The Federal Emergency Management Agency and Florida Division of Emergency Management have received the following application for Federal grant funding. Final notice is hereby given of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) consideration to provide funding in the form of Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Funds will be provided in accordance with Section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Public Law 93-288, as amended.
Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), federal actions must be reviewed and evaluated for feasible alternatives and for social, economic, historic, environmental, legal, and safety considerations. Under Executive Order (EO) 11988 and EO 11990 FEMA is required to consider alternatives to and to provide public notice of any proposed actions in or affecting floodplains or wetlands. EO 12898 also requires FEMA to provide the opportunity for public participation in the planning process and to consider potential impacts to minority or low-income populations.
Funding for the proposed project will be conditional upon compliance with all applicable federal, tribal, state and local laws, regulations, floodplain standards, permit requirements and conditions.
Applicant:
City of Cottondale
Project Title:
HMGP-4399-(State ID #348) – City of Cottondale, Public Works/ Fire Station/ Police Department, Generators
Location of Proposed Work:
The area affected by this project consists of homes in the following locations:
- Public Works- 3185 Milton Street, Cottondale, FL 32431 (30.798050, -85.377087)
- Fire Station- 2669 Front Street, Cottondale, FL 32431 (30.795666, -85.375476)
- Police Station- 3154 Magnolia Street, Cottondale, FL 32431 (30.796093, -85.375109)
Proposed Work and Purpose:
City of Cottondale proposes to provide backup power for the three (3) critical facility buildings located in Cottondale, Florida 32431. The City of Cottondale will install three (3) 40kW permanent generators, or generators of an adequate size determined by the vendor and/or electrical engineer during the bidding process, so that the critical facilities can continue operations in the case of a power outage. Each generator will be installed with an automated transfer switch (ATS). The generators are to be powered by diesel fuel and each will have its own dedicated, above ground fuel tank. The generators will be installed with all accessories necessary for their operation. The generators will be protected against a 500-year flood event by implementing specific activities or by locating the generators outside the SFHA and will be protected against wind with a rated enclosure based on its location requirements. Activities will be completed in strict compliance with Federal, State and Local Rules and Regulations.
Project Alternatives:
The alternatives to the project that have been and will be considered are 1) the no action alternative and 2) to rent portable trailer mounted generators during power outages. These alternatives to the proposed project are not viable because under Alternative 1) the critical facilities would be inoperative during an outage; and Alternative 2) it would require staff to transport the portable generators during power outages during a disaster. In cases like Hurricane Michael, this would be very dangerous for staff to operate and navigate roadways and debris to gain access.
Comment Period:
Comments are solicited from the public; local, state or federal agencies; and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of the proposed project. The comments should be made in writing and addressed to the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Bureau of Mitigation, 2555 Shumard Oak Blvd., Tallahassee, FL 32399-2100. These are due within 15 days of this notice. The State will forward comments to applicable regulatory agencies as needed. Interested persons may submit comments, obtain more detailed information about the proposed action, or request a copy of the findings by contacting:
Theresa Brannen/City Clerk (850) (352-4361)
City of Cottondale theresa@cityofcottondale.net
Cary Helmuth, State Lead Environmental Specialist (850) 815-4514
Florida Division of Emergency Management Cary.Helmuth@em.myflorida.com
