THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT AND THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIVISION RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE ABOVE MOTION.
Approval of this agreement with the State of Florida's Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) will allow Broward County to implement the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) STEP (Sheltering and Temporary Essential Power) Program. Work authorized under STEP is meant to provide the most basic, life sustaining emergency repairs to single family, owner-occupied residential properties damaged by Hurricane Irma; it does not include recreational vehicles or houseboats, commercial properties and commonly owned areas, structures, or equipment.
Temporary emergency repairs under STEP cannot exceed $20,000 per residence. The current maximum reimbursement amount for the entire County is $10,000,000 and may be increased through an amendment to the agreement should the need for additional funds be identified.
This Agreement (Exhibit 2) does not allow the restoration of homes to their pre-disaster condition. Any work performed is limited to the minimum necessary to allow survivors to shelter in place for an extended period while they make arrangements for permanent repairs. Please see Pages 39-40 of Exhibit 2 for photos illustrating the type of work that the program covers.
Upon execution of the Agreement, the County will have multiple tight timeframes for deliverables to FDEM (Exhibit 3), including just 15 days to develop clear procedures for the administration of the STEP program. These procedures would include a separate cooperation agreement between Broward County and each municipality that elects to participate in the STEP program (Exhibit 4). These cooperation agreements would require participating municipalities to follow all FEMA timeframes and other reimbursement guidelines to receive reimbursement from the County for eligible expenses.
If the STEP agreement (Exhibit 2) is approved, a letter (Exhibit 5) will be sent to all municipalities informing them of the STEP program requirements. The letter will also advise them that the extremely tight timeframes required coupled with the lack of federal, state and county staff resources dictate failure to sign the cooperation agreement will result in the municipality’s residents being ineligible for STEP program funding. Please note that expenses subsequently deemed ineligible by FEMA, for any reason, would be the responsibility of the participating municipality.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management advises that, as this is considered an emergency protective measure, time is of the essence. The attached STEP guidance presentation provides further background on the STEP program (Exhibit 6).
|