To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Tyler S. Brown, Sheriff
Prepared By:
prepared
Nathan Fogg, Director, Office of Emergency Management, Sheriff’s Office
end
presenter
Presenter: Nathan Fogg, Director, Office of Emergency Management, Sheriff’s Office
end
Subject:
title
2:45 PM *Emergency Management Performance Grant 2025-26 Application and Acceptance
end
Purpose and Request:
recommended action
The purpose of this item is to request the Board authorize the Arapahoe County Sheriff or BOCC Chair to sign, with later ratification of the signature, the Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG).
end
Background and Discussion: The County, via the Sheriff’s Office and the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) have applied for, accepted, and managed the EMPG for more than 20 years. This funding comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support and offset costs related the sustaining the OEM. Historically, the Sheriff has been authorized to sign the applications for these critical funds while the OEM has managed all of the reporting. Annual compliance visits from the Colorado Office of Grants Management, where OEM and County Finance spend a day with auditors, show the OEM and Sheriff’s Office are properly administering the Grant.
For the last two years, the grant has offset county general fund costs for a 0.5 FTE. With recent reduction of signature authorities and the rapid timeline required by the State, we are in a position of needing approval outside of BOCC calendar availability. Monday, November 18, 2024 (23 days ago), the EPMG application process began in Colorado’s Grant Portal. During that time OEM has built out the application including 15 performance metrics, strategy, staffing patterns, and other required application materials. The final piece of the application, requiring a meeting with a state representative will take place on December 17, 2024, with an application deadline of January 10, 2025. To secure the approximately $85,000 grant, we need the application signed and submitted before the deadline. After consultation with the County Attorney’s Office, OEM requests that the BOCC authorize the Arapahoe County Sheriff or Chair to sign the application. Ratification of that signature will be placed on the consent agenda for the BoCC’s first public meeting on January 14, 2025.
Fiscal Impact: The estimated value of the grant award is $85,000 with final amount determined based on the total applications received by the State, meaning in some years we receive more than the base amount.
Alternatives: If we do not submit a signed application by the state deadline, we will lose access to the funding in 2025 and likely become less competitive in future years. This funding is essential to provide the levels of service required by our community. If the application is not signed, which is the alternative, we will need to fund the 0.5 FTE from general fund dollars without reimbursement or enter renegotiations with the City of Littleton for the provision of Emergency Management services. In the past, there was an IGA wherein the County provides 0.5 FTE and Littleton funds the other 0.5 FTE for Emergency Management Services.
Alignment with Strategic Plan:
☒Be fiscally sustainable
☒Provide essential and mandated service
☒Be community focused
Staff Recommendation: The Sheriff’s Office and OEM recommend signing and later ratifying, or otherwise approving the application.
Concurrence: Tyler S. Brown, Sheriff, Adam Burson, Captain.