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Stafford supervisors authorize agreement to secure FHWA PROTECT grant for Brook Road flood mitigation
Summary
The Stafford County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to authorize the county administrator to execute a Federal Highway Administration PROTECT grant agreement for the Brook Road Flood Mitigation & Resiliency Project (Resolution R25‑216), a move staff said could lower the county’s net obligation by about $500,000 if executed before the federal deadline.
The Stafford County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously at its work session to authorize the county administrator to execute a grant agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration for a PROTECT grant to fund the Brook Road Flood Mitigation & Resiliency Project.
County Engineer Brian Council told the board the county applied for the PROTECT grant in 2023 and received a notice of award in 2024. Council said changes at FHWA and an administrative shift in federal fiscal‑year funding opened an opportunity to move the award into FY22 funding, which would allow the county to include prior expenditures in the federal funding calculation. “If the Board approves it before the September,” Council said, “we'll spend $500,000 less.” He cautioned that the compressed federal timeline required the board to act quickly if it wanted the FY22 benefit.
Council told supervisors the award amount is roughly $10.2 million, staff estimated construction costs at about $9.7 million, and the county must meet a 20% local match obligation. He said the FY22 funding designation means earlier county expenditures could be counted toward the match; if the board waited, the grant would still fund construction but likely would not reimburse earlier planning/design costs.
Board members asked procedural questions about suspending bylaws or finding the item time‑sensitive so it could be voted on at the work session. After a motion and second to find the item time‑sensitive, the board approved that finding unanimously and then moved to approve Resolution R25‑216. The chair announced the resolution passed unanimously.
What’s next: The board’s authorization allows the county administrator to sign the federal grant agreement so the county can proceed with final contract steps and, if timing allows, secure the FY22 funding treatment staff outlined. The county will continue to work with FHWA on final agreements and implementation details.
Sources: statements by Brian Council, County Engineer; motion and roll call announced by Chair Deontay Diggs during the Stafford County Board work session.
