Council approves design contract for East Fire Tower drainage project; FEMA BRIC construction funding in flux

Greenville City Council on Monday approved task order 1 to hire Kimberly Horne and Associates for final design of drainage improvements and stream restoration at East Fire Tower Road and accepted an additional $1.5 million in state disaster relief funds, while staff warned that a larger federal BRIC construction grant remains uncertain.

Why it matters: The project addresses a chronic undersized culvert on East Fire Tower Road that contributes to roadway flooding and affects roughly 80–90 residences in the Treetop Circle, East Fire Tower Road and Summer Haven Drive areas. Staff described the scope as twin reinforced concrete box culverts, floodplain benching and related stream restoration.

What the council approved - Task order 1 (final design) for Kimberly Horne and Associates: recommended fee $1,580,000. Council approved the fee and authority to execute the associated Disaster Relief & Mitigation Fund grant agreement for $1.5 million. - Motion: approve task order and execute grant agreement; council voted 5–0.

Grant status and risk Staff explained the city had earlier secured multiple grants: an existing FEMA BRIC award in the $9.2 million range and a signed phase 1 agreement for about $936,000 covering design. However, staff warned that federal BRIC program changes have delayed or canceled some application cycles and that the construction phase of BRIC funding (the $9 million construction award) “is in jeopardy.” Staff said state HMGP funding may be available and that HMGP typically covers a larger share with no city cost share if awarded.

Council remarks Members expressed support for moving forward with design and thanked staff for securing state and federal grant opportunities. Councilors noted residents’ historic flooding and the project’s potential to reduce roadway closures and property impacts.

Speakers - Lynn Rainer — civil engineer (presenter) - Council member Scully — council (mover) - Council member Blackburn — council (seconder)

Authorities - FEMA BRIC (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities) — referenced_by:["east-firetower-drainage"] - State Disaster Relief and Mitigation Fund grant — referenced_by:["east-firetower-drainage"]

Actions - kind:"contract_award"; motion:"Approve task order 1 for Kimberly Horne and Associates for final design of the East Fire Tower Road drainage and stream restoration project and execute the Disaster Relief & Mitigation Fund grant agreement."; mover:"Council member Scully"; second:"Council member Blackburn"; vote_record:[{"member":"PJ Connolly","vote":"yes"},{"member":"Foreman","vote":"yes"},{"member":"Blackburn","vote":"yes"},{"member":"Scully","vote":"yes"},{"member":"Robinson","vote":"yes"},{"member":"Willis","vote":"yes"}]; tally:{"yes":6,"no":0}; outcome:"approved"; notes:"Design funded; construction BRIC grant phase may be at risk pending federal program changes."

Discussion_decision:{"discussion_points":["Existing culvert is undersized and floods East Fire Tower Road during common storm events.","Design phase funding is secured; larger BRIC construction funding may be jeopardized due to federal program changes."],"directions":["Proceed with final design task order and execute state grant agreement.","Continue to pursue HMGP and other funding options for construction if BRIC construction funding is lost."],"decisions":["Council approved design contract and grant execution (5–0)."]}

clarifying_details:[{"category":"design_fee","detail":"Task order 1 recommended fee for final design","value":1580000,"units":"USD","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Lynn Rainer"},{"category":"fema_bric_award","detail":"FEMA BRIC award amount referenced","value":9205000,"units":"USD","approximate":true,"source_speaker":"Lynn Rainer"},{"category":"phase1_signed_amount","detail":"Signed phase 1 BRIC grant amount (design)","value":936000,"units":"USD","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Lynn Rainer"}]

proper_names:[{"name":"Kimberly Horne and Associates","type":"organization"},{"name":"FEMA BRIC","type":"other"},{"name":"HMGP","type":"other"},{"name":"East Fire Tower Road","type":"location"}]

community_relevance:{"geographies":["East Fire Tower Road area","Treetop Circle","Pitt County"],"funding_sources":["FEMA BRIC","State Disaster Relief and Mitigation Fund","HMGP"],"impact_groups":["residents prone to flooding","drivers and commuters in the area"]}

meeting_context:{"engagement_level":{"speakers_count":6,"duration_minutes":55,"items_count":1},"implementation_risk":"medium","history":[{"date":"2022-02","note":"Fort Swamp Watershed Master Plan identified this project as a priority."}]}

searchable_tags:["drainage","BRIC","HMGP","East Fire Tower","flood mitigation"]

provenance:{"transcript_segments":[{"block_id":"block_3111.965","local_start":0,"local_end":160,"evidence_excerpt":"I will now call forward our civil engineer, Lynn Rainer, for the presentation... This project was identified as a priority project in the Fort Swamp Watershed Master Plan. It is located along Fire Tower Road... the current culvert is woefully undersized, flooding the roadway in the 2 year rain event.","global_start":3111,"global_end":3155,"reason_code":"topicintro"},{"block_id":"block_3550.87","local_start":0,"local_end":120,"evidence_excerpt":"Motion to approve. Second. Alright. Motion to be made by councilor Scully... Second by council member Blackburn. All those in favor, say aye. Motion passes 5 0.","global_start":3549,"global_end":3561,"reason_code":"topicfinish"}] } ,