County accepts $19.8 million FEMA grant to protect Fairfield justice campus; project timeline shortened

The Solano County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday accepted a $19,844,231 Hazard Mitigation Grant Program award from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to fund an asset-protection project designed to shield the downtown justice campus in Fairfield from repeated stormwater and tidal flooding.

The project aims to protect the county jail, courthouse and related emergency operations. The board voted 5-0 to accept the grant, authorize the county administrator to execute grant documents, allow the General Services director to solicit bids and award construction contracts, and approve an exception to the county's project labor-agreement policy to meet the grant schedule.

County General Services Director Megan Grevy, who presented the award to the board, said the project is now at 100% design and ready to build. "The bad news is that the 36 month project length that we needed has been reduced to 20 months," Grevy said, noting the shorter FEMA performance window increased the need to compress procurement and construction steps.

Mark Hummel, the county's capital projects division manager, described a revised project-delivery strategy the county will use to accelerate work: separating the work into multiple prime bid packages so long-lead items can be ordered and early construction work can begin more quickly than under a single general-contractor delivery model. "Time is of the essence if we're going to take advantage of the federal offer," Hummel told supervisors.

Project elements include raised landscape berms at the main campus entrance, low concrete retaining walls, raised vehicle ramps to divert storm waters, and self-raising floodgates at key access points. County staff said the award covers roughly $19.8 million of a roughly $33 million project; the county has already expended design and preconstruction funds and expects to use other local and state monies to complete the scope.

Supervisors asked how the county will ensure the job creates local training and hiring opportunities. Supervisor Brown requested that staff provide details on apprenticeship programs and how the county will tap local training pipelines; staff said Department of Industrial Relations requirements and apprenticeship lists will apply and that they would report back with specifics.

The board's approvals include delegation of authority to the county administrator or designee to implement the grant and to the General Services director to execute project contracts with County Counsel concurrence. The board also approved a waiver of the county's standard timeframe for negotiating a project labor agreement because the compressed grant period would not allow typical PLA negotiations. County staff said prevailing wage, apprenticeship and documentation requirements will still be enforced for all contractors and subcontractors.

The work is intended to reduce repeated courthouse and jail disruptions from storm surges and flood events that have in past years forced emergency operations and extensive sandbagging efforts.

Votes at a glance: the board approved acceptance of the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant and associated delegations and contract authorizations, tally 5-0.

What happens next: staff will begin issuing multiple bid packages and seek to order critical long-lead equipment and materials. The county asked the board to allow staff and partner departments (General Services, County Administrator, County Counsel) to pursue expedited procurement to meet FEMA's performance deadlines.

County contact: General Services Director Megan Grevy.