# Presentation: 205058

## Federal Emergency Management AgencyPublic Assistance Grant Program

## Slide 2

## The Public Assistance Process

**PDA**

**Disaster**
**Event**

**Governor’s**
**Request**

**    ****Declaration**

**Applicants’**
**Briefing**

**Submission**
**of Request**

**Kick-off**
**Meeting**

** ****Formulation**
**of Projects**

**Project**
**Review**

**Grantee    **

**   ****Approval**

**Funding****  **

**Subgrantee**

## Slide 4

## Eligible Applicants

- Native American Tribal Governments and Tribal Organizations
- State
- County
- City / Town / Village
- Other political subdivision of the State
- Certain Private Non-Profit Organizations
- A **grantee** is a State or tribal government that is responsible for administering Public Assistance grants.
- A **subgrantee** is an eligible applicant that receives a Public Assistance grant as reimbursement for performing eligible disaster work.

## Private Non-Profit (PNP) facilities that provide the following critical services are eligible for Public Assistance: 

Fire / Emergency Rescue
Medical Treatment
Power, Water, & Sewer Utilities
Communications Systems

- Fire / Emergency Rescue
- Medical Treatment
- Power, Water, & Sewer Utilities
- Communications Systems

- Private Non-Profit Entities

- Critical Services

## The following essential service facilities are eligible for Public Assistance for emergency work.  However, the PNP must first apply to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for a disaster loan for permanent repair work before applying to FEMA.

▪ Museums	▪ Community centers	 ▪ Educational institutions
▪ Libraries	▪ Homeless Shelters	 ▪ Rehabilitation facilities
▪ Zoos	▪ Shelter workshops	 ▪ Senior citizen/Day-care centers
▪ Other facilities that provide health and safety service of a
	governmental nature

- ▪ Museums	▪ Community centers	 ▪ Educational institutions
- ▪ Libraries	▪ Homeless Shelters	 ▪ Rehabilitation facilities
- ▪ Zoos	▪ Shelter workshops	 ▪ Senior citizen/Day-care centers
- ▪ Other facilities that provide _health and safety_ service of a
- 	governmental nature

- Private Non-Profit Entities

- Essential Services

## Facility Eligibility

- To be eligible, the facility must:
- Be the legal responsibility of an eligible applicant
- Have been in active use at the time of the disaster
- Be damaged as a result of the declared disaster
- Be located in the designated disaster area

## Work Eligibility

- To be eligible, the work must:
- Be disaster related
- Be located in the designated disaster area
- Be the applicant’s responsibility
- Not be fundable by another federal agency

## Emergency Work
Debris Removal
Emergency Protective Measures

Permanent Work
Roads and Bridge Systems
Water Control Facilities
Public Buildings / Equipment
Public Utilities
Other (Parks, Recreation, etc.)

- Debris Removal
- Emergency Protective Measures
**Permanent Work**
- Roads and Bridge Systems
- Water Control Facilities
- Public Buildings / Equipment
- Public Utilities
- Other (Parks, Recreation, etc.)

- Types of Work

## Emergency Work

- Debris removal is eligible when:
- It eliminates an immediate threat to life, health, and safety
- It eliminates an immediate threat of significant damage to improved property
- It ensures economic recovery of the community and provides a benefit for the community-at-large

- Category A – Debris Removal

## Debris Removal

- Debris removal is generally the responsibility of the property owner.
- However, if debris is so widespread that public health, safety, or economic recovery of the community is threatened, the actual removal of debris from private property _may_ be eligible.

- Private Property

## Emergency Work

- Emergency Protective Measures are actions taken by a community before, during, and following a disaster to save lives, protect public health and safety, or eliminate immediate threat of significant damage to improved public and private property through cost effective measures.

- Category B – Emergency Protective Measures

## Eligible permanent work: 

Must repair, restore or replace disaster-damaged facilities in accordance with regulations
Must restore to pre-disaster design, capacity and function in accordance with applicable codes and standards
Must be required as a result of the disaster
May include cost effective hazard mitigation measures

- Must repair, restore or replace disaster-damaged facilities in accordance with regulations
- Must restore to pre-disaster design, capacity and function in accordance with applicable codes and standards
- Must be required as a result of the disaster
- May include cost effective hazard mitigation measures

- Permanent Work

- Work Categories C - G

## To be eligible for reimbursement, costs must: 

Be reasonable and necessary to accomplish eligible work
Comply with federal, state, and local laws and regulations
Include deductions of insurance proceeds, salvage value, and purchase discounts.

- Be reasonable and necessary to accomplish eligible work
- Comply with federal, state, and local laws and regulations
- Include deductions of insurance proceeds, salvage value, and purchase discounts.

- Cost Eligibility

## Projects

- Federal cost share is paid upon project approval.
- Funding is based on an initial cost estimate.

**Large Projects**
- Federal cost share is paid as work is accomplished.
- Final assistance is based upon actual costs or an estimate using the Cost Estimating Format.

- Small Projects versus Large Projects

- Public Assistance projects are processed as either small or large projects.  If the project cost is less than the annually updated cost threshold amount ($60,900 for FY 2008) the project is processed as a small project.  If the project cost equals or exceeds the threshold the project is processed as a large project.

