At a time when an abundance of federal funding is already aiding state and local governments, even more is about to be released. This new funding will be allocated to public entities to support critical projects related to disaster mitigation.

The funding will come from a Hazard Mitigation Assistance program within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). One program, BRIC, short for the full name – Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities – is authorized to distribute $1 billion for hazard mitigation projects. Specifically, BRIC funding is intended to support efforts related to capability and capacity building, collaborative initiatives, and other types of critical projects that could be impacted by weather. Public entities already have applied for this grant funding, and awards are expected to be announced this month.

NOAA, a division of the Department of Commerce, recently announced weather predictions because the country is entering hurricane season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts that this year will be an active weather season. The Climate Prediction Center has estimated that the country is likely to experience 13 to 20 named storms with six to 10 of them potentially becoming hurricanes.

Some of the states hoping to receive the disaster mitigation funding are listed.

The Maryland Emergency Management Agency requested funding for several projects, many of which are construction related. Maryland’s request is valued at more than $78 million.

Florida – Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a $101.5 billion Florida Leads state budget that includes $11.44 billion for state transportation projects.

The five-year Work Program overseen by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will receive $9.44 billion comprising:

Another $2 billion will be transferred to the State Transportation Trust Fund to provide $1.75 billion for State Highway System projects and $250 million for port operation grants.

FDOT is set to open bidding on June 25 for construction of the $127.6 million project to replace the NASA Causeway Bridge as one of the projects in the Work Program.

The bridge project includes new high-level fixed bridges that replace the current twin draw bridges built in 1964. Bridge enhancements will provide support for large vehicles that are necessary for future space launches. The new bridges will serve as a public access route between the mainland near Titusville and North Merritt Island as well as a hurricane evacuation route for residents of the barrier islands in the area.

Construction of the new bridges is anticipated to begin in late 2021 and estimated to be complete in 2025.

California – The Los Angeles Department of Power and Water is readvertising a request for information (RFI) about the planning, design, and deployment of renewable energy, distributed energy resources (DER), or both resources.

DER includes rooftop photovoltaic generation, distributed energy storage, energy efficiency solutions, demand response, electric vehicle charging stations, and microgrids. This includes opportunities to expand resiliency projects and support the deferral of distribution system upgrades.

The department seeks to identify opportunities for increasing and expanding its sustainability efforts and renewable energy initiatives with a focus on emerging technologies, non-emitting energy resources, and alternative approaches.

Requests for proposals (RFPs) resulting from this RFI will include system-related information about specific circuits that are deemed overloaded, areas that may benefit from resiliency projects, zones that are best fits for DER deployment, and deferral of upgrades within the distribution system.

The desired solution is to deploy DER and non-emitting resources with capacity equivalent to up to 60 percent of the existing thermal capacity (approximately 1,000 MW) of the department’s three coastal thermal power plants in Southern California: Haynes, Harbor, and Scattergood generating stations.

Ten out of 25 generating units at these stations use ocean water for cooling. As part of the federal requirement to eliminate the use of ocean water for the 10 impacted generating units by 2029, the department is looking to replace 1,662 megawatts of thermal generation capacity.

The deadline for RFI responses has been extended indefinitely because of the readvertisement.

Washington, D.C. – The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) will award $250 million in funding to 22 transit projects under construction or in development in 13 states.

Some of Small Starts projects in development that will receive funds from the FTA's Capital Investment Grant (CIG) program are:

Projects in the CIG Project Development phase are nearing completion of the requirements necessary for a construction grant award.

The CIG Program provides funding for major transit infrastructure capital investments nationwide. Projects accepted into the program must go through a multi-year, multi-step process to be eligible for consideration to receive program funds.

Arizona – The town of Gilbert is seeking information about Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) for a new $273 million surface water treatment plant.

In a request for information (RFI), Gilbert is identifying potential vendors and gathering information on a SCADA, integration, and instrumentation and controls (I&C) strategy.

The city wishes to better understand timelines, approaches, philosophies, and generalized proposed scopes of work that interested firms would recommend providing SCADA, I&C, and programming support on the water plant project.

Scope of that project includes small scale piloting and benchtop testing to determine the most viable and economical treatment alternatives prior to beginning design and construction of the 45 million gallons per day (MGD) plant.

Additionally, Gilbert is seeking to understand how those services might be provided within a larger scope of ongoing services with consideration to master planning, remote system management, troubleshooting, and other relevant matters.

