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Black Mountain council authorizes BRIC grant application for new public safety building
Summary
Council authorized staff to submit a Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) application to address repeated flooding and site hazards tied to the town’s public safety building; staff said FEMA public assistance appeals will be limited to a $312,000 pipe repair while BRIC would address mitigation/relocation.
Staff (speaker 6) told the council the town is pursuing a BRIC (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities) mitigation application that could support construction of a new public safety building or measures to reduce future hazard impacts. Staff emphasized BRIC is a mitigation program distinct from FEMA public assistance and said BRIC is a rare funding source that can fund large, resilient public safety projects.
Staff described engineers’ findings that an underground stream and a 19‑acre impermeable drainage basin feed water under the existing building, causing deterioration. They said the town has narrowed FEMA recovery requests to an appeal limited to a $312,000 pipe repair but is pursuing BRIC to fund hazard mitigation or relocation because preexisting site conditions complicate a full FEMA public assistance claim. Staff presented cost alternatives: site prep and rerouting the stream carried an estimate near $10,000,000; a full resilient new public safety building was scoped at about $20,000,000 after reducing a prior $40M wish list to a realistic footprint. Staff also noted that 14.75 acres had been donated and that land valuation could count toward the town’s match.
Councilmember (speaker 3) moved to authorize town staff to submit the BRIC application; the council voted to authorize staff to proceed. Staff cautioned there is no guarantee of award and that, if awarded, the council would later decide whether to accept or reject the grant and any associated project scope or site selection.
Why it matters: BRIC is a large federal mitigation program and the current round is a key opportunity, staff said. An award could fund resilient infrastructure for critical public safety services, but would require town matching funds, site evaluations and subsequent council decisions if the grant is offered.
What’s next: Staff will complete the application and return to the council to present any award for formal acceptance and to discuss site selection and financing.
