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Resident urges pursuit of Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funds after coordinator dismissal
Summary
A resident told the commission the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is the core of emergency management and urged the city to apply for disaster funds after the city's emergency management coordinator was dismissed.
A longtime resident urged the Arkansas City Commission to pursue Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funding and said the city had recently dismissed its emergency management coordinator, a move the commenter said complicates future applications.
Why it matters: Hazard mitigation grants fund projects to reduce disaster risk; the resident warned that applying is essential because funds are competitively allocated after declared disasters.
At the meeting, Lloyd Colston told commissioners: "The bread and butter of emergency management is in the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program." He said disaster-related funds are drawn from a pooled percentage after each declared disaster and that jurisdictions must apply to compete for those dollars. He also said the county had been approved for funds but the city had not, and he urged the commission to contact county and state officials and to ensure the city applies.
City response and next steps: The comment prompted acknowledgement from the commission; no formal action or motion was recorded on the HMGP topic during the meeting. Commissioners did not vote on any policy changes but were reminded that applications are competitive and require coordination with county and state emergency management offices.
Ending: The commission did not take formal action at the meeting; the commenter asked that staff pursue HMGP applications and coordinate with county and state partners.
