The 2012 Yellowstone County Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan (PDM) Update represents a coordinated effort and ongoing commitment by Yellowstone County, the City of Billings, City of Laurel, and Town of Broadview to reduce or eliminate potential natural and human caused hazard-related losses and damages before they occur or recur. Additionally, successful completion and subsequent updates of the multi-jurisdictional PDM will ensure that the four local governements maintain continued eligibility to apply for grants to fund planning efforts and thorough evaluation of potential mitigation activities. This PDM Plan helps communities focus on the actual risks from hazards by profiling each potential threat and comparing the relative risks between hazards; works as a planning tool that assesses and prioritizes projects for mitigating damage and casualties from natural disasters; and is a pre requisite for Future Hazard Mitigation Grants – including funding after specific disasters like recent Yellowstone River flooding. This particular plan update is significant because it includes detailed analysis of potential flooding in West Billings and provides alternatives to mitigate that flooding in the approximately 20-square mile West Billings area. This component of the PDM Plan Update was highly regarded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as a creative way to address flood mitigation analysis within the PDM Plan Update.

The PDM Plan was last updated in 2004 and has been updated over the past year to bring the County into compliance with State and Federal guidelines for pre-disaster mitigation planning. Grants from both FEMA and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation in coordination with local in-kind staff time contributions provided funding to complete the Plan Update. The Local Emergency Planning Committee, of which City emergency services and public safety staff are a part, has been the local entity that has provided guidance on the Plan Update. In addition, public meetings were held in all four jurisdictions as part of the update process. 

The City Council may:
-Adopt the 2012 Yellowstone County Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan (PDM) Update
-Not adopt the 2012 Yellowstone County Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan (PDM) Update. If the City chooses not to adopt the PDM Plan Update, it may limit the grants that it may apply for to mitigate natural and human caused hazards in the community before or after disasters occur.

There is no direct financial impact to the City by adopting the 2012 Yellowstone County Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan (PDM) Update.

The Local Emergency Planning Committee and staff recommend the City Council adopt the 2012 Yellowstone County Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan (PDM) Update.