Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Hazard Mitigation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County seeks FEMA planning grant to update hazard mitigation plan, staff says $13,034 cash match expected
Summary
Montezuma County staff told commissioners the county needs an updated hazard mitigation plan to stay eligible for federal mitigation grants; staff presented a $115,955.56 planning-contract estimate with a cash match estimate of $13,034 and recommended beginning the project in 2025.
Cortez, Colo. — County emergency-management staff told the Montezuma County Board of County Commissioners on Dec. 10 that updating the county hazard mitigation plan is necessary for municipalities to remain eligible for federal mitigation grants and that the county should begin a planning project in 2025.
"It's a great tool for all my plans and everything we do in emergency management," a county emergency-management staff member said of the hazard-mitigation plan, adding that the update supports municipal access to federal grant programs that use cost-sharing structures. Staff described past successful uses of an older plan to obtain funding for generators for the Town of Dolores and for improvements benefitting the Town of Mancos and the Mancos Conservancy District.
Staff presented a proposed planning contract and budget that, in staff's words, amounted to $115,955.56 total. The presentation noted a separate board-approved $50,000 contract and a referenced $100,000 planning contract figure; staff said the full package, including ancillary funding, produced the $115,955.56 total. Staff estimated a cash match of $13,034 and said additional in-kind match (staff time and stakeholder participation) would be part of the local contribution. Commissioners moved and approved a motion to submit the FEMA planning-grant application for the stated amount.
Staff emphasized timing: the hazard mitigation plan must be current to be eligible for certain federal mitigation grant programs, and the county intends to stagger plan updates across years so not all plans expire simultaneously. Staff said the project would require significant research, public meetings and coordination with municipalities, and that the planning team and department heads had already reviewed an initial draft.
Next steps staff identified include finalizing a scope of work and budget for a planning consultant, posting the project for consultant selection, and beginning public engagement in 2025. The board approved the submission of the grant application and directed staff to proceed with project planning.
