TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Bernard Molloy, Fire Chief
PREPARED BY: Sue Ann Herring, Assistant Management Analyst - Fire
SUBJECT:
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Fiscal Year 2023 Fire Prevention & Safety Grant Award
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RECOMMENDATION
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Authorize the City Manager to accept the Fiscal Year 2023 Fire Prevention & Safety Grant award; and
Authorize the City Manager to amend the Fiscal Year 2024/25 Operating Budget to allocate and appropriate the grant funds for $462,990.47.
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PRIOR ACTION/VOTE
On June 6, 2023, the City Council of the City of Murrieta adopted Resolution No. 23-4671, approving the Operating Budget for Fiscal Years 2023/24 and 2024/25 (Vote: 4-0-1).
CITY COUNCIL GOAL
Maintain a high performing organization that values fiscal sustainability, transparency, accountability and organizational efficiency.
BACKGROUND
The City of Murrieta/Murrieta Fire & Rescue (MFR) submitted a grant application for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Fire Prevention & Safety Grant Program (FP&S). The grant is one of three grant programs that constitute the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) focus on enhancing the safety of the public and firefighters concerning fire and fire-related hazards. On July 31, 2024, MFR received an email from the granting agency informing the City of Murrieta that it had been awarded the FP&S grant for $462,990.47.
The grant performance period for the FP&S grant is retroactive, starting on August 7, 2024, and ending on August 6, 2026. The purpose of the grant is to provide critically needed resources to reduce fire risk by assisting fire prevention programs, as well as supporting firefighter health and safety research and development. The FY23 FP&S grant award will be used to cover the personnel costs for staffing one full-time arson investigator at the Fire Captain level and to provide specialized training and equipment for the Arson Investigation Unit. This grant requires a five percent (5%) non-federal funding match, totaling $23,149.53. Funding is available in the Fire Department’s Operating Budget to cover the required match each Fiscal Year during the two-year term of the grant.
FISCAL IMPACT
Staff recommends that the City Council amend the Fiscal Year 2024/25 Operating Budget to allocate and appropriate the grant funds. This includes establishing the necessary revenue and expenditure budgets for the grant's acceptance, including a revenue budget of $462,990.47 in the Homeland Security Grant Fund 377 titled “Intergovernmental Revenues-Federal” in Object Code 42222 and an expenditure budget of $462,990.47 for personnel in Object Code 53900, safety supplies in Object Code 64200, and training and development in Object Code 64360. Additionally, this also includes establishing a grant job ledger number to track grant-related revenue and expenditures and a budget for the non-federal match requirement. This grant is reimbursable in nature, requiring the City to expend funds prior to requesting reimbursement.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Fiscal Year 2023 Fire Prevention & Safety Grant Award Letter from U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency