Fremont City Council Meeting: 10/18/22 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Fire Department
Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Grants
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
STAFF REPORT (ID # 4714) DOC ID: 4714
Updated: 10/12/2022 1:46 PM by Alberto Quintanilla Page 1 HAZARD MITIGATION GRANT FUNDS - Accept and Appropriate Federal Emergency Management Agency Hazard Mitigation Grant Funds in the amount of $187,500 to Update the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
Contact Persons:
Name: Alec Tune Donna Do
Title: Emergency Services Manager Management Analyst II Div/Dept: Fire Department Fire Department
Phone: 510-494-4200 510-494-4200
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]
Executive Summary: Staff seek City Council approval to accept a grant award obligated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) to the City of Fremont in the amount of $187,500, and to enter into an agreement with Cal OES to appropriate and use the funds to update the City’s Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP). Pursuant to FEMA rules and best practices, staff propose a partnership among neighboring jurisdictions to prepare a new, Tri-Cities Multi- jurisdictional LHMP that will meet all FEMA regulatory requirements, including requirements to update the City’s LHMP.
BACKGROUND: FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) supports State and local governments with grant funding following Presidentially declared Major Disasters in order to rebuild damaged infrastructure in affected areas in a safer and more resilient manner.
HMGP funding may also be allocated to areas not directly impacted by a disaster in order to mitigate risk following future incidents. Eligible activities include conducting planning to assess and reduce risks, making capital improvements to public infrastructure, and taking other steps to reduce community risk.
The City is required by federal law to prepare and maintain a LHMP, updating it once every five years, as a condition of receiving HMGP funding. An exception to this requirement is that funding for preparing or updating an LHMP is allowable at any time. FEMA and Cal OES allow and encourage local governments to jointly develop Multi-jurisdictional LHMPs over planning areas which encompass multiple public jurisdictions. This approach is most appropriate when jurisdictions share a common profile of hazards (e. g. seismicity, flooding, wildland-urban interface fire, tsunami, etc.) and provide services across a common geographic area. Benefits include improving communication and coordination across jurisdictions, maximizing economies of scale by sharing costs and resources, promoting data sharing and analysis among jurisdictions, and minimizing duplication of effort. Multi - jurisdictional LHMPs may afford a better value when contracting professional services.
A LHMP is not required in order for the City to be considered for Federal and State disaster assistance funding to recover emergency response-related costs or to rebuild damaged public infrastructure following a Major Disaster or Emergency.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: FEMA allocates HMGP funding to states according to a formula of 20 percent of eligible damage following Major Disasters. Cal OES allocates FEMA HMGP Staff Report (ID # 4714) Meeting of October 18, 2022
Updated: 10/12/2022 1:46 PM by Alberto Quintanilla Page 2 funding to municipalities and other eligible public entities through a competitive grant sub- application process. To date, Cal OES has received $592 million in FEMA funding related to the 2020 California Wildfires. In allocating associated HMGP funding to sub-applicants, Cal OES specifically identified LHMPs expiring within 24 months as its highest priority.
In June 2021, following extensive coordination with neighboring jurisdictions, the City submitted a proposal to Cal OES for funding to complete a Tri-Cities Multi-jurisdictional LHMP. Emergency Management personnel from the City of Fremont, City of Newark, City of Union City, Alameda County Water District, and the Union Sanitary District agreed to participate in the proposed project and are prepared to recommend entering into a Memorandum of Agreement to formalize joint participation and share financial risk associated with the grant.
Previously, the City of Newark and the City of Union City partnered with the Alameda County Water District and Union Sanitary District to complete a Multi-jurisdictional LHMP.
The plan was adopted by the respective jurisdictions’ governing bodies and subsequently approved by FEMA on August 18, 2017. The City of Fremont’s LHMP was adopted by the City Council on December 20, 2016 and was subsequently approved by FEMA on January 9, 2017.
The new Tri-Cities Multi-jurisdictional LHMP will be prepared consistent with industry best practices; Federal and State guidance; and applicable laws, rules, and regulations. The funding will be used to hire a consultant, through competitive solicitation, to prepare the plan under the direction of a Project Management Team consisting of subject matter experts from the City of Fremont, the City of Newark, the City of Union City, Alameda County Water District, and Union Sanitary District. The consultant will be responsible for completing the following project tasks: identifying, collecting and reviewing existing plans and formulating a plan outline; identifying applicable hazards and collecting relevant data; developing and running technical modelling of select hazards using FEMA-developed software; assessing risks and documenting these assessments; developing public outreach strategies and materials to promote public engagement; developing hazard mitigation strategies and goal s common to the Tri-City area and particular to each jurisdiction; preparing the draft plan and soliciting comments; preparing a final draft plan; and supporting the plan adoption process.
The consultant will facilitate interagency meetings including a project kickoff meeting, project steering committee meetings, and various planning meetings. The final project deliverable is a new FEMA-approved Tri-Cities Multi-jurisdictional LHMP, subject the City Council’s adoption of the plan.
On September 6, 2022, Cal OES notified the City of its intent to award grant funding on a cost-reimbursement basis, not to exceed $187,500. However, this amount may be supplemented by additional funding in order to cover the City’s indirect costs associated with managing the grant. The City may opt to receive a lump sum in the amount of ten percent of reimbursed costs, not to exceed $18,750. Additionally, the City is responsible for meeting a matching requirement of $62,500 which may be met entirely through in-kind contributions of participating agency staffs’ hours. All work must be completed by August 26, 2024.
FISCAL IMPACT: The HMGP funding of $187,500 (75% Federal share) has a matching requirement of $62,500 (25% local share), which can be met through in-kind contributions of participating agency staffs’ hours. The City is monitoring whether a reduction in the Staff Report (ID # 4714) Meeting of October 18, 2022
Updated: 10/12/2022 1:46 PM by Alberto Quintanilla Page 3 matching requirement to $25,000 (10% local share) may apply, based on a March 2022 announcement by FEMA. Any funding for indirect costs may result in minor net increases in revenue to the City, which are offset only by the opportunity cost of diverting staff time to the project.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: N/A
LINKS: March 2022 announcement by FEMA
ATTACHMENTS:
• Award Package
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Accept the HMGP funding in the amount of $187,500.
2. Recognize the grant revenue and appropriate $187,500, as well as any additional supplemental funding, in the Federal Operating Grants Fund (Fund 199).
3. Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute all necessary agreements and documents in connection with the grant award.