Title
Resolution to Amend the Fiscal Year 2025 Council Approved Budget to Accept and Appropriate the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Mitigation Assistance Program (FMAP) Grant Award through the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) for the Central Newmarket Creek Flood Mitigation Study [EMP-2022-FM-008-0003]
Purpose
PURPOSE/BACKGROUND
The City of Hampton (the “City”) has been awarded funding by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) Flood Mitigation Assistance Program (“FMAP”) through the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (“VDEM”) for the Central Newmarket Creek Flood Mitigation Study [EMP-2022-FM-008-0003] (the “Project”) in response to a grant application that the City previously submitted. The Project is to study Paula Maria and City Line Apartments to see what can be done to prevent flooding of these facilities. While the original request was for $810,000, with a $90,000 local match; the grant award is $570,000 with a $190,000 local match.
Discussion:
In support of the City's mitigation efforts to help reduce flooding impacts to our residents, the City applied for and was awarded competitive FEMA Flood Mitigation Assistance Program funding. The Project is to study Paula Maria and City Line Apartments to see what can be done to prevent flooding of these facilities. The overall Project cost is $760,000. Of this total cost, FEMA will provide $570,000 ($542,925 for the Project and $27,075 for sub-recipient management cost funds), and the local match requirement is $190,000. The $190,000 local match will be funded evenly between the City of Hampton and the City of Newport News, with each city providing $95,000, per the terms and conditions of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two cities. Per Newport News staff, this MOU will be on the Newport News City Council’s November 8, 2024 agenda.
The discrepancy between the City’s initial request and the resulting award is due to the program applied for and the ultimate source of the funding. With the initial application, which was submitted two years ago, the state provided a percentage of the match. However, when the award came through, the state is no longer providing a percentage of the match.
Despite significant focus on mitigating flooding in the Newmarket Creek watershed in general - including through the Resilient Hampton Newmarket Creek Water Plan and USACE CAP 205 Study - flooding is expected to remain a major threat to citizens in this area. While the Big Bethel Blueway Project is expected to produce modest reductions in the impact of flooding on properties abutting its banks, it will not be sufficient to mitigate local flooding issues entirely. Additionally, while the CAP study will propose to acquire and elevate properties in this vicinity, the scope is limited and it will not recommend any interventions north of Newmarket Creek.
Staff believes additional efforts to identify project and program opportunities which can be funded by FEMA is the best course of action to protect communities in this area that will remain at risk. Notably, this 11-acre study area contains 118 repetitive or severe repetitive loss properties, 72 of which are in the City of Hampton. Flood insurance claims are valued at more than $20.3 million, according to data from FEMA. Loss here is particularly impactful due to high levels of social vulnerability of residents. Compared to the cities as a whole, these neighborhoods have lower median household incomes, higher unemployment rates, older populations, a greater percentage of disabled residents, and a higher percentage of individuals identifying as persons of color.
In the enclosed application, staff propose addressing these challenges by conducting a targeted and holistic, community-engaged study of the area in an effort to build resilience on either side of the City line. We propose hiring a consultant team to support implementation of this study, which is expected to require approximately 36 months to complete. Work will include surveying and data collection; H&H modeling, environmental and historical studies; community outreach and engagement, compliance and reporting activities; benefit-cost analyses; and project scope development.
Impact:
Total Project cost is $760,000. FEMA will provide $570,000 ($542,925 for the Project and $27,075 for sub-recipient management cost funds). The $190,000 local match which will be funded evenly between the City of Hampton and the City of Newport News per the terms and conditions of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two cities.
Recommendation:
Rec
Recommend that City Council accept and appropriate this Flood Mitigation Assistance Program Grant Award from FEMA and VDEM.
Body
WHEREAS, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) and Virginia Department of Emergency Management (“VDEM”) have awarded Flood Mitigation Assistance Program (“FMAP”) funding to the Central Newmarket Creek Flood Mitigation Study [EMP-2022-FM-008-0003] (the “Project”) in the amount of $570,000 (the "Award");
WHEREAS, the Award requires a local match of $190,000, which will be funded evenly between the City of Hampton and the City of Newport News, with each city providing $95,000, per the terms and conditions of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two cities;
WHEREAS, the Award and Local Match will be used by the Community Development Resilience Division to study Paula Maria and City Line Apartments to see what can be done to prevent flooding of these facilities;
WHEREAS, the Award covers the period from the execution of the grant agreement through July 24, 2027.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Hampton hereby amends its Fiscal Year 2025 Council Approved Budget to (1) accept and appropriate the Flood Mitigation Assistance Program (FMAP) Grant Award [EMP-2022-FM-008-0003] in the total amount of $570,000, and any related supplemental funding by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) to the Grant Fund; and (2) accept and appropriate the required local match of $95,000 from the City of Hampton and $95,000 from the City of Newport News, and any supplemental funding.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council authorizes the City Manager, or her authorized designee, to take any and all actions necessary to implement this grant Award and to carry out the purposes of this Resolution, including the execution of the Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Newport News regarding the City of Newport News’ $95,000 portion of the required local match, subject to approval by the City Attorney.