|
Grant Community.com Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Descriptions |
CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC
ASSISTANCE
83.551: Project Impact: Building Disaster Resistant Communities
|
| PROGRAM AND AWARD | FINANCIAL AND INFORMATION CONTACTS |
| ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS | FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO. |
| APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS | INFORMATION CONTACTS |
| RELATED PROGRAMS | ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS |
| PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS | POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS |
Applicant Eligibility: Any community and/or jurisdictions with Project Impact communities are eligible, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Beneficiary Eligibility: Not applicable.
Credentials/Documentation: Community grantees are expected to submit a Statement of Work, Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424, etc.), Program Narrative, and Assurances and Certifications. The Program Narrative supports or will support the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). MOA is a negotiated agreement between the Federal, State, local, public and private partners after the community has agreed to join the initiative to become disaster resistant. The Program Narrative should provide a brief description of the need, objectives, method of accomplishment, the geographical location of the project and the benefits expected to be obtained from the assistance.
Preapplication Coordination: In fiscal year 1998, 50 communities were designated Project Impact communities. In fiscal year 1999, 63 communities were designated. Each year communities will be designated to participate in Project Impact. Communities are selected by States and invited by FEMA to participate as Project Impact Communities. Communities are encouraged to develop public/private partnerships and a broad base of community support for prevention activities to enhance their standing for selection. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application Procedure: Communities are required to submit a grant application package. FEMA regions will work with the community to complete this application package. Each community will receive a signed copy of their completed application. Once identified tasks are completed, the community can receive funds. Some of the tasks are as follows: Demonstrate the partnership process; support specific mitigation projects and actions; and public education and proactive incentives to promote broad based mitigation. Mitigation measures generally are those that reduce in a permanent or long-term manner the potential losses from natural hazard events. Mitigation projects can be categorized as: (1) Hazard identification and risk assessment; (2) Adoption of policies or practices for mitigation in existing buildings or new construction; (3) Mitigation for existing buildings; (4)Mitigation of existing infrastructure: such as, utility facilities, and transportation systems that are publicly owned and operated on a non-profit basis; (5) Activities that lead to building or sustaining public/private partnerships, or that support public awareness of mitigation; and (6) Personnel support.
Award Procedure: FEMA personnel makes the award to the community after the community completes and returns the FEMA grant application package. (The total award is to go directly to the community unencumbered by overhead and other pass-through charges. The total award is to be used as specified in the approved application.)
Deadlines: A community receiving an application package should return the completed package within 60 days; however, written extensions can be requested.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time: Community application packages will be approved by FEMA within 30 days of receipt. Extensions will be granted to make modifications to received application packages and letter/memorandum.
Appeals: Not applicable.
Renewals: Not applicable.
Criteria for Selecting Proposals: For a community, FEMA Regions will review and negotiate with local jurisdictions to determine if the proposal serves to: (1) reduce the likelihood of future disaster costs under the Robert T. Stafford Act, and (2) provide for activities which will sustain the community momentum in broad base mitigation efforts.
Examples of Funded Projects: Examples of funded projects include: (1) acquisition and relocation of structures from hazard-prone areas; (2) strengthening structures against flood, high winds, fires, or other hazards to protect structures from future damages; (3) elevating structures; (4) development of State or local standards to protect new and substantially improved structures from disaster damage; and (5) drainage improvement projects.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance: $300,000 to $500,000; $300,000.
