-Hazard Mitigation Plan Update

The City of Manitou Springs has been updating its Hazard Mitigation Plan since March of 2022 and is now holding an Open House to hear feedback from the public on the Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft, and how it can be improved.

The Open House will be on January 31st at Memorial Hall (606 Manitou Ave.) from 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.. The open house will start with a presentation, and then a Q&A session where you can speak with the personnel leading this effort. This meeting will be hybrid, meaning that interested community members can join via Microsoft Teams, or in-person anytime from 6PM-7PM on January 31st.

Microsoft Teams Link

Meeting ID: 289 435 714 648 
Passcode: tS6uUy 

The first draft of the Hazard Mitigation Plan Update is available to review prior to the Open House on January 31st. You can view it here: Hazard Mitigation Plan Public Review Draft.

If you are unable to attend the Open House on January 31st, you are still able to provide feedback to the Hazard Mitigation Plan Public Review Draft via the Public Comment Form.

Overview

The City of Manitou Springs created a Hazard Mitigation Plan in 2017 that was incorporated into Plan Manitou. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requires Hazard Mitigation Plans to be updated every five years, and be compliant with FEMA's regulations and plan requirements.

This plan update was initiated in March of 2022 and is expected to be complete by July of 2023. Consultants from WSP USA Environment & Infrastructure Inc, formerly Wood Environment and Infrastructure Solutions, Inc, were hired to help complete this update. Alongside the consultants, City Staff and various community members were part of the HMP Committee that helped update the plan. This project is partially funded by a FEMA grant with a City match as well. As of today, the Hazard Mitigation Plan for 2023 is in draft form and is currently in the review process by various agencies. 

Since 2017, there have been numerous mitigation actions that have been completed, which City staff and the consultants have been able to remove from the 2023 plan. These completed mitigation actions include:

  • An annual review and update of the City's Emergency Operations Plan
  • The Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
  • Enact policy to address development in high geological risk areas
  • Flood Control Master Plan
  • Water System Distribution Master Plan
  • Wastewater System Master PlanBridge Inspection Operating Procedure
  • Continuity of Operations Plan and Government Plan

The remaining mitigation actions are currently in the process of being completed. With FEMA partially funding this project, this allows the City of Manitou Springs to have greater opportunities to receive funding for mitigation projects.