Title
Discussion of issues relating to an agreement with Harris County for the Hurricane Harvey CDBG-DR Bayou Bend Regional Detention Facility and Drainage Improvements Project.
Body
Summary:
On October 16, 2018, the City Council authorized submission of a grant application to Harris County under the Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Round 1 funds for Hurricane Harvey.
The City of Deer Park was allocated to receive $2,920,500 in Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds for infrastructure damaged or failed to function by Hurricane Harvey through the Harris County Method of Distribution (MOD). This funding is from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and administered through the Texas General Land Office (GLO). It is separate from funding provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administered through the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM).
The Method Distribution (MOD) is the process by which a County develops the formula to allocate funding to other affected cities within the County; usually outside of the City of Houston.
One of the three eligible Activities under CDBG-DR Infrastructure/Non-housing funding includes flood control and drainage repair and improvements, including the construction or rehabilitation of storm water management systems.
As Hurricane Harvey produced a high flood event, HUD and the GLO sees drainage improvements and flood control efforts to reduce flood risk, particularly in low-income areas, as a priority type project. Under HUD rules, 70% of CDBG-DR funding must benefit low-to moderate income (LMI) persons/communities. The Bayou Bend Regional Detention Facility and Drainage Improvements Project, is in a qualifying LMI area in Deer Park.
Harris County is a grantee under the State’s CDBG-DR Hurricane Harvey Action Plan - Round One. The cities in Harris County are sub-recipients of Harris County. Attached is the agreement between Harris County and the City of Deer Park. This seventy-two (72) page agreement incorporates all of the federal grant requirements mandated by HUD and administered through the State GLO.
Fiscal/Budgetary Impact:
The grant budget is a total of $2,920,500. Harris County will select and contract for the design engineer for the project (budget estimate of $348,000). The City will be responsible for bidding, awarding and administering the contract with the successful company awarded the construction contract (budget estimate of $2,572,500). The City will be required to pay the contractor and seek reimbursement from Harris County.
Recommended action
Discussion only during workshop. An item is included on the February 4, 2020 Regular Council Meeting Agenda to consider approval of this agreement.