To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
From: Phil Brun, Utilities Director
Prepared By: Sara Gallegos, Management Analyst
TITLE:
Title
CDBG Disaster Assistance Funding
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
Adopt a resolution authorizing the Utilities Director to submit an application for an allocation of grant funding of up to $530,000 and execute a grant agreement and any amendments thereto with the State of California for the CDBG-Disaster Recovery Program and/or CDBG-Mitigation Program and determining that the actions authorized by this resolution are exempt from CEQA.
Body
DISCUSSION:
The California State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) issued a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for CDBG-Disaster Recovery and/or CDBG-Mitigation Program Assistance. Funding under this NOFA is being made available to assist communities located in 12 counties impacted by 2017 disasters. This funding is allocated through the State of California’s Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Action Plan for 2017 disasters and/or the State of California’s Community Development Block Grant - Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) Action Plan for 2017 disasters (the Grant). The City of Napa is an eligible applicant due to the October 2017 wildfires in Napa County.
This NOFA provides a unique opportunity for the City to use the funds towards any projects awaiting official approval from FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). HMGP provides funding to state, local and other government agencies after presidentially declared disasters to reduce risk and potential impact of future disasters. This Grant funding could be leveraged with HMGP grant funds for the Milliken Raw Water Pipeline Hardening Project, a City facility damaged in the 2017 Napa Wildfires. If the City is awarded the Grant, it would be in the City’s interest to use these CDBG-DR and/or CDBG-MIT funds towards the City’s $1M shared contribution of the total $4M Milliken Raw Water Pipeline Hardening Project, which has been approved for Phase 1 by FEMA.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
There is no General Fund impact. The Grant funded by CDBG-DR and/or CDBG-MIT programs would be no more than $530,000 to be used toward a shovel ready project such as the Milliken Raw Water Pipeline Hardening Project, funded primarily with HMGP grant funds and shared contribution from the Water Enterprise Fund. Staff will return with a budget amendment to accept the funds if the Grant is awarded.
CEQA:
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 15301, which exempts the repair of existing publicly owned utilities.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
ATCH 1 - Resolution Authorizing CDBG-DR or CDBG-MIT Grant Application
NOTIFICATION:
Notice of this item was placed on an agenda at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting.