ORDINANCE approving and authorizing Grant Application to the TEXAS DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT for Floodproofing Measures at the Turkey Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program by the City of Houston Public Works Department; declaring the City's eligibility for such Grant; authorizing the Director of the Houston Public Works Department to act as the City's representative in the application process; and to extend the budget periods - DISTRICT G - HUFFMAN

RECOMMENDATION:

ORDINANCE approving and authorizing submission of a grant application to the TEXAS DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT (TDEM) for floodproofing measures at the Turkey Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP); declaring the City’s eligibility for such grant; and authorizing the Director of Houston Public Works to act as the City’s representative in the grant application process for an estimated project period of 36 months.

SPECIFIC EXPLANATION:

Houston Public Works recommends that City Council approve an ordinance authorizing submission of a grant application to TDEM for floodproofing measures through the HMGP program; declaring the City’s eligibility for such grants; and authorizing the Director to act as to act as the City’s representative in the grant application process.

The HMGP program, authorized by Section 404 of the amended Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, provides post-disaster funding for eligible mitigation projects in accordance with the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Unified Guidance and the 44 CFR § 206.430.

As the grant recipient for the HMGP program for the State of Texas, TDEM published a notice of funding opportunity on December 10th, 2021 for funding available for the HMGP program related to the presidentially declared DR-4485 COVID-19 Pandemic.

The Turkey Creek WWTP is located at 1249 Enclave Pkwy. Nearby development includes schools, groceries, restaurants, churches and homes that would be without sewerage services and polluted with untreated sewerage in the event of a significant coastal storm. The proposed floodproofing measures for the Turkey Creek WWTP are designed to reduce or eliminate flood burden at this location through onsite mitigation measures. These measures include hardening the existing facilities to be compliant with the COH Chapter 19 Code of Ordinances which requires critical facilities including WWTPs to be protected to the 500-year plus 3-foot event or the Harvey plus 1-foot event. Based on a Hydrologic and Hydraulic study that incorporates ATLAS 14 precipitation data, the 500-year flood elevation plus 3 feet is the recommended standard for the flood protection measures.

There is a 10% local match requirement. Under the HMGP program, management costs of up to 5% may be reimbursed under the 100% federal share. If and when individual projects are selected for award, Houston Public Works will bring acceptance of the grant award(s) to City Council for approval with detail of the specific amounts and sources of the required local funding match.

The table below identifies the requested funding amount and anticipated local match requirement.

GRANT FISCAL NOTE: No Fiscal Note is required on grant items.

CIP FISCAL NOTE: No significant Fiscal Operating Impact is anticipated as a result of this project.

______________________________

Carol Ellinger Haddock, P.E., Director

Houston Public Works

$34,421,844.00

 Federal/State/Local - Pass Through

Fund 5030

David Wurdlow, Assistant Director

Houston Public Works

Department Phone: (832) 395-2054