The funds are tied in part to the 2015 floods as well as Hurricane Harvey, and they will go toward funding street work on the 4300 block of Cynthia Street, the 4600 block of Mimosa Drive, the 4600 block of Cedar Street, 500 block of Chelsea Street, and the 4500 block of Larch Lane. The grants will not require a local funding match.
These projects were originally funded by the Bonds for Better Bellaire Program, and the new federal dollars will free up these funds and allow the city to push back the need for another bond election into 2021, Mayor Andrew Friedberg said.
"Just keep in mind that—we all are excited and it's great to be awarded a grant—but the success of a grant happens during the monitoring and the reporting," Director of Development Serivces ChaVonne Sampson told the council. "There's a lot of hard work ahead of us to make sure it is a success."
The city has several other pending grant applications for flood-related work, including:
Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
- $25 million for a comprehensive underground stormwater detention system, submitted in June 2018
- $1.4 million for up to eight home elevations, submitted in June 2018
- $1.38 million for drainage flap gates