The County of Santa Cruz invites sealed proposals for the development of the Santa Cruz
County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan from fully licensed, insured, bonded,
certified contractors to furnish all labor, tools, equipment, and incidentals required to provide
professional consulting services for the County of Santa Cruz. This project is funded through
FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP).
Santa Cruz County is the second smallest county within the State of California by land area, yet
it serves one of the largest unincorporated area populations, with around 50% of the county's
total population of 270,861 residing in the unincorporated area, according to the 2020 U.S.
Decadal Census.
Santa Cruz County has seen a sharp increase in the frequency and severity of climate-driven
natural hazards over the past seven years, including wildfires, flooding, and severe weather.
During this period, the County has endured seven Federally Declared disasters, resulting in
over $140 million in Public Assistance (PA) eligible damages from three major events in 2017,
as well as significant PA damages from the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire and the COVID
19 pandemic. In 2023, the dual disasters of DR-4683 and DR-4699 collectively caused over
$100 million in PA damages. The year 2024 has already brought additional atmospheric river
and winter storm events, further damaging public infrastructure.
To address these recurring challenges, the County is seeking a consultant to lead a
comprehensive re-write of its Local Hazard Mitigation Plan and to support local municipalities
and agencies in developing jurisdictional annexes within the framework of the County's
inaugural Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP). This plan aims to create a
unified, strategic approach to reducing the risks posed by natural hazards across the county,
prioritizing projects that can effectively mitigate future damages. The final mitigation strategy will
include a detailed project implementation framework, designed to support ongoing identification
and pursuit of funding opportunities. This will involve establishing clear timelines,
responsibilities, and potential funding sources for each identified project, ensuring that the
County and its partners are well-positioned to apply for and obtain grant funding. By doing so,
the County aims to enhance its resilience and better protect its residents, infrastructure, and
natural resources from the escalating impacts of climate-driven hazards.
The County's current LHMP is set to expire in January 2027. However, three out of the four
participating municipalities, as well as Cabrillo College, already have LHMPs in place that are
set to expire between late 2025 and early 2026. With these expiration dates in mind, the
consultant should aim to follow a nine-month planning process timeline. The goal is to submit a
final draft of the MJHMP to Cal OES in October 2025, allowing sufficient time for review and
approval to ensure that all participating jurisdictions maintain continuous coverage and eligibility
for funding. The final contract deliverable will consist of a FEMA-approved MJHMP for the
County and seven participating jurisdictions, which include the County's four cities and three
local special districts: the Resource Conservation District (RCD) of Santa Cruz County, Pajaro
Valley Water Management Agency (PVWMA), and Cabrillo College.
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