Union City Council Expected To Adopt MOU For Hazard Mitigation Plan

UNION CITY, CA — Union City's City Council is expected to adopt a resolution approving a memorandum of understanding with the cities of Newark and Fremont, the Union Sanitary District and the Alameda County Water District for the preparation of a Multi-Jurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan during its Feb. 14 meeting at City Hall.

According to the agenda for the meeting, if approved, the plan would formalize joint participation and share financial risk associated with Federal Emergency Management Agency Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grants funding as well as ensure a FEMA approved Local Hazard Mitigation Plan is in place.

Local governments, under The Disaster Mitigation Act (DMA) of 2000, are required to develop and adopt pre-disaster mitigation plans to minimize property damage and the risk to public health and safety that might occur from the effects of a natural or man-made disaster, the agenda item explained.

A FEMA approved plan also allows the city to be eligible for FEMA Pre-Disaster Mitigation and Hazard Mitigation Grant programs.

"Such plans identify the hazards a community or region faces, assesses their vulnerability to the hazards, and identifies specific actions that can be taken to reduce these risks," the city said.

By entering into the MOU, Union City, along with Fremont, Newark, Alameda County Water District, and Union Sanitary District will develop a Multijurisdictional LHMP project management team which will hire a consultant to prepare the plan with Union City's share of the cost expected to be $32,401.72.

The Multijurisdictional LHMP Project Management Team should kick-off the MLHMP project by March 2023, the city said.