RFI responses are due by 3 p.m. June 21.

Please plan to join the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and CrowdStrike for a webinar on “How K-12 Schools Can Survive a Cyber Attack” at 11 a.m. PST June 22. We hope you can join us.

CrowdStrike’s threat intelligence team will present a briefing on the evolving cybersecurity threats affecting K-12 schools observed in the past year. Expert panelists will then discuss how to use this information to prepare for and address the most current cybersecurity challenges.

Register here.

Virginia – To achieve its vision for the next 20 years, the city of Richmond is planning to direct development in specific areas guided by its new master plan, "Richmond 300: A Guide for Growth."

To begin implementing the plan, the city intends to re-write its zoning ordinances to encourage equitable growth through a Draft City Center Small Plan as well as new regulations affecting the areas of Greater Scott’s Addition.

In addition, Richmond 300 will focus on improvements to public transit options in the Pulse corridor that serves the Science Museum, Allison Street, and two universities.

The City Center Small Area Plan outlines a strategy for redeveloping vacant and under-utilized parcels in Downtown Richmond, which are predominantly city-owned.

A primary next step to reach the city’s goals for the Greater Scott’s Addition is to rezone the area. This area is comprised mostly of light industrial and heavy industrial zoning. The City Planning Commission will hold a hearing on June 21 to consider an ordinance that amends the zoning map for the Greater Scott’s Addition.

The Science Museum, Allison, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Virginia Union University Pulse Stations are priority stations identified in the Pulse Corridor Plan. Commissioners will consider rezoning that area at their June 21 meeting.

Maine – State legislators appropriated $180,000 for a feasibility study to analyze options to restore commuter and passenger rail service from Portland to Lewiston-Auburn. The area last received rail service more than 60 years ago.

The evaluation will focus on two alignments developed in a 2019 service plan that would establish one route known as the Pam Am Railroad corridor, which links Lewiston to Portland through Royal Junction. A state-owned St. Lawrence-Atlantic Railroad corridor would run from Auburn to Portland through Yarmouth Junction.

Planners identified two modes as appropriate based on cost and ability to use existing infrastructure. Commuter rail would operate on a fixed guideway using either diesel or electric locomotives. Multiple units, which are self-propelled rail cars that can be coupled to form a three-car diesel or electric train, would run on a fixed guideway.

The 2019 report estimated costs of $200 million to $300 million to establish the rail service.

If approved by the governor, the legislation would require the Maine Department of Transportation to conduct the analysis in order to develop a preferred alignment and for comparison to other transportation connections between Portland and the Lewiston-Auburn area by March 2022.

Florida – The Downtown Investment Authority (DIA) of the city of Jacksonville soon will select a design firm to reimagine a 6.8-acre waterfront site known as Riverfront Plaza.

Three firms are set to present their proposals for 50 percent design to a DIA evaluation committee on June 24 for the downtown property, formerly known as Jacksonville Landing. Previously a festival market, the city acquired the dilapidated venue in 2020.

A minimum of 4.5 acres will be devoted to public park-plaza to include an open view corridor from Laura Street to the river and a wide waterfront park.

Although the DIA intends to solicit private development proposals for at least one of the two smaller sites in the corners of the property, the design of the public park-plaza will occur first in order to prioritize its importance and to guide the design of future adjacent development.

The city is working to ensure the timeline of the park design and subsequent construction is coordinated with additional nearby public infrastructure improvements, such as the Hogan Street Cycle Track, the Times Union Center for the Performing Arts bulkhead restoration and Music Commons, and bulkhead improvements at the Riverfront Plaza.

As such, Jacksonville is taking reservations for use of the park between now and December 2021 and hopes to be under construction on the new public space by January 2022.

New Hampshire – The State Police of New Hampshire issued a request for information (RFI) in consideration of implementing a solution or solutions to provide real-time connectivity for specific operations.

Police are seeking wireless communications to link troopers in the field to applications and data repositories that support operations. Land Mobile Radio (LMR) will remain the primary voice communications supporting active operations.

As the agency increases its use of technology, it will have additional needs for wireless communications to move data. Helicopter and drone video, car and body camera video and audio, license plate readers, records management system, and accident reconstruction and mapping tools all create, use, and transfer data to support the State Police mission.

The RFI is soliciting vendor input on the best way to securely, accurately, timely and economically move this data from the field to headquarters.

RFI responses are due by July 15.

