TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Bob Moehling, Public Works Director
PREPARED BY: Andreé Kinney, Management Analyst, Public Works/Engineering
SUBJECT:
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Match Commitment Letter for Federal Emergency Management Agency Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
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RECOMMENDATION
recommendation
Authorize the City Manager to sign the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Match Commitment Letter subject to City Attorney’s final approval; and
Approve the appropriation of General Fund Unassigned Fund Balance for the local match twenty-five percent requirement for the Federal Emergency Management Agency Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Post Fire for the Murrieta Hot Springs Channel Project in the amount of $238,605.99.
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PRIOR ACTION/VOTE
None.
CITY COUNCIL GOAL
Plan, program and create infrastructure development.
BACKGROUND
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides a Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) to help agencies fund eligible mitigation activities (Acquisition Demo-Relocation, Drainage/Flood Control, Elevation-Floodproofing, Seismic Retrofitting, Wildfire & Vegetation Management, Mitigation Reconstruction, Generators), Other Power Sources(s), Tsunami Vertical Evacuation, Safe Room/Shelter, and Utility and Infrastructure Protection). The grants cover up to seventy-five percent (75%) of the overall project cost with the remaining twenty-five percent (25%) being financed through local match funding.
The Engineering Division has identified the Murrieta Hot Springs Channel Project as a suitable candidate for the HMGP as shown in Attachment 1. This project is located on Murrieta Hot Springs Road, between Margarita Road and Warm Springs Creek, which spans approximately 4.9 acres. Staff selected this area because of its significant accumulation of flammable biomass, which includes dry grasses, shrubs, and invasive plant species, such as non-native palm trees. This project is essential for mitigating wildfire risks and managing hazardous vegetation.
Staff is seeking FEMA HMGP funding to remove flammable vegetation and systematically reduce fuel loads in close proximity to residential housing. The plan includes clearing overgrown areas to create defensible spaces and thinning dense vegetation to disrupt fuel continuity. These measures aim to minimize the risk of a potentially catastrophic fire that could threaten nearby homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure due to the excessive flammable materials within and around the channel. Without intervention, unchecked vegetation overgrowth increases the likelihood of ignition and rapid fire spread, especially during severe wildfire seasons.
The proposed project will be carried out in two phases. Phase One will be the exploratory phase, during which the City will determine the specific location within the channel for the project, develop a treatment prescription plan, identify the vegetation to be removed or thinned, outline the necessary equipment for project completion, plan the staging of equipment and debris disposal, and prepare for assessments required under the California Environmental Quality Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. Phase Two will involve the City's groundbreaking activities and Environmental and Historic Preservation (EHP) efforts.
On October 4, 2024, staff submitted a Notice of Interest (NOI) to the California Office of Emergency Services (CAL OES) with a total project cost of $954,423.96, as estimated in Exhibit 2. CAL OES subsequently approved the NOI, and the City was assigned application number AP-01730.
On November 8, 2024, staff met with CAL OES to conduct the sub-application kick-off meeting. During this meeting, CAL OES discussed the application requirements and informed staff that a Match Commitment Letter for local funding is required before the January 8, 2025, submission deadline. The twenty-five percent (25%) match totals $238,605.99. The FEMA Match Commitment Letter informs FEMA that if the City is awarded the grant funding and wishes to proceed with the project, the City agrees that funding is available and allocated to meet the twenty-five percent (25%) local funding requirement as mandated by the program.
Staff is seeking authorization for the City Manager to sign the Match Commitment Letter for local funding, allowing staff to submit a complete application to FEMA.
FISCAL IMPACT
If the City of Murrieta is successful in the grant application, it will be responsible for twenty-five percent (25%) of the total project cost to meet FEMA local match funding requirement.
Total Project Cost = $954,423.96
HMGP (75%) = $715,817.97
Local Match (25%) = $238,605.99
Approve the appropriation of General Fund Unassigned Fund Balance for the local match twenty-five percent (25%) requirement.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Project Area Map
2. Project Budget Worksheet
3. Match Commitment Letter