CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
MEETING DATE: August 5, 2015
PREPARED BY: Pete Gallegos, Battalion Chief
APPROVED BY: City Manager
Title
APPROVE TWO MEMORANDUMS OF UNDERSTANDING WITH SOUTH SANTA CLARA FIRE DISTRICT FOR ASSISTANCE FOR FIREFIGHTERS GRANT
END
RECOMMENDATION(S)
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt resolution authorizing City Manager to execute two memorandums of understanding (MOUs) between the City and the South Santa Clara County Fire District.
BODY
COUNCIL PRIORITIES, GOALS & STRATEGIES:
Ongoing Priorities
Enhancing public safety
Protecting the environment
Maintaining fiscal responsibility
2015 Focus Areas
Stimulate Economic Development
Participate in Regional Issues
Infrastructure Funding and Advocacy
Maintaining & Enhancing Medical Services
REPORT NARRATIVE:
The primary goal of the Federal Emergency Management Agency ("FEMA") Assistance to Firefighters Grant ("AFG") is to meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical service organizations. Since 2001, AFG has helped firefighters and other first responders to obtain critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and other resources needed to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.
The Morgan Hill Fire Department and South Santa Clara County Fire Protection District (the "District") have partnered to take advantage of grant opportunities by submitting for two regional grants through FEMA's AFG. The City and District submitted separate grants - , the City is the Host Agency for Grant #EMW-2014-FR-00084 ("Telecommunications and Other Equipment Grant") and the District is the Host Agency for Grant #EMW-2014-FR-00039 ("Portable Equipment Grant").
The Telecommunications and Other Equipment Grant is seeking to receive funding to purchase mobile dual-band repeater, dual-band base station radios, portable dual-band radios, mobile dual-band radios, SCBA fill stations, PPE extractors, and PPE dryer for the City and the District. The telecommunications equipment received will be used as part of the City and District's partnership in the Silicon Valley Interoperability Authority (“SVRIA”) and more specifically for the Silicon Valley Regional Communications System ("SVRCS"). The Portable Equipment Grant is seeking funding to purchase mechanical chest compression devices, multi casualty incident kits, and automated external defibrillators for the City and the District.
FEMA requires agencies who are partnering together for grant funds to execute a memorandum of understanding ("MOU") outlining the individual and mutual responsibilities of the participating partners, the participant's level of involvement in the project, and the proposed distribution of all grant assets.
FEMA has notified the City that an award has been made on the Telecommunications and Other Equipment Grant, though the amount received (approximately $300,000) is being appealed as it is only a portion of the full request. As staff does not currently know the outcome of the appeal and the quantity of equipment, the MOU only provides a tentative distribution of the equipment to be purchased with the grant funds. Staff will bring a proposed amendment to the MOU back to Council once the grant amount and corresponding equipment distribution is finalized.
Staff has not received a tentative award for the Portable Equipment Grant. The attached MOU outlines the proposed equipment distribution in the event that the full grant amount sought is awarded. Staff will return to Council with a proposed amendment to the MOU once the grant amount is awarded and corresponding equipment distribution is finalized.
For both grants, a ten percent cost share will be apportioned according to the equipment allocated to each agency. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors is tentatively set to approve the proposed MOUs on August 25, 2015.
At the time of this report, County Counsel's Office and the City Attorney's Office are finalizing the MOUs; therefore, draft versions of the MOUs are attached. If there are any substantive changes to the attached draft MOUs, staff will bring such changes back to Council.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Not Applicable
ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS:
An alternative action would be to not accept the grant, thus foregoing funding for this equipment.
PRIOR CITY COUNCIL AND COMMISSION ACTIONS:
None
FISCAL AND RESOURCE IMPACT:
Both Morgan Hill and the District are required to have a 10 percent match. Morgan Hill’s share was included in the FY 15-16 approved budget and will not require a budget adjustment.
For this grant, the number of personnel assigned to each department was the determining factor in the difference of equipment allotted. Applicant share will be divided using this method. The apportionment is approximately:
Morgan Hill Fire Department: 48%
South Santa Clara County Fire District: 52%
Staff is currently in the process of asking for reconsideration of funding for items that were not fully funded through this process. These items if fully funded will increase the award amount by $360,644.
CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act):
As the Grant award is coming from the federal government, environmental analysis under the California Environmental Quality Act of 1970 ("CEQA") and the National Environmental Policy Act ("NEPA") are required.
The Telecommunications and Other Equipment Grant:
NEPA
Staff believes that the grant activities will be determined to be categorically excluded from NEPA under 44 CFR 10.8(d)(2)(xvi). Staff has submitted to the grant activities to FEMA for review and confirmation that the grant activities will be determined to be categorically excluded from NEPA.
CEQA
The grant activities are categorically exempt under CEQA, specifically pursuant to Section 15301 of the CEQA Guidelines (Existing Facilities), as the subject work involves the repair, maintenance or minor alteration of existing facilities involving negligible or no expansion of use of those facilities.
The Portable Equipment Grant:
The grant activities do not require environmental review under NEPA or CEQA because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the grant activities may have a significant effect on the physical environment.
LINKS/ATTACHMENTS:
Resolution
The Portable Equipment Grant Draft MOU
The Telecommunications and Other Equipment Grant Draft MOU