When it comes to partnerships, Tarrant and Denton Counties have a long history of working with Southlake for the greater good, which is why collaborating on the election process is a win!
Our partnerships helps the City keep costs down by sharing expenses with other municipalities and allow better governance during the election process.
All elections are handled through their respective election administrators, who manage and coordinate the election process with election judges and clerks. They also hire, train and supervise election staff, supply voting equipment, provide office supplies and place state postings.
Another major benefit to the partnerships is that both the City and County staff members share expertise and knowledge about the laws, procedures, practices, documentation and equipment, which allows the policies to be clear and adaptable and priorities consistent across the board. These partnerships also provide an alternative method of service delivery to our citizens by streamlining an efficient election process, whether that be municipal, county, state, federal, school district, general or special elections.
By strategically partnering with agencies and organizations like these, our City can continue to move forward and elevate our community.
City Council adopted the 2020 Tarrant County Hazard Mitigation Action Plan during the January 21 City Council meeting.
The plan allows access to federal mitigation grants to minimize the risk of damage that would be caused by a man-made or natural disaster.
Although the HazMAP is designed for all of Tarrant County, it accounts for and addresses the unique needs of Southlake. The plan identifies and quantifies the risks Southlake faces and serves as a tool to identify goals, strategies and projects to mitigate these risks to ensure Southlake remains a resilient community.
The City determines the risk by looking at historical data and trends.
“The City utilized data in a risk assessment to determine what areas would be impacted in case of a natural disaster. This data helped us design a plan to be prepared for these issues if or when they occur,” Amanda Meneses, City of Southlake Emergency Manager said.
To build a multi-jurisdictional, county-level HazMAP, the plan was coordinated through a partnership with Tarrant County, the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) and 33 participating jurisdictions.
The plan is a continuation for the previous HazMAP which was set to expire this year. The plan must be updated every five years and adopted by resolution.
“Our priority is to keep our community safe,” Meneses said. “If the HazMAP is not adopted, it would exclude Southlake from applying for federal mitigation grants.”
The plan meets the requirements of the Code of Federal Regulations, State of Texas Division of Emergency standards and the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, which allows access to federal mitigation grants that would otherwise be inaccessible without an approval from HazMAP.