Washington, D.C. – The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will direct $268 million for expanding broadband to underserved communities, primarily through Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges or Universities (TCUs), and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs).

NTIA will distribute grants to help HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs purchase broadband service or equipment, hire information technology (IT) personnel, operate a minority business enterprise, and facilitate educational instruction.

The administration’s mission is to foster robust broadband access, connectivity, and adoption as these are essential elements to support the nation’s economic growth and social advancement. NTIA officials believe that broadband is a conduit for economic development and social opportunities for U.S. households and a gateway to increased productivity, growth, and market access for businesses of all sizes.

Yet, many American communities, households, and critical anchor institutions lack sufficient broadband connectivity and experience significant challenges with digital inclusion, adoption, access and equity, specifically within vulnerable communities, communities of color, and with students at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these inequities for students, faculty, and staff at these higher education institutions.

NTIA will host Connecting Minority Communities webinars on June 23 and 24 to further inform the public about the program.

Ohio – After receiving one bid that was responsive to its solicitation for new rail cars, the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) will reissue its request for proposals (RFP) in the coming months.

In 2018 and 2019, GCRTA conducted a study that found that the rail cars were well beyond their useful lives and in need of replacement.

The project involves the replacement of GCRTA’s current heavy-rail vehicle (HRV) fleet that is 34 years old and its light-rail vehicle (LRV) fleet that is 37 years old, with both fleets exceeding their design lives.

Plans consist of:

The base contract was to be for 18 cars with the option to purchase up to 60. It will take 24 rail cars to replace the heavy rail fleet. GCRTA’s plan is to purchase additional cars as the funding becomes available over the next several years.

GCRTA originally issued the RFP for the procurement of new rail cars in February and allowed three months for proposals to be submitted. Only one of two responding vendors submitted a proposal for consideration. The single proposal received was reviewed by the technical proposal review panel, and the panel concluded that proposal was not responsive to the technical requirements of the solicitation.

New Jersey – County commissioners authorized the Atlantic County Improvement Authority (ACIA) to advertise for bids to construct a $12.7 million government services building at the Cape May County Airport.

The county plans to issue $24 million in bonds to fund capital initiatives including the airport complex, a $4.2 million project to improve the County Commons, and $6 million to promote economic development.

ACIA will raze several buildings at the airport in order to make room for building government facilities and develop a “Government Services District.” County officials will seek a grant from the Federal Transit Authority to put toward the project.

Commissioners will hold a public hearing on June 22 on the proposed bond sale.

Georgia – The city of Americus named Diadra Powell as permanent city manager. She served as the interim city manager after her predecessor, Charles Coney, left the position. Prior to that, she was finance director for Americus and a senior management assistant for the city of New Bern, North Carolina.

Washington state – Gov. Jay Inslee named William Kehoe as state chief information officer (CIO) with Washington Technology Solutions, effective August 1. Kehoe will replace Mark Quimby who has served as acting CIO since March when James Weaver departed from the agency earlier this year. Kehoe is currently CIO for Los Angeles County. Before that, he served as CIO for King County and the Washington State Department of Licensing.

Florida – The Florida State University board of trustees appointed Richard McCullough as the university’s next president, subject to state approval on June 23. If approved, he will take over for John Thrasher who is retiring this summer. McCullough currently serves as vice provost for research at Harvard University. Before that, he was vice president for research at Carnegie-Mellon University.

North Carolina – The city of Charlotte named Haley Gentry as the next aviation director for the Charlotte Douglas International Airport. She will succeed Brent Cagle who accepted a position as assistant city manager for Charlotte. Gentry had been serving as acting aviation director since October when Cagle joined the city manager’s office on a special assignment. Before that, she was the airport’s chief business and innovation officer.

California – The Port of Stockton Commission selected Kirk DeJesus as the port’s new director. He will take over for Richard Aschieris who is retiring. DeJesus has worked for several North American ports, including the ports of Stockton and Vancouver. In addition, he was a business development director and director of operations for an energy infrastructure company.

Alabama – Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle appointed Quisha Riche Bryant as the city’s new director of parking and public transportation. She takes over from Tommy Brown who recently retired. Bryant most recently served as deputy executive director of the Huntsville Housing Authority.

Mary Scott Nabers, Publisher

Devin Monk, Editor

Government Contracting Pipeline, a publication of Strategic Partnerships, Inc., is a free, weekly newsletter detailing important happenings nationwide and the premier source for federal, state, and local government news and contracting opportunities.