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!' <br />ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: August 15, 2000 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. °~ -~ <br />SUBJECT: Prioritization Plan far Distribution of Hurricane Floyd Relief Funds <br />DEPARTMENT: County Manager/Emergency PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />Management <br />ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Resolution Rod Visser, ext 2300 <br />Nick Waters, ext 3030 <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough 732-8181 <br />Chapel Hill 968-4501 <br />Durham 688-7331 <br />Mebane 336-227-2031 <br />PURPOSE: To consider adopting a resolution setting forth the County's priorities for the <br />distribution of grant funds to homeowners who suffered property damage in the aftermath of <br />Hurricane Floyd. <br />BACKGROUND: County staff have been working with staff of the North Carolina Office of <br />Emergency Management (NCEM) to assist several property owners in the Heritage Hills <br />subdivision who suffered significant property damage from flooding in the wake of Hurricane <br />Floyd in September 1999. Funds are available through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program <br />(HMGP) for the government to purchase damaged homes from owners interested in selling <br />them. The concept of the program is to eliminate buildings from floodplains under the <br />assumption that the cost of voluntary acquisition will be less than the cost of repairs from <br />repeated floodings over the years. <br />Two property owners in Heritage Hills have submitted applications for voluntary participation in <br />acquisition under the HMGP. The State's Hazard Mitigation Specialist has communicated to <br />County staff that an additional administrative requirement of the grant program is for the Board <br />of Commissioners in any affected county to adopt a resolution setting forth the criteria that will <br />be observed in prioritizing the allocation of grant funds to damaged properties. This <br />requirement is aimed at ensuring there is some logical rationale for acquiring one property prior <br />to others, particularly in hard hit areas. While this requirement has little practical impact in <br />Orange County because there are only 2 applications for the program, adoption of the <br />resolution is necessary to complete the grant program process. In keeping with a suggestion <br />from NCEM staff, the primary criterion in Orange County's proposed resolution is depth of <br />floodwater inside the damaged homes (other criteria could be chosen instead). <br />