A planning committee comprised of representatives from Union County, the incorporated cities, public school districts, Southwestern Community College, Greater Regional Medical Center and other stakeholders is currently updating the comprehensive Union County multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan. The Union County hazard mitigation planning committee is seeking public input for the plan update.
A summary of the plan update effort underway, as well as a questionnaire to capture public opinion and comments, is available online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Union-CO-IA. Hard copies of the questionnaire will also be available at city hall locations in the county during normal operating hours. The survey will be available until Sept. 30. The purpose of this outreach effort is to provide information to the public on the plan that is being updated as well as gain public input.
The plan update will address a comprehensive list of hazards – ranging from severe winter storms and flooding to hazardous materials incidents and tornadoes – and will assess the likely impacts of these hazards on communities and school districts in Union County. This effort will also update current strategies and identify additional strategies to reduce the vulnerability of people and property in the participating jurisdictions from the impacts of hazards, as well as maintain eligibility for participating jurisdictions for mitigation funding programs administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Union County has taken the lead in coordinating the update of this plan under the direction of Emergency Management Director Jo Anne Duckworth. The county has drawn on the expertise of consultants with Amec Foster Wheeler Environment and Infrastructure, a firm that specializes in hazard mitigation and emergency management.
Feedback from the public will be incorporated into the draft plan, which will be available for public review and comment later this fall. Upon approval by the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department and FEMA, the plan will be presented to the Union County Board of Supervisors, city councils, school boards or other governing body of each participating jurisdiction for formal adoption. For more information on this project, contact Duckworth at 641-782-1622 or by e-mail at ucema@mchsi.com.