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RESOLUTION R-2021-79: A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, APPROPRIATING CARES ACT REIMBURSEMENT FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF $140,000 RECEIVED FROM THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA FROM THE GENERAL FUND MISCELLANEOUS GRANT REIMBURSEMENTS ACCOUNT TO BE USED FOR DEBRIS CLEAN-UP IN PRIVATE GATED SUBDIVISIONS.
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BACKGROUND: On March 27, 2020, the United States Federal Government enacted the $2,200,000,000,000 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Among the provisions of the CARES Act was financial relief to state and local governments negatively impacted by the Novel Coronavirus of 2019 (COVID-19). Funds were distributed to state governments for distribution, based on guidelines established by the Federal government.
On August 6, 2020, $250,000,000 was made available to Oklahoma cities through newly-established guidelines promulgated under Oklahoma’s Coronavirus Relief Fund, based on the population of the city. Approximately $9,600,000 was made available to Norman based on these new guidelines, in the form of reimbursement of previously submitted authorized expenses.
On October 29, 2020, Council approved Resolution R-2021-63 that appropriated $6,525,000 of these reimbursement funds to six different accounts. On December 1, 2020, Council approved Resolution R-2021-69 appropriating $1,000,000 in CARES Act funding to be used for Small Business Relief Grants. Just over $2 million in CARES Act funding remains to be appropriated.
On October 27, 2020, a rare October ice storm hit Norman, causing millions of dollars in damage and resulting in extensive debris clean-up efforts by the City in parks and public rights-of-way. President Trump approved a disaster declaration on December 21, 2020, which enables federal funding reimbursement for 75% of clean-up costs to Norman. Once the federal declaration was issued, the City moved forward with a more widespread clean-up effort, extending debris clean up to residential neighborhoods with private access streets within the City limits, provided the debris was cut into smaller segments and located along the roadway. A request has been made to consider using CARES Act funding to provide a similar service in private, gated subdivisions with limited public access where Federal Emergency Management Agency regulations do not allow federal assistance to be utilized for debris clean-up. Although these are private roads, public safety services are provided by the City to these subdivisions in the same manner in which they are provided to neighborhoods without gates and with streets and other facilities that are accessible to the public.
DISCUSSION: If Council wishes to provide debris removal services from private roadways in gated subdivisions, an appropriation of CARES Act funding is proposed to cover such cost. There are approximately 11 gated subdivisions within the City limits. The estimated cost for debris removal from the private roadways in these subdivisions is $140,000.
RECOMMENDATION: Staff forwards Resolution R-2021-79, appropriating $140,000 of CARES Act funding from Other Revenue - Miscellaneous Grant Reimbursement (account 109-3331346) to Professional Services - Emergency Debris Removal (account 10550221-44004) for the purpose of removing debris from the October 27, 2020 ice storm along private roadways in subdivisions without public access, for Council review and consideration.