SUBJECT/RECOMMENDATION:
Title
Approve the Local Mitigation Strategy developed for Pinellas County and adopt Resolution 20-18.
Body
SUMMARY:
The purpose of the Local Mitigation Strategy is to establish an ongoing process that will make hazard mitigation part of the daily functions of the entire community. The Local Mitigation Strategy serves as a bridge between local governments' growth management plans, the county comprehensive emergency plan, land development regulations, and relevant ordinances and codes such as those for floodplain management.
Most of the burden of recovering from a disaster falls on the shoulders of local government. A major disaster can bring extraordinary hardship to citizens, devastate the economic base, and diminish quality of life for years to come. If hardships seen in other parts of the country can be avoided by making smarter decisions before the disaster, the best interest of our citizens, businesses and communities are better served.
The objective of the Local Mitigation Strategy is to develop a blueprint or guide intended to provide a unified and consistent course of action needed to eliminate or reduce the impact of disasters that threaten Pinellas County and its municipalities.
The current Local Mitigation Strategy is the fourth update to the original, adopted in 1999. Comprehensive updates were completed every 5-years, in 2004, 2009, and 2015.
The complete local mitigation strategy document can be found at http://www.pinellaslms.org.