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Commission authorizes BRIC grant application to update county hazard mitigation plan
Summary
Commissioners approved applying for FEMA BRIC (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities) funds to update the Saint Mary's County multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan and earmarked a possible $15,000 county match in FY27 if the grant is awarded.
The Commission of Saint Mary's County voted March 4 to allow the Department of Emergency Services to apply for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) funding to support an update of the county's multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan.
Emergency Services Director John Utz and Emergency Manager (Bledsoe) told commissioners that the county's hazard mitigation plan is on a five-year cycle and must be updated by 2028 to maintain eligibility for certain federal hazard mitigation grants. The county is seeking BRIC funds from the federal fiscal year 2024 allocation; officials said the federal FY24 funding cycle was delayed and is being applied for in calendar 2025.
If awarded, applicants expect FEMA to provide up to 75% of the project cost with a local match of 25%. Emergency Services estimated the total contract cost would not exceed $60,000, making the county's potential share approximately $15,000, which staff proposed as an earmark in the Emergency Services FY27 budget.
Utz explained that BRIC application decisions are lengthy: awards are unlikely to be announced until calendar year 2026 and funds would not be released until the county's FY27 if the application is successful. He also noted that Maryland Emergency Management (MDEM) notified the county that FEMA has temporarily placed a hold on reviews of some reimbursement-based grants; Emergency Services said that status does not prevent applying for BRIC funds for consideration in future award cycles.
Commission President Randy Guy moved the application authorization; the motion passed by voice vote with all commissioners present voting in favor. The commission also authorized the president to sign related documents and directed staff to include the potential $15,000 county match in the FY27 budget process if the grant is awarded.
Ending: Emergency Services will file the BRIC application and return with updates on application status and any award decision in future budget cycles.