## Projects

- Project Completion Deadlines

- Time limits for project completion begin on the disaster declaration date.
- Emergency work must be completed within – 6 months
- Permanent work must be completed within – 18 months
- For extenuating circumstances or project requirements beyond the subgrantee’s control, the Grantee may extend the emergency work deadline an additional 6 months and the permanent work deadline an additional 30 months on a project by project basis.
- FEMA may also extend the time limits when sufficient justification is submitted.

## Subgrantees performing restoration work on a damaged facility may make improvements to the facility while restoring the facility to its pre-disaster condition.
The improvements must be approved by the grantee prior to construction.
The subgrantee is responsible for the cost of the improvements.  Federal funding is limited to the cost of restoration.

- The improvements _must_ be approved by the grantee prior to construction.
- The subgrantee is responsible for the cost of the improvements.  Federal funding is limited to the cost of restoration.

- Projects

- Improved Projects

## When restoration of a damaged facility or function does not serve the public welfare, a subgrantee may use a Public Assistance grant for another public facility.
The alternate project must be approved by FEMA prior to construction.
The alternate project may require an environmental assessment.
Federal funding is limited to 75% of the federal share of the original project estimate or actual alternate project cost (whichever is less).

- The alternate project _must_ be approved by FEMA prior to construction.
- The alternate project may require an environmental assessment.
- Federal funding is limited to 75% of the federal share of the original project estimate or actual alternate project cost (whichever is less).

- Projects

- Alternate Projects

## Special considerations are issues other than program eligibility that could affect the scope of work and funding of a project.  These issues include:
Insurance
Floodplain Management
Hazard Mitigation
Environmental Protection
Historic Preservation and Cultural Resources

- Insurance
- Floodplain Management
- Hazard Mitigation
- Environmental Protection
- Historic Preservation and Cultural Resources

- Special Considerations

## Actual or anticipated insurance proceeds will be deducted from the eligible project costs for facilities that are insured.
All applicants are required to obtain and maintain insurance coverage on all insurable facilities, as a condition of Public Assistance funding.
For flood damaged facilities located within a Special Flood Hazard Area that are not covered by flood insurance, Federal assistance will be reduced by the maximum flood insurance proceeds that would have been payable had the facility been insured.

- All applicants are required to obtain and maintain insurance coverage on all insurable facilities, as a condition of Public Assistance funding.
- For flood damaged facilities located within a Special Flood Hazard Area that are not covered by flood insurance, Federal assistance will be reduced by the maximum flood insurance proceeds that would have been payable had the facility been insured.

- Special Considerations

- Insurance

## Special Considerations

- Any project within or affecting the floodplain must be reviewed to ensure that it meets the requirements of the Executive Orders on Floodplain Management and the Protection of Wetlands.

- Floodplain Management

## Special Considerations

- Cost effective measures that reduce or eliminate the potential for damages to a facility from a future event.  For a hazard mitigation proposal to be eligible for funding under Public Assistance, the measure must apply only to the damaged elements of the eligible facility.

- Hazard Mitigation

**steel**
**straps**

**steel**
**angle**

**steel angle**
**wall anchor**

- Bracing Library Shelves

## Special Considerations

- Ensure that all practical means are used to protect, restore, and enhance the environment.

- Environmental Protection

## Special Considerations

- Property eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places requires special consideration under the National Historic Preservation Act.

- Historic Preservation and Cultural Resources

## Applying for a Public Assistance Grant
Applicant must submit a Request for Public Assistance within 30 days of the designation of the declared disaster area.
Formulating small projects
Applicant must submit applicant formulated small projects within 60 days of the Kick-off meeting for 20% validation.
Appeals
Any determination related to Federal  assistance may be appealed.  The appeal must be submitted to the grantee within 60 days of receipt of notice of the action which is being appealed.

- Applicant must submit a Request for Public Assistance within **30 days** of the designation of the declared disaster area.
- Formulating small projects
- Applicant must submit applicant formulated small projects within **60 days** of the Kick-off meeting for 20% validation.
- Appeals
- Any determination related to Federal  assistance may be appealed.  The appeal must be submitted to the grantee within **60 days** of receipt of notice of the action which is being appealed.

- Time Limits

- Important Deadlines

## Administrative Allowances

- For FEMA’s PA Program the Stafford Act stipulates that each grant recipient be provided an allowance to meet the cost of administering the grant.
- The allowance is calculated differently for grantees and subgrantees and covers different costs for each.

- Grantee and Subgrantee

## Administrative Allowances

- Subgrantee

## Administrative Allowances

- The Grantee Administrative Allowance is calculated as a percentage of the Federal share of all Public Assistance funds actually awarded to the Grantee for the disaster. The percentage is calculated on eligible costs for the entire disaster using the same sliding scale that is used for subgrantees.

- Grantee

## Grant Management Costs

- Grantee

## The Public Assistance Program assists in the restoration of community infrastructure.
It is a supplemental cost reimbursement program with specific eligibility requirements.
The FEMA share of eligible costs will be awarded to the grantee for disbursement to the subgrantees.

- It is a supplemental cost reimbursement program with specific eligibility requirements.
- The FEMA share of eligible costs will be awarded to the grantee for disbursement to the subgrantees.

- Public Assistance Grant Program

- Program Review

## Slide 32