Zika Reimbursement from State to County
The Florida Department of Health provided a funding reimbursement of $15,000 to the Hernando County Mosquito Control Department to cover expenses incurred for the control of mosquitoes in response to human cases of Zika virus in Hernando County. The mosquito control department will increasing the budgets for the following expenditure accounts: $7000 increase to the Contract Services- Temp Help account, $3000 to the Promotional activities account, $3000 to the Operating Supplies account and $1000 to the Equipment greater than $1000 account.
Hernando County to receive federal dollars for Hermine recovery
Hernando County is among 25 counties to be included in a FEMA major disaster declaration for the State of Florida as a result of Hurricane Hermine. FEMA’s Public Assistance program is a federal grant to aid state and local governments in returning a disaster area to pre-disaster conditions. A minimum of 75% of eligible costs is provided to primarily address the repair and restoration of public facilities, infrastructure, or services which have been damaged or destroyed. A Federally-Funded Public Assistance Agreement between the State Division of Emergency Management and Hernando County was on the consent agenda for the Jan. 10th BOCC meeting.
County receives grant for housing rehabilitation
In April 2016, the county applied for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for housing rehabilitation through the Florida Department Economic Opportunity for Small Cities. The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) has granted a subaward in the amount of $750,000.
According to Hernando County, they plan to use the funds “to rehabilitate (or demolish and replace) a minimum of eleven (11) owner-occupied dwellings in the unincorporated County. Funds will also be used for temporary relocation activities. The housing units will be located within the unincorporated area of Hernando County, Florida.”
The CDBG program is a Federal program created by Congress in 1974 and is administered by HUD (Housing and Urban Development). There are two ways money is dispersed through the program: either directly to urban communities through an entitlement program or through a state program where eligible non-entitlement communities can apply for grants allocated to the state. In Florida, the DEO is responsible for disbursement of the federal grant money. The State of Florida receives between $18 and 26 million annually from HUD to award subgrants to eligible units of local government.
The Florida DEO provide examples of CDBG-funded projects which include:
• Water and Sewer Improvements,
• Rehabilitation of Substandard Housing,
• Street and Sidewalk Improvements,
• Economic Development Activities that Create Jobs for Low-and Moderate-Income People,
• Downtown Revitalization, including Facade Improvements, Streetscaping, and Underground Utilities,
• Park Facilities and Community Centers, and Drainage / Stormwater Improvements.
These projects must meet one of these objectives:
• Benefit to Low-and Moderate-Income Persons
• Elimination of Slum and Blight
• Address an Urgent Need
The Hernando County grant agreement and supporting documents will be presented at a later date.