REQUEST FOR DECISION
DATE: November 6th, 2020 Report No. CSS-20-016
TO: Laurie Hurst, Chief Administrative Officer
FROM: Blair McDonald, Director of Community Safety Services
SUBJECT:
Title
Request for Council Resolution in Support of a Grant Application
End
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
That Council support by way of resolution a $75,000 joint grant application with the District of Oak Bay and City of Victoria, with $50,000 in-kind contributions for a total of $125,000, for the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund - Evacuation Route Planning Stream, that the District of Oak Bay will provide overall grant management for the project, and that the Mayor and Corporate Officer are authorized to execute any agreements related to a successful grant application
Body
RELEVANT POLICY:
Emergency Program Act, RSBC 1996, c.111
Emergency Management Bylaw, 2015, No. 2853
STRATEGIC RELEVANCE:
Build and Enhance Partnerships - Work with governments, school districts and stakeholders to enhance relationships and advance issues impacting the community.
BACKGROUND:
The Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF) is a suite of funding programs intended to enhance the resiliency of local governments and their residents in responding to emergencies. Funding is provided by the Province of BC and is administered by Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM). The funding stream being applied for is “Evacuation Route Planning.”
In 2018 nine local/regional governments within the Capital Region each applied for a $25,000 CEPF Evacuation Route Planning grant: $19,000 of which was used to develop a municipality-specific evacuation plan and $6,000 was pooled to cover the cost of a regional traffic study. These plans and studies were all completed in August 2020.
The final report from the regional traffic study project contained several recommendations to improve regional evacuations. The data and recommendations will be incorporated into this project.
The objective of this project is to develop an omnibus regional evacuation plan which will involve all potential participants in the planning process and will include a governance model, a comprehensive concept of operations and regional evacuation route mapping for a large evacuation, which crosses jurisdictional borders. This can only be accomplished through a collaborative planning process. The listed partners have worked together on similar projects and have close relationships with all the potential participants located within the Capital Region.
The participants that will be invited to collaborate in the process include 13 local governments, 10 First Nation communities, 3 electoral districts, the region and the provincial government, all of which work within a combination of federal, provincial, and local legislation, regulations, policies and emergency plans. There are also several large organizations including postsecondary institutions, local school districts and the military base that will play significant roles in any evacuation.
The financial aspects of the project will be managed by the District of Oak Bay and the Regional Emergency Management Partnership will manage logistics. UBCM allows regional applications with a Council resolution of support for each participating local authority as a requirement of the funding application. The rationale for the submission of one joint application for the entire region reduces the administration for the overall project.
ISSUES:
1. Rationale for Selected Option
The CEPF is an excellent opportunity to take advantage of funding that can be used to enhance the resiliency of the Township of Esquimalt and ensure the safety of our residents through evacuation route planning and collaboration with regional partners
2. Organizational Implications
Staff time will need to be allocated to contribute to research, information, updating of plans, and participation in working groups.
3. Financial Implications
There are no direct financial implications as 100% of the cost of eligible activities is contributed by the fund. Staff will provide in-kind support to the project. The District of Oak Bay will manage the financial aspects and reporting for the grant.
4. Sustainability & Environmental Implications
There are no sustainability or environmental implications
5. Communication & Engagement
Staff from relevant departments and stakeholders in the community and region will be consulted during the planning process to ensure holistic regional involvement.
ALTERNATIVES:
1. That Council support by way of resolution a $75,000 joint application with the District of Oak Bay and the City of Victoria for the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund - Evacuation Route Planning Stream, that the District of Oak Bay provide overall grant management for the project, and that the Mayor and Corporate Officer are authorized to execute any agreements related to a successful grant application.
2. That Council does not provide a resolution to support the joint application for the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund - Evacuation Route Planning Stream grant.