Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: 4/5ths
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Shruti Dhapodkar, San Mateo County Emergency Management
Subject: Approval to accept an award for the FY 2023 Federal Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing the County Executive to accept an award from the California Office of Emergency Services for the FY 2023 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant, for a term beginning September 30, 2023 through September, 2026, in an amount not to exceed $494,300.
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BACKGROUND:
In July 2022, Congresswoman Jackie Speier secured $16.9 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding for 15 local community projects. The projects were part of a package of federal appropriations bills. A portion of this funding was earmarked for a wildfire mitigation project at Filoli, a 654-acre nonprofit historic house museum, public garden, and nature preserve in the heart of San Mateo County.
The County applied for a subaward on behalf of Filoli because only government entities were permitted to apply. FEMA approved the County’s subaward application for the Filoli project in the amount of $474.770.89 and distributed the award to the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), Cal OES will distribute the award to the County, and the County will distribute the award to Filoli. The County will also act as the administrator for the grant and will receive $19,529.11 for subrecipient management costs.
DISCUSSION:
Filoli sits in a high fire hazard severity zone at the base of the Santa Cruz mountain range. The site includes five distinct ecosystems in the Crystal Springs Watershed region. Filoli is part of a critical watershed - wildfire at the site could impact the region through water quality degradation and mudslides in addition to fire destruction and poor air quality. As one of the largest landowners in the county, Filoli is uniquely positioned to mitigate regional wildfire risk.
Filoli plans to use funding from the Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant to support wildfire resilience in the wildland-urban interface. Anticipated work includes: protection of power line infrastructure in forest areas, providing adequate clearances along forested roads for emergency access, fuel load reduction from ground level to canopy, wildfire protection measures for structures and cultural resources, and management of forest and natural resources for climate resilience.
A pre-disaster mitigation project at Filoli protects public safety and prevent loss of life and injury; reduce harm to existing and future development; maintain community continuity; prevent damage to our existing infrastructure and the environment; reduce the costs of disaster response and recovery; and accelerate recovery after a wildfire.
COMMUNITY IMPACT:
This resolution aligns with the County of San Mateo’s commitment to ensure resources for our communities are available and mobilized in coordinated fashion, in times of a disaster.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The FEMA Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program grant is split between a federal share provided by FEMA, and a non-federal share amount provided by the County, which Filoli has agreed to be responsible for (see Attachment 1- Match Commitment Letter). FEMA will provide grant funding in the amount of $494,300, and the non-federal match that Filoli will be responsible for is $252,727, for a total project cost of $747,027. Because Filoli has agreed to be responsible for the non-federal share, there is no Net County Cost.