AG 2010 12 20 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

funds can be used for such projects as acquisition or relocation, retrofitting, development of local mitigation standards and comprehensive mitigation plans, structural hazard control and the purchase of equipment to improve preparedness and response. 3. The Flood Mitigation Grant Program (FMAP) is a federally funded program for mitigation assistance to states, communities and individuals for cost - effective measures to reduce or eliminate the long -term risk of flood damage to the built environment and to real property. Unlike the HMGP, FMAP is available to eligible communities on an annual basis. An eligible community must be a participant in the National Flood Insurance Program and must develop a flood mitigation plan. FMAP funds may be used for such projects as elevation and /or dry flood proofing of structures, acquisition of real property, relocation or demolition of structures, and minor structural projects. 4. The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) is another source of funding for hazard mitigation initiatives. The objective of the CDBG program is to assist communities in rehabilitating substandard dwelling structures and to expand economic opportunities, primarily for low -to- moderate - income families. However, as a result of a Presidential declared disaster, CDBG funds may be used for long -term needs such as acquisition, reconstruction, and redevelopment of disaster - affected areas. G. Ability to Pay 1. In recognition of the disparate economic prosperity of the State's one hundred counties, the North Carolina Department of Commerce ranks counties in an economic tier system. The impetus for this system was the William S. Lee Quality Jobs and Business Expansion Act of 1996 which provides for a sliding scale of state tax credits for economic investment. The Lee Act has become the state's main development tool in an effort to help smaller rural counties be more economically competitive. 2. The most economically distressed counties are ranked in Tier 1 and the most economically prosperous in Tier 5. The rankings are evaluated annually using three factors — population growth, unemployment rate, and per capita income. The 2004 County Tier Designation places Cabarrus County in Tier 5. The tier ranking is now widely used by the State as a measure of an individual county's ability to pay when applying for state and federal grants. VII. Technical Capability A. Effective hazard mitigation initiatives depend largely on a community's technical capability. Local governments such as Cabarrus County typically have limited technical capability due to a lack of funding and human resources. There are, however, several technical sources available at the county level, at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and at State and Federal levels of government. B. Cabarrus County 1. Cabarrus County operates a geographic information system (GIS) that provides essential information and technology for hazard response and mitigation. The GIS system Annex C County Capability Assessment C -8 December 2009 Attachment number 11 F -6 Page 144