TO: Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Keith Stahley, City Manager
FROM: Peter Fernandez, PE, Public Works Director
SUBJECT:
title
Application for project funding under the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant program issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Ward(s): All Wards
Councilor(s): All Councilors
Neighborhood(s): All Neighborhoods
Result Area(s): Safe, Reliable, and Efficient Infrastructure
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SUMMARY:
summary
The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program makes federal funds available to states, U.S. territories, federally recognized Tribal governments, and local governments for hazard mitigation activities. It does so with a recognition of the growing hazards associated with climate change, and the need for risk mitigation activities that promote climate adaptation and resilience with respect to those hazards. These include both acute extreme weather events and chronic stressors, which have been observed and are expected to increase in intensity and frequency in the future. Three City projects have made it through the pre-application process and are recommended for this grant funding.
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ISSUE:
Shall Council authorize the City Manager to apply for funding to design and construct the following three projects through the BRIC Grant Program and, if successful, authorize the City Manager to enter into an agreement with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to accept these funds?
• Geren Island Water Treatment Facility Bridge Replacement
• Downs Tower SCADA Control Replacement
• Ferry Street Pump Station Improvements
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Authorize the City Manager to apply for funding to design and construct the following three projects through the BRIC Grant Program and, if successful, authorize the City Manager to enter into an agreement with Federal Emergency Management Agency to accept these funds.
• Geren Island Water Treatment Facility Bridge Replacement
• Downs Tower SCADA Control Replacement
• Ferry Street Pump Station Improvements
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FACTS AND FINDINGS:
The Department of Homeland Security Notice of Funding Opportunity (Attachment 1) provides BRIC award opportunities, whole or in part, with funds appropriated by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also more commonly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The BIL appropriates billions of dollars to Federal Emergency Management Agency to promote resilient infrastructure, respond to the impacts of climate change, and equip our nation with the resources to combat its most pressing threats.
City staff, along with our Consultant of Record, HDR, Inc., reviewed the FY 2023-2027 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) to determine candidate projects. Utilizing the adopted CIP allowed staff to choose three high-priority projects that effect a large majority of our community and were competitive with the grant criteria as follows:
1. Geren Island Water Treatment Facility Bridge Replacement (Attachment 2): The project will replace the existing bridge, constructed in 1965, with a new structure that meets all design standards for both strength and seismic loading conditions. The open area under the new bridge will be sized to convey 100-year design storm flows with additional consideration given to estimated increases in flows due to climate change. The estimated construction cost is $5 million.
2. Downs Tower SCADA Control Replacement (Attachment 3): The existing Downs Communication Tower is a 135-foot-tall steel lattice tower that was installed in 1962. The tower is one of the main hubs for communicating automated information from our utility pump stations and reservoirs to our Operations Building on 22nd Street. The proposed project will build a new communication / SCADA tower that conforms with current structural codes and will be seismically resilient. The estimated construction cost is $1.3 million.
3. Ferry Street Pump Station Improvements (Attachment 4): The existing Ferry Street sanitary sewer pump station, originally constructed in the 1960s, serves a large area in downtown Salem. During large storm events, sanitary sewer flows to the pump station rise to the pumping capacity, mainly due to stormwater infiltration and inflow rather than a great volume of sanitary sewage. A failure at this pump station could result in sanitary sewer backups in basements, overflows onto downtown streets and businesses, and potential raw sewage flowing into the nearby Willamette River. The project will relocate and replace the existing pump station with a new and larger pump station with greater capacity. The new pump station will be located in a more accessible location, be constructed to meet current seismic standards, and be sized to meet increased flows as a result of higher stormwater runoff patterns. The estimated construction cost is $5.3 million.
The grant applications require 25-percent City match funding. The three projects chosen are already in the adopted CIP, so the 25-percent match has already been programmed. If successful, the 75-percent grant award would equal approximately $8.7 million.
BACKGROUND:
Staff continues to seek grant funding opportunities from various federal and state programs. The U.S. Department of Transportation has issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity for the National Culvert Removal, Replacement, and Restoration Grant Program that focuses on the replacement, removal, repair, and improvement of culverts or weirs that would meaningfully improve or restore fish passage for anadromous fish. Staff will request Council approval to submit applications for this program in January 2023.
Brian D. Martin, PE
City Engineer
Attachments:
1. Department of Homeland Security Notice of Funding Opportunity FY 2022
2. Geren Island Water Treatment Facility Bridge Replacement - Vicinity Map
3. Downs Tower SCADA Control Replacement - Vicinity Map
4. Ferry Street Pump Station Improvements - Vicinity Map