Title
Resolution to Accept Grant Funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the 2023 Environmental Justice Government to Government Grant Program to Develop a Model Regional Resilience Network with Resilient Infrastructure in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County, Approve a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Appropriate Funds ($1,000,000.00) (8 Votes Required)
Memorandum
Attached for review and consideration is a resolution to authorize acceptance and appropriation of grant funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) to create a regional resilience network and invest in three more brick and mortar resilience hubs in Ann Arbor (one match funded) and one additional, to be determined hub, in Washtenaw County.
This grant has three main objectives:
1. Launch a model regional resilience network that brings together municipalities, community-based organizations, and other critical care service providers to create facilitated communication channels to assist network partners in enhancing the resilience of local and regional stakeholders.
2. Establish four additional brick and mortar resilience hubs throughout Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County (one of which is match funded).
3. Launch a resilience grant program for community-based organizations working to build the resilience of local stakeholders.
To achieve these objectives, this U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant focuses on six core tasks over the three-year grant period:
I. Co-creating the governance structure for a durable regional resilience network in Washtenaw County.
II. Identifying community-based organizations to lead engagement around identified resilience hub locations.
III. Host regional resilience meetings quarterly during the grant period.
IV. Establish a resilience grant program and administer grants up to $100,000.00 in total.
V. Establish a resilience ambassador program to assist community networking at and around resilience hubs.
VI. Establish and distribute a resilience hub replication guide for Washtenaw County stakeholders.
In addition to authorizing the receipt of the funding and appropriation of the funds, OSI is seeking Council’s authorization to create the resilience grant program and make sub-awards to grant subrecipients as outlined in the enclosed proposal to the U.S. EPA.
Budget/Fiscal Impact: The total cost, including all project elements, is $1,545,800.00, of which $1,000,000.00 is provided through the EPA grant and the remainder is in-kind support from OSI and/or funding allocated to the next City resilience hub. The in-kind and resilience hub match portions of this budget have been integrated into OSI’s FY25 and projected FY26 budget.
Staff
Prepared by: Missy Stults, Sustainability and Innovations Director
Reviewed by: Kim Hoenerhoff, Budget Analyst
Valerie Jackson, Assistant City Attorney
Approved by: Milton Dohoney Jr., City Administrator
Body
Whereas, The City’s A2ZERO Plan focuses on building the capacity for our community to respond to disruptions with a focus on creating a more resilient people and place;
Whereas, The City’s Office of Sustainability and Innovations submitted a grant application to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to advance resilience-focused work such as resilience hubs, a resilience grant program, and a regional resilience network;
Whereas, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency selected the City’s grant application for award and has granted the City of Ann Arbor $1,000,000.00 to accomplish the tasks in the City’s application; and
Whereas, This grant would authorize the build out of four (4) brick and mortar resilience hubs (one of which is match funded), as well as the creation of a resilience grant program and a new resilience ambassador program, and would support the creation of a regional resilience network;
RESOLVED, That City Council accepts a grant of $1,000,000.00 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and appropriates $1,000,000.00 to the FY25 Major Grants Program Fund with the source of revenue being the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency;
RESOLVED, That City Council authorize the advancement of three brick and mortar resilience hubs in Ann Arbor and a fourth resilience hub at a to be determined location in the County;
RESOLVED, That City Council authorize the creation of a resilience grant program with funds for the program coming directly from this U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant;
RESOLVED, That all amounts herein are without regard to fiscal year;
RESOLVED, That City Council approve a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for these funds;
RESOLVED, That the Mayor and City Clerk are authorized and directed to execute the Cooperative Agreement following approval as to form by the City Attorney and as to substance by the City Administrator; and
RESOLVED, That the City Administrator is authorized to take all appropriate actions to implement this resolution.
Sponsored by: Mayor Taylor