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Emergency management planner flags federal grant changes, reimbursements and drone policy
Summary
The county’s emergency management planner reported three recent federal reimbursements and warned of proposed federal changes that could reduce preparedness grant funding and introduce a local cost share of up to 25 percent.
The county’s mitigation and recovery planner reported receipt of three federal grant reimbursements and described potential changes to federal preparedness grants that may require a county cost share.
The planner said the county received three recent reimbursements: an EMPG reimbursement of a little more than $30,000, HSGP (Homeland Security Grant Program) for 2023 of about $37,000, and HSGP 2022 of about $29,500. The planner said portions of a regional commodity flow study will be used in the county’s draft hazard mitigation plan.
On proposed federal changes, the planner said draft proposals would reduce many preparedness grants by about 20 percent and introduce up to a 25 percent local cost share on grants that previously were fully reimbursable. The planner said the timing is difficult because the county budget was not adjusted for a cost share and that state and national organizations are asking Congress for more time to implement such changes.
The planner also reported that the county is awaiting clarification on an FAA certificate of authorization policy; once clarified, a county drone policy will be finalized and sent to FEMA for review. The planner described work on jurisdictional profiles and a risk assessment that will inform prioritizing preparedness projects if a local cost share is required.
Why it matters: changes to federal preparedness grant rules and the introduction of a local cost share could require the county to allocate local funds to projects previously fully funded, affecting prioritization and budgeting for emergency communications and mitigation projects.
Provenance: figures and policy concerns summarized from the planner’s report and discussion recorded in the meeting transcript.
