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Polk County moves forward with $17.1 million in GLO mitigation projects, discusses shortfall and funding sources
Summary
Polk County Commissioners Court agreed April 22 to proceed with Hurricane Harvey regional mitigation projects tied to two GLO grants that award $17,098,000 to the county.
Polk County Commissioners Court agreed April 22 to proceed with a portfolio of Hurricane Harvey regional mitigation projects tied to two GLO grants that provide a combined $17,098,000 to the county, county staff said.
Packet materials reviewed by the court showed the estimated combined cost for all proposed projects at $18,252,355.75, leaving an approximate shortfall of roughly $1.15 million. County staff and commissioners discussed options to address the gap, including moving available Intergovernmental Housing (IAH) receipts into project budgets and applying a delinquent‑tax surplus identified by staff.
Why it matters: The mitigation projects include road, water infrastructure and two proposed resource buildings that county officials described as countywide needs. Proceeding with the projects and identifying local match or bridging funds keeps the county eligible for the state grant awards and allows work to begin on priority infrastructure.
Details discussed
- Grant totals and estimate: Staff presented the two GLO Hurricane Harvey Regional Mitigation Grants listed in the packet (grant IDs cited by staff) with total awarded funds of $17,098,000 and an aggregate project estimate of $18,252,355.75.
- Funding options: The court discussed several potential sources to cover the shortfall. Staff reported IAH receipts currently available (historically used for equipment and infrastructure) and a delinquent‑tax surplus identified in county accounts; the court directed staff to identify how much of the IAH receipts and delinquent‑tax surplus could be applied to close the gap.
- Project allocations and next steps: Commissioners directed staff to allocate grant monies into each project budget and to return with line‑item allocations. Staff emphasized they do not plan to write checks immediately to contractors but will post funds in project accounts to prevent perceived budget shortfalls.
Commissioner comments
Commissioners discussed equitable allocation among precincts, noting distributions historically used to supplement commissioner budgets from IAH receipts. Staff said typical IAH distributions have been in the range of about $1 million overall and proposed allocating appropriate portions to precinct projects to reduce each precinct’s out‑of‑pocket shortfall.
Ending
The court approved moving forward with the grant projects and asked staff to return at a future meeting with detailed budget allocations for each project and clarification of the amount of local funds to be applied to cover any shortfall.
