Aransas Pass council approves H2O Partners as disaster-recovery consultant
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Summary
The Aransas Pass City Council approved H2O Partners for pre-positioned disaster-recovery consulting and directed staff to finalize a master services agreement; the firm outlined prior FEMA/TDEM recoveries and warned of pending federal FEMA reimbursement changes.
The Aransas Pass City Council voted to approve H2O Partners as the city’s disaster-recovery consultant and directed the city manager and city attorney to finalize a master services agreement.
During a presentation, an H2O representative described the contract as a pre-positioned agreement that creates no financial obligation until a disaster is declared and reimbursable work is performed. He said the firm helped secure about $16,860,000 in federal reimbursements after Hurricane Harvey and successfully appealed a deobligation that returned $367,988 to the city.
The consultant warned of ongoing federal changes at FEMA and the Texas Division of Emergency Management that could alter reimbursement processes, including the potential move from reimbursement to block grants. He recommended pre-procurement as a way to speed access to funds and preserve appeal rights.
Councilmembers asked procedural questions and received assurance that the procurement met state guidelines for reimbursement eligibility. A motion to approve H2O Partners and to direct staff to finalize contract documents was made, seconded and carried.
The city will receive the proposed master services agreement for review and will negotiate contract provisions with counsel before execution. Council did not set an ordinance number or specific contract term in the meeting record.