Isleton council moves to pursue Cal OES Jumpstart grant to study disaster recovery and sewer repairs

A visiting researcher and consultant told the council the city had been awarded a Cal OES Jumpstart grant that can be used to hire consultants (no local cash match required) to produce four principal deliverables: an inventory of existing plans, an assessment of disaster-recovery capacity, a recovery plan and a draft disaster-recovery ordinance.

"The Jumpstart grant was... put in place specifically for communities like yours," the presenter said, and added the grant allows hiring consultants rather than a full-time staff person. Council members asked how the funds are disbursed and were told consultants submit timesheets to Cal OES and the agency issues payments; the city manager then endorses checks to the consultant. The presenter said typical grant administration includes quarterly reports and an expenditure estimate; the money cannot be used for direct repairs but can fund consulting, planning and grant-writing that help the city access larger repair funds.

Council members discussed the city's sewer-plant damage and broader infrastructure needs and supported using the grant to assemble documentation needed for FEMA, state and federal funding requests. One council member summarized: "If our city manager says this can assist him... it's absolutely imperative to support this." A motion to move forward with the grant and authorize staff to issue an RFP for consultants was made and seconded; the roll call recorded affirmative votes and the council approved pursuing the grant and next steps on an RFP.