OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES - K. O'NEILL

Update on 2017 Winter Storm Disaster Cost Recovery.

SBC FILE NUMBER: 75.5

In January and February 2017, San Benito County and much of the State of California experienced heavy rain leading to widespread flooding events. The substantial rain, flooding, and mudslides damaged infrastructure throughout the County, including:

·         Roads and Bridges

·         The San Benito County Historical and Recreational Park

·         Storm Water and Drainage Management Infrastructure

On February 14 and then again on April 2, 2017, the President declared major disasters for the State of California, establishing Disaster Declarations FEMA-4301-DR and FEMA-4308-DR. San Benito County was included in both events and is eligible for Public Assistance (PA) reimbursement for the following incident periods:

·         FEMA-4301-DR: January 3 – January 12, 2017

·         FEMA-4308-DR: February 1 – February 23, 2017

Since May 19, 2017, the County Office of Emergency Services and a consulting firm have been actively engaged in supporting comprehensive disaster recovery management. The County Office of Emergency Services team’s intention is to maximize the County’s reimbursement for all eligible emergency/permanent work and associated costs, as allowed under recognized FEMA PA policy.

The goal of the initial identified phases of the recovery process can be summarized in one phrase – Secure FEMA funding and do this in such a way as to not risk funding de-obligation down the line. Initial success in securing FEMA funding can be put at risk if consideration is not given to how the FEMA closeout teams and federal auditors will (or will not) understand the decisions rendered and documentation prepared during the initial phases of the recovery project.

The County has largely completed project formulation for all projects for both DR-4301 and DR-4308 and is currently working through the exit briefing for one disaster FEMA-4301-DR. In total, the County is managing eight separate disaster recovery grants through FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) Program. Grants in the PA program are made on a reimbursement basis and provide funding for the actual cost of the recovery project. The PA program funds 75 percent of the cost of an eligible recovery project, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) covers an additional 18.75 percent of the cost. The County’s final cost for a project is 6.25 percent of the eligible cost.

To date, the County’s eight projects are valued at $1,866,395.