New Port Richey council adopts Pasco County Local Mitigation Strategy to keep federal funding eligibility

City Council of New Port Richey on the evening agenda adopted Pasco County'—s 2024 Local Mitigation Strategy (LMS), the flood-plain species assessment and natural functions report, and staff said the action keeps the city eligible for federal mitigation project funding.

City staff explained that federal law and the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief Act require a local mitigation strategy and that the LMS must be updated every five years to remain eligible for FEMA mitigation grants and non-emergency disaster assistance. The county'—s 2024 LMS was submitted to and approved by the Florida Department of Emergency Management and, once all participating jurisdictions adopt, will be submitted to FEMA for formal approval (staff presentation by speaker 1).

The motion to adopt the county LMS was moved and seconded and carried on a voice vote. Several council members praised the collaborative, multi-municipality approach and called for a city-level vulnerability study and a presentation on regional resiliency actions so the city can prioritize projects that would be competitive for grant funding. One council member said the LMS is "rich soil" for identifying potential grant projects and urged staff to pursue a vulnerability study to identify projects the city could fund.

City staff emphasized there is no immediate budget impact from adoption; the LMS and the referenced species and natural functions material will also support the community'—s credit under the National Flood Insurance Program'—s Community Rating System.

The council vote formally records the city'—s adoption and advances the countywide package toward FEMA submission.

The council moved next to related resolutions updating floodplain references and the community-rating documentation.