title
PROPOSED GRANT AWARD
Department: Planning and Development
Grantee: Cook County Department of Planning and Development
Grantor: US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Request: Authorization to accept grant
Purpose: Recovery from Floods of 4/16/2013 - 5/5/2013
Grant Amount: $83,616,000 (Includes the $13.9 million and $54.9 million, which were previously approved by the Board of Commissioners in March and September of 2014.)
Grant Period: 12/23/2013 - 9/30/2019
Fiscal Impact: N/A
Accounts: N/A
Concurrences:
The Budget Department has received all requisite documents and determined the fiscal impact on Cook County, if any
Summary:
Transmitted herewith is a request for the approval to accept a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant of Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds in response to disasters occurring in 2013, authorized under the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013. The purpose of the CDBG-DR program is to assist targeted areas that have been affected by a natural disaster (in this case, severe storms and flooding during the period of 4/16/2013 to 5/5/2013). The program will provide necessary expenses related to disaster relief, long-term recovery, restoration of infrastructure and housing, and economic revitalization in the most impacted and distressed areas resulting from a major disaster declared pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1974 (Stafford Act).
Cook County was initially allocated $68.8 million via two awards, which were accepted by the Cook County Board of Commissioners in March and September 2014 respectively. Subsequent to the initial allocation, Cook County was awarded an additional $14,816,000, bringing the total grant amount to $83,616,000.
In order to identify the most impacted and distressed areas by the 2013 declared disaster as well as to identify potential projects, the Department of Planning and Development met with or consulted related studies prepared by the Cook County Departments of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Environmental Control, and Transportation and Highways, the Cook County Forest Preserve District, the Illinois and Federal Emergency Management Agencies (IEMA and FEMA, respectively), the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as well as municipal and township leaders.
The Department of Planning and Development desires to fund projects that strategically assist with the
recovery efforts and support other investments which are occurring in the area. Cook County plans to enter into CDBG-DR agreements with municipalities, townships, for-profit and/or non-profit entities to implement CDBG-DR activities.
I respectfully request approval to accept this grant award and that the Bureau Chief of the Bureau of Economic Development or their designee, is authorized to execute on behalf of the County of Cook, any and all documents necessary to facilitate administration of the program approved here in, including but not limited to the CDBG-DR grant agreement, subrecipient agreements or other appropriate agreements, and any modifications thereto. The approval of this of the request by this Honorable Body will permit the CDBG-DR program to proceed with implementation.
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