Public invited to review Hazard Plan Update

POMEROY–Garfield County Emergency Management announced the beginning of a public review and comment period for the final draft of the updated Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan. Starting on December 7, 2020, the draft can be viewed online on the Garfield County Emergency Management website by following a link. This public review and comment period will end on December 21, 2020.

The purpose of the public review period is to give residents of Garfield County and interested parties an opportunity to review a draft of the Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan update. People can also ask questions or submit comments to Garfield County Emergency Manager Tina Meier, or to the planning consultants with Northwest Management, Inc. (see contacts listed below)

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requires counties to update this plan every five years to remain eligible for federal funding for hazard mitigation projects. Since the summer of 2019, a planning team has been working to update the previous plan. This planning team consists of representatives from Pomeroy, Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, Garfield County Fire District #1, Pomeroy School District #110, Garfield County Building and Planning, Pomeroy Conservation District, Garfield County Health District, The Port of Garfield, Garfield County Hospital District, Garfield County Emergency Management, and the Garfield County Transportation Authority, as well as other organizations and agencies. This update project is funded by a grant from FEMA.

A public meeting was held in November, 2019 at Pomeroy High School to further explain the Hazard Mitigation Plan and its functions, and to describe the update process. A public outreach survey campaign was held in late summer of 2020 to solicit public opinion on various topics related to hazards in Garfield County. Once a final draft of the plan is agreed upon by the planning team and reviewed by all pertinent parties, it will be submitted to the Washington Emergency Management Division and FEMA.