To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
From: Jacques R. LaRochelle, Public Works Director
Prepared By: John Ferons, Senior Civil Engineer
TITLE:
Title
FEMA Funding for Repairs of Damage from January 2017 Storms
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
(1) Designate the City Manager, the Finance Director, the Assistant to the City Manager, or the Public Works Administrative Services Manager to serve as the City’s Authorized Designated Agent to implement funding requests submitted to, and funding received from, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) and the California Office of Emergency Services (“Cal OES”); and
(2) Authorize the City's Authorized Designated Agent to prepare and submit FEMA Form 90-49 (Request for Public Assistance) to request funding for the City's response to the damage incurred during the January 2017 Storms (FEMA 4301-DR-CA); and
(3) Determine that the actions authorized by this item are exempt from CEQA.
Body
DISCUSSION:
As the City Council is aware, the greater Bay Area (including Napa County) was subject to a series of atmospheric river storm events for the duration of January 2017, resulting in damage to City property at multiple Napa River and tributary creek banks and adjacent top-of-bank.
As a result, the County of Napa, on behalf of the County and local agencies within the County, proclaimed the existence of a local emergency on January 18, 2017, and requested the State provide aid pursuant to the California Disaster Assistance Act. In response the Governor of the State of California issued a state of emergency January 23, 2017 that includes Napa County. The President of the United States declared a major federal disaster February 14, 2017, making federal aid available to 34 counties, including Napa, for the January 2017 Storms. Since the local emergency declaration by the County of Napa was based on conditions in both the incorporated territory of the City and the unincorporated territory of the County, FEMA and Cal OES will accept a Request for Public Assistance from the City of Napa based on the County’s local emergency declaration.
For the City to participate and be eligible, the City must initiate the process by submitting a Request for Public Assistance (FEMA Form 90-49). To facilitate that submittal, FEMA and Cal-OES require that the City designate an agent as the main point of contact for all correspondence regarding this incident. The City previously authorized the Director of Finance or Assistant to the City Manager or the Public Works Administrative Services Manager to execute for and on behalf of the City of Napa for all matters pertaining to state and federal disaster assistance for the 2014 Earthquake incident. That authorization began October 7, 2014 and is valid for three years hence, making the same identified personnel valid as authorized agents for the January 2017 Storms, FEMA 4301-DR-CA.
Upon receipt of the Request for Public Assistance, which is due on or before April 11, 2017, the Cal-OES/FEMA team will schedule a site meeting with City representatives to assess the damage sites and develop our List of Projects (LOP, Cal OES Form 95). Public Works Engineering Staff have been evaluating the damage sites and have developed a draft list of projects for inclusion. The candidate damage sites were introduced to City Council in the Storm Update item at the February 21, 2017 City Council Meeting. The list of project includes: Trancas Crossing Park; Napa River Trail, 3 sites, behind Elk’s Lodge, near River Glen, at River Pointe; Riverside Drive; Terrace Avenue; and Buhman Park.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
By authorizing the Request for Public Assistance, the City will be in compliance with Cal OES requirements and therefore eligible to receive reimbursement for related expenditures.
CEQA:
City staff recommends that the City Council determine that the Recommended Action described in this Agenda Report is exempt from CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15269 (repair to property and facilities damaged or destroyed as a result of a disaster in an area where a state of emergency has been proclaimed by the Governor pursuant to the California Emergency Services Act).
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1: FEMA Form 90-49 Request for Public Assistance
NOTIFICATION:
None.