By Brittany Anderson
Kyle is taking extra precautions in the event of severe winter weather.
During the regular city council meeting on Dec. 6, council unanimously approved two resolutions to select an engineer and a grant writer to assist with the city’s application to the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP).
The grant program is related to the FEMA-DR-4586 (Severe Winter Storms) disaster declaration, declared on Feb. 19, 2021 across Texas during Winter Storm Uri. The program is intended to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures in communities and reduce the loss of life and property after a major disaster declaration.
Both resolutions state that the city and its residents sustained “significant damages” as a result of Uri, and that the repair and/or replacement of damages, and other projects as eligible, is of vital importance.
Julie Crookston, Assistant Director of Public Works, said the grants will provide backup generators for the city’s critical water and wastewater sites — which include wells and lift stations — to help mitigate the effects like those of the last winter storm.
Crookston said that because there is a lot of “red tape” involved with these applications, the grant writer would assist in organizing the information that’s needed, along with writing and submitting the grants. And, depending on how many the city is awarded, the writer would also ensure that the city is staying in compliance with the grants and help administer them once they are received.
“When we were reaching out to TDEM, they recommended that we apply for three or four grants and separate them out, because that will increase our chances of at least being awarded at least some of them,” Crookston said.
The council selected Traylor & Associates as the administrative consultant for the grant application preparation, project administration and project-related management services, and KSA Engineers Inc. as the engineering firm for application preparation and project implementation, should awards be funded.
Council members Yvonne Flores-Cale, Michael Tobias and Robert Rizo also all praised the public works department for being proactive in helping to prevent another disaster in Kyle due to winter weather.