In fiscal year 1999, an additional 63 communities were named and $15,305,000 obligated. The total Project Impact communities for FY 1999 and prior years is 120 communities. In FY 1999, FEMA accomplished the following: The goal of increasing the Project Impact communities beyond the 57 in fiscal years 1997 and 1998 has been met. We now have 120 Project Impact communities working towards becoming disaster resistant. FEMA has, in a cohesive way, used the common sense approach of relating, to our communities particularly and the national taxpayers in general, information about loss prevention via the media, training courses, technical assistance and guidance, as well as appropriations from Congress. For example, in the Project Impact Building Consensus course, local project implementers were provided guidance and techniques for implementing the Project Impact process in their communities. Similarly, the purpose of the Project Impact Summit '99 was to provide guidance to local implementers for developing a successful Project Impact Initiative. However, unlike the course, information provided in workshops and peer focus groups was delivered by representatives of communities who were successful in implementing the concepts and principles of Project Impact in their own communities. FEMA's regional offices have devoted numerous hours mentoring, providing technical support and guidance about risk assessment, HAZUS, outreach, partnerships, and conducting site visits. Partnerships with other agencies and organizations have also contributed to the success of Project Impact. The partnership between Project Impact and the Environmental Science Research Institute (ESRI), one of the largest Geographic Information System Distributors in America, produced a web site that will create online hazard maps based on zip code or other location information provided by web users. This site is instrumental in increasing the risk awareness across the country. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association's (NOAA) Coastal Research Center has provided technical support to Project Impact communities by developing a risk assessment tutorial. This tutorial guides community leaders through the process of risk assessment in a user-friendly manner that also encourages them to incorporate risk assessment into normal community operations. The U.S. Geologic Survey provides technical information and expertise to earthquake prone communities in the western region to help them become more disaster resistant. Fannie Mae, as part of its Project Impact partnership, has developed a loan program that provides loans to residential and commercial property owners to make structures on these properties more damage resistant. Eighty individuals, from various sectors of the Project Impact communities and their State governments attended four Project Impact: Building Consensus courses designed to equip the Project Impact communities with tools and technical guidance. Over 118,000 Project Impact brochures and 12,000 Guidebooks have been requested. Thirteen new Project Impact communities have requested technical assistance and guidance from successful, more experienced communities through the mechanisms of site visits, meetings, teleconferences, and partnership development activities. Over 500 individuals from local, State, and Federal organizations and business organizations attended the Project Impact Summit '99. About 625,000 hazard information site maps were created since June 1999 for visitors to the Project Impact - ESRI web site.
Federal Agency: MITIGATION DIRECTORATE, FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
Type of Assistance: Project Grants.
Obligations: (Grants) FY 99 $44,555,000; FY 00 est $16,665,000; and FY 01 est $22,742,000.
Budget Account Number: 58-0101-0-1-999.
Authorization: Departments of Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act of 2000, Public Law 106-74; 112 Stat. 2461.
Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature: None.
Regional or Local Office: See Appendix IV of the Catalog for the list of addresses of Federal Emergency Management Agency Regional Offices.
Headquarters Office: Carol Transou, Project Impact, Mitigation Directorate, Federal Emergency Management Agency. Phone: (202) 646-3701.
(See Appendix IV for more contact info.)
Formula and Matching Requirements: Community assistance grants require a 75 percent Federal and 25 percent nonfederal cost-share.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance: The performance period for community assistance funding is up to five years. Community grants are awarded for the total dollar amount but the release of the funds is on an as-needed basis.
Uses and Use Restrictions: The funds are authorized for the implementation of a sustained pre-disaster mitigation program by communities in reducing risk to the population, the costs and disruption to individuals and businesses caused by severe property damage, and the ever-growing cost to all taxpayers of Federal disaster relief efforts.
Reports: Performance reports are due 30 days after the end of each quarter (January 30, April 30, July 30, October 30). The final performance report is due 90 days after the expiration or termination of grant support if there is a change to the October financial report. Financial reports are due 30 days after the end of each quarter. Final financial and performance reports are due 90 days after the expiration or termination of grant support.
Audits: In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that receive financial assistance of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.
Records: Records and accounts are to be retained, generally for 3 years as prescribed by OMB Circular Nos. A-102 and No. A-110.
About
News Grant
Management Software Federal
Grant Programs Audits
Studies Expenditures
Links
Last Updated, November, 2000
Comments or Questions? ©Grant
Community.com 2000, All Rights Reserved