitigation funding streams the chief listed: the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program (BRIC), Flood Mitigation Assistance and related programs and financing tools. He also noted continuity-of'operations planning and mutual-aid arrangements as important components of local preparedness.
Council members asked whether the plan fits the city's needs and whether the city has gaps; Chief Malinger said staff found the city is "doing an adequate job" addressing relevant hazards and that the plan helps position the city to request mitigation reimbursements and resources after major events. Council Member McKenzie moved to approve the city's participation in the county HMP; the motion was seconded and approved unanimously.
Next steps: with council approval, the city will be included in the county'level mitigation plan and staff said the city will monitor FEMA grant opportunities and apply for eligible mitigation funding.
