ORDINANCE approving the acceptance of grant funds through a Grant Agreement between the City of Houston and the TEXAS DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT for the Kingwood Diversion Channel Bridge Replacement Project through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Grant Program; authorizing the Director or Designee to accept the grant and expend the grant funds, as awarded, to extend the budget period, and to apply for and accept all subsequent awards, if any, pertaining to the grant - DISTRICT E - FLICKINGER

RECOMMENDATION:  Adopt an ordinance authorizing acceptance of the Fiscal Year 2024 FEMA Legislative Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program (L-PDM) sub-grant award of $4,000,000.00 from the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) for the Kingwood Diversion Channel Walnut Lane Bridge;  authorizing the Director or the Director’s designee to accept and expend the grant funds as awarded, to extend the budget period, and to apply for and accept all subsequent awards, if any, pertaining to the grant; and authorizing the Mayor to execute all related agreements with the approval of the City Attorney in connection with the grant for the project/performance period, not to exceed five years.

SPECIFIC EXPLANATION: Ordinance 2024-0564 approved July 31, 2024, authorized the submittal of a grant application to TDEM to complete a Community Project Funding Request submitted by Congressman Dan Crenshaw for flood mitigation activities at the Lake Houston Dam. This request was approved for funding in Fiscal Year 2024 Federal appropriations through the FEMA Legislative Pre-Disaster Mitigation (L-PDM) Grant Program administered by TDEM. The project scope will reconstruct the Walnut Lane Bridge and the Kingwood Drive bridges which cross the Kingwood Diversion Channel. The project will increase the bridge spans to accommodate channel widening and improvements managed by the Harris County Flood Control District.

The L-PDM grant program makes federal funds available to state, local, tribal and territorial governments to plan for and implement sustainable cost-effective measures designed to reduce the risk to individuals and property from future natural hazards, while also reducing reliance on federal funding from future disasters. The program is authorized by Section 203 of the Stafford Act. As sub-recipient of the awarded L-PDM grant, the City of Houston will be reimbursed for 75% of eligible project costs. The City is required to contribute 25% of the funding as the local cost share. Requests to appropriate the local cost share will be brought to City Council at the time of contract awards.

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

FISCAL NOTE: No fiscal note required on grant items.

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Randall V. Macchi, Director

Houston Public Works

$4,000,000.00  Federal/State/Local Pass Through Fund No. 5030

$1,333,333.00 Dedicated Drainage and Street Renewal Capital Fund - Ad Valorem Tax Fund 4046 (Future Appropriation)