Recovery Disaster Recovery Updates

1. Recovery Disaster Recovery Updates

2. Agenda • Current Thresholds • Hurricane Sandy Recovery Act • PA Debris Changes • Mutual Aid Agreements • Grant Contracting • Miscellaneous Policies

3. Current FEMA Thresholds for FFY 2014 • Public Assistance statewide per capita impact indicator for FFY 2014 is $1.39 • For the State of North Carolina - $13,254,321.37 • County per Capita is @ $3.50 • Maximum amount for a Small Project Grant is $68,500.00

4. Current FEMA Thresholds for FFY 2014 • For IA Adjustment of the Maximum Amount of Assistance under the Individuals and Households Program increased from $31,900.00 to $32,400.00

5. Sandy Recovery Improvement Act of 2013 Include Child Care as eligible expense under ONA Expand post disaster housing methods Review HM to seek ways to fund faster Review ways to expedite environmental and historical reviews Develop a national strategy for reducing cost of future disasters Others • Tribal Request for Disaster Declaration under the Stafford Act • Public Assistance Alternative Procedures • Alternative Dispute Resolution • Update the factors considered in IA declaration process

6. Tribal Request for Disaster Declaration • Sought by FEMA to strengthen its government-to-government relationships with tribal governments • Under this amendment, the “Chief Executive of an Indian Tribal Government” is able to submit a request for a declaration by the President. • Tribal government is not prohibited from receiving assistance under a declaration made by the President at the request of the governor

7. Changes to the Individual Assistance Program • Update the factors considered in IA declaration process • Factors have not been adjusted since they first appeared in regulation in 1999

8. Child Care • Child Care as an eligible expense under the Other Needs Assistance (ONA) program. • ONA is emergency assistance that helps a family or individual address immediate needs. • The provision adds “child care” to a list of eligible activities that currently includes medical, dental and funeral expenses. • ONA are cost-shared with the state on a 75% federal, 25% state basis

9. Federal Assistance to Individuals and Households • Lease and Repair of Rental Units for Temporary Housing • Provides FEMA with another tool for helping • to house individuals in their home area • While also making expenditures in that same area that can contribute to the overall recovery

10. Sandy Recovery Improvement Act of 2013 • Public Assistance Alternative Procedures • Authorizes several significant changes to the way FEMA may deliver assistance through PA program • Debris Removal (Category A) • Permanent Work (Categories C-G) • Participation is voluntary (per project)

11. Sandy Recovery Improvement Act of 2013 for PA • Debris Removal • Reimbursement of straight time force account labor • Financial incentive for FEMA-approved Debris Management Plan & at least one pre-qualified debris contractor: one-time 2% fed share increase first 90 days • Retain income from recycling without grant offset • Sliding scale for debris removal cost share to incentivize faster/more efficient debris removal (days from start of incident period): • 0-30 days = 85% federal cost share; 31-90 days = 80% federal cost share; 91-180 days = 75% federal cost share; • Beyond 180 days: not eligible unless time extension granted by FEMA • Each component independent (choose any, all, or none)

12. Sandy Recovery Improvement Act of 2013 for PA • Permanent Work and for large projects only • Allows grants based on fixed estimates**; applicant accepts responsibility for actual cost over-runs above estimate • Allows applicants to use excess funds for activities that reduce risk in future disasters and other activities to improve future PA operations • Consolidation of multiple fixed grants (across categories) • Eliminates grant reduction for “Alternate Projects” • Allows FEMA to accept the mutually agreed upon certified cost estimates prepared by applicants’ licensed engineers • Applicants may request FEMA-funded independent validation of project estimates with estimated federal share of at least $5 million • **Must accept fixed estimate to use other components**

13. Unified Federal Review • Revises the Stafford Act to create a new Section 429 and would require the President, in consultation with the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, to establish a Unified Federal Review process to address potential delays related to federal compliance with requirements applicable to activities associated with disaster recovery projects.

14. Changes to the Hazard Mitigation Program • Streamlined Procedures - requires the utilization of streamlined procedures in order to provide assistance more rapidly.

15. Hurricane Sandy Recovery Act Other Changes • Dispute Resolution Pilot Program • Strategy for Reducing Costs of Future Disasters

16. Field Operations Changes PA • Group Project worksheets together • By Facility • Category of Work • Real time payments for very large projects • Large projects may have multiple obligations

17. Debris Policies Changes • Debris Removal on Federal-Aid Highway • In a Stafford Act Declaration debris removal on Federal-aid highways are eligible for FEMA PA funding • This change only applies for debris removal • Areas that are not declared will not receive FEMA funding

18. Debris Removal from Waterways • Reasonably necessary to eliminate an immediate threat to life, public health and safety; OR • b. Located immediately up/down stream or in close proximity to improved property and which poses an immediate threat of significant damage to that property; AND • c. The other Federal agency is not providing assistance for the activity.

19. Debris from a Water Control Facilities • Restoration of carrying or storage capacity of engineered channels and debris basins may be eligible. • Maintenance records of surveys must be produced to the pre-disaster capacity • Such a facility must also have had a regular clearance schedule to be consider an actively used and maintained facility. • Only the removal of disaster related debris is eligible

20. Mutual Aid Agreements for PA and FMAG • The State or Requesting Entities, as appropriate, must provide an executive summary of the services requested and received and the associated costs (i.e., labor, equipment, materials, etc.). • Both Requesting and Providing Entities must keep detailed records of the services requested and received, and maintain those records for at least three years after project closeout.

21. Mutual Aid continued • A request for reimbursement of mutual aid costs should include a written and signed certification by the Requesting Entity certifying: • a. The types and extent of mutual aid assistance requested and received in the performance of eligible work; • b. The labor and equipment rates used to determine the mutual aid cost reimbursement request; and • c. That all work performed was eligible under the Stafford Act and applicable FEMA regulations and policies.

22. Mutual Aid - continued • For PA only, reimbursement for equipment provided to a Requesting Entity will be based on FEMA equipment rates, approved State rates or, in the absence of such standard rates, on rates deemed reasonable by FEMA. • Equipment used can be reimbursed as outlined in the terms of the agreement or for hours utilized/in performance of eligible work.

23. Trees and Plantings Associated with Eligible Facilities • Grass and sod replacement if it is an integral part of the repair or replacement of the eligible recreational facility • Plantings when they are part of the restoration of an eligible facility for the purposes of stabilizing slopes • Plantings required for the mitigation of environmental impacts, such as impacts to wetlands or endangered species habitat.

24. Questions • Joe Stanton • joe.stanton@ncdps.gov • 919.218.6325