191391

The City of Portland ordains:

Section 1. The Council finds:

1. In May 2022, the Council authorized the Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) to apply for a Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) grant through the Oregon Office of Emergency Management in an amount not to exceed $5,601,750 for the Springwater Wetlands and Floodplain Restoration Project under Ordinance 190841.
2. The federal cost share for this grant increased from 75% federal-25% local match to a 90% federal-10% local match, increasing the not-to-exceed grant amount from $5,601,750 to $7,100,000.
3. Authorized under Section 404 of the Stafford Act and administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the HMGP provides grants to states and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation projects that reduce the loss of life and property due to natural disasters.
4. Investing in flood prevention facilities protects private property, public land and City-owned infrastructure.
5. Flood risks disproportionately impact low-income and other vulnerable residents and businesses. The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability identified this project area as having a high level of economic vulnerability and a higher-than-average proportion of residents of color.
6. Johnson Creek has flooded more than 40 times within the City of Portland in the last 75 years, damaging roads, homes and businesses; impacting a major transportation route for freight and commuters; and threatening lives.
7. In 2018, the Council, City bureaus, neighborhood groups, State/Federal agencies, and community-based organizations entered into an Oregon Solutions Declaration of Cooperation to reduce flood impacts in the Lents and Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhoods. Implementation of this Springwater Wetlands and Floodplain Restoration Project is a defined action of this declaration.
8. Funding from the HMGP will support implementation of the City of Portland’s Johnson Creek Restoration Plan (JCRP, 2001), which calls for restoring natural resource functions to reduce flood risk, improve water quality and enhance wildlife habitat.
9. If awarded, HMGP funds will be used to restore approximately 35 acres of City-owned property to reduce the frequency of flooding to nearby roads, homes, and businesses.
10. The cost for the design, permitting and construction of the Springwater Wetlands and Floodplain Restoration Project is approximately $7,469,000. The level of confidence in the estimate is moderate. If awarded to the City, the HMGP grant will pay up to 90% of the project cost.
11. The minimum 10% BES grant match is approximately $746,900. Funds are available in the  Sewer System Operating Fund, FY 2023-2025, Bureau of Environmental Services Capital Improvement Project Budget, WBS Element E07383.

NOW, THEREFORE, the Council directs:

1. The Mayor is authorized to apply to the Oregon Office of Emergency Management for a HMGP grant and accept an amount up to $7,100,000. 
2. The Mayor is authorized to provide such information and assurances as are required for the grant period.
3. The Office of Management & Finance Grants Management Division is authorized to perform all administrative matters in relation to the grant application, grant agreement or amendments, requests for reimbursement from the grantor, and to submit required online grant documents on the Mayor’s behalf.
4. The Director of the Bureau of Environmental Services is authorized to accept on behalf of the City any subsequent modifications by the Oregon Office of Emergency Management and FEMA for the Springwater Wetlands and Floodplain Restoration Project HMGP grant, provided such modifications do not increase the City’s financial obligation or risk. Any modifications that increase the City’s financial obligation or risk must be authorized by the Council.