Title
Resolution to Accept and Appropriate FY2018 Port Security Grant Program Funding Awarded by The Department of Homeland Security for The City of Hampton Police Division's Maritime Response Vessel Sustainment Project
Purpose
PURPOSE/BACKGROUND:
The Department of Homeland Security has awarded the City of Hampton Police Division grant funding for 2018 in the amount of $84,150.00, awarded for equipment updates to Marine Patrol 4 (MP4), the Hampton Police Division's primary deployment vessel for tactical maritime operations and dive team deployments. The project will include re-powering the vessel and updating aging electronics in order to place vessel back into operation. Equipment needed includes engines, a chart plotter, side scan sonar, thermal night vision camera, marine spotlight, VHF radios, and installation.
Discussion:
The Port of Virginia receives extensive intermodal shipping container traffic each year, with heavy emphasis coming from China and other points in Asia bound for the United States, seeking to take advantage of the vast network of transfer facilities available at the Port of Virginia. As such, this region plays in a major role in serving commerce and trade for the entire nation, binding the commercial relationship between the United States and other countries around the world. Complementing the accessible transfer facilities in the Hampton Roads region is a vast network of transportation infrastructure acting as major arteries for destinations across the country. This includes major bridges and tunnels such as the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge Tunnel (Interstate 664), the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (Route 13) connecting Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York, and the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel (Interstate 64) which transports nearly three million vehicles each month and more than 100,000 vehicles per day during tourist season. These characteristics lend the region to a higher propensity of possible targeted attacks and require regional stakeholders to constantly monitor and deliver layered protection to mitigate the region's risk while at the same time investing in areas to enhance intelligence sharing and response.
The City of Hampton, Virginia is located within the Port and serves as a strategic site for maritime all-hazards incident mitigation and security due to its location on the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula. Within the city’s jurisdictional boundaries, five major shipping channels pass through: Thimble Shoals, Baltimore, York, Elizabeth River, and the James River channels. The City of Hampton Police Division (HPD) is responsible for securing and mitigating risk to 85 miles of shoreline and providing mutual-aid response to an area greater than 500 linear miles. Within the primary Area of Responsibility (AOR) are established key target areas including the world’s largest naval base, Naval Station (NS) Norfolk, historic Fort Monroe, and Langley Air Force Base. As such, an undisclosed number of U.S. and foreign-flagged naval vessels navigate the waters of Hampton annually, independent of commercial traffic. Additionally, HPD performs a pivotal role in responding to potential maritime peril incidents originating in these territorial waters and acts as the first response for law enforcement and public safety services, Search and Rescue, Technical Rescue, High Value Asset Escorts, Port Security, and HAZMAT identification and mitigation as needed and/or requested. The Hampton Police Division routinely acts as a force multiplier in coastline and waterway security for Joint Base Langley-Eustis, including but not limited to activities related to Presidential and Dignitary visits, air shows, and shoreline patrols of the base.
MP4 is the primary deployment vessel for tactical maritime operations and for events requiring Dive Team deployment. Replacing this vessel outright rather than investing in sustainment updates will cost in excess of $300,000. While the components of the vessel are aging due to length of service, the hull of the boat is still in excellent shape. Moreover, fuel costs and maintenance will be greatly reduced due to more efficient technology and a reduced amount of oil consumption required to power the engines. Therefore, re-powering this vessel is a fiscally responsible way to sustain maritime operations within the Port of Virginia.
The total funding for this grant project is $112,200.00 with $84,150.00 in federal funds and $28,050.00 in matching funds. Matching funds will be separated into $13,200.00 of in-kind funds and $14,850.00 in cash matched funds. In-kind funding will be provided by The Hampton Police Division through maintenance contributions.
Impact:
The City of Hampton is uniquely situated in a marine area host to numerous vital waterways. These waterways support major shipping routes for commerce and also provide channels for movement of vessels to and from the many military installations in the immediate area. In addition to providing security to these critical waterways, the FY2018 Port Security Grant will allow the Hampton Police Division to ensure the safety and protection of its residents, businesses, and tourists. As the required match is small in comparison to the federal grant, the fiscal impact will be minimal.
Recommendation:
Rec
It is the recommendation of the Hampton Police Division that the City Council of the City of Hampton accept and appropriate the FY2018 Port Security Grant for the implementation of the grant award.
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Hampton Police Division has been awarded the Department of Homeland Security 's FY2018 Port Security Grant in the amount of $84,150.00, which requires matching funds of $28,050.00; and
WHEREAS, the grant award covers the period of 09/01/2018 to 08/31/2021;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Hampton accepts and appropriates the 2018 Port Security Grant as awarded by the United States Department of Homeland Security and amends the operating budget of the Hampton Police Division for use in accordance with the grant agreement;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council authorized the City Manager or her designee to take the necessary steps to implement this grant award.