To

Mayor and Council

Subject

FEMA Disaster Assistance

Initiator

Finance Department

Recommendation

Approval is requested to submit an application and if approved, accept Public \n \n Assistance funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as \n \n administered by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) for \n \n reimbursement of disaster response and recovery expenses associated with the \n \n Presidentially declared disaster caused by heavy rains and resulting erosion \n \n and flooding from December 22, 2015 through January 13, 2016, and to amend the \n \n budget by the amount reimbursed.

Approval

Pending

Background

Heavy rains during the period of December 22, 2015 through January 13, 2016

caused severe flooding and erosion in the Chattahoochee Valley area and

resulted in a Presidentially declared disaster for Columbus/Muscogee County as

well as 32 other local counties. As a result of the declaration, Columbus is

eligible for federal reimbursement of expenditures incurred for the response to

and damages caused by this flooding and erosion.

Analysis

Preliminary estimates conclude that the city has incurred and will incur

expenses totaling in excess of a million dollars for debris removal, emergency

services, building and structural repairs, road repairs, dam repairs, damage to

equipment and vehicles, and damages to park facilities. The City has six

months from the date of the disaster (December 22) to report expenditures

incurred for debris removal, six months from the date of the declaration

(February 26) to report expenditures incurred for emergency work, and eighteen

months from the date of the declaration to report expenditures incurred for

permanent work.

Financial Considerations

The public assistance funding will range from 75% of eligible expenditures to

100% of eligible expenditures, depending on the type of expenditure and the

time reported. There is no cost to the city other than those incurred costs

that will be unreimbursed.

Projected Annual Fiscal Impact Statement

There will be no annual fiscal impact, as this funding is to restore funds

spent for a one-time declared disaster.

Legal Considerations

The City will have to comply with federal procurement guidelines for the

procurement of contracted services, as well as federal cost principles, audit

requirements, environmental regulations, equal opportunity legislation, and

other regulations required in federal contracting.

Recommendations/ Actions

Authorize a resolution to approve the City to submit an application for, and if

awarded, public assistance funding from FEMA as administered by GEMA for

reimbursement of eligible expenditures related to the Presidentially declared

disaster of December 22, 2015 through January 13, 2016, and amend the budget by

the amount reimbursed.

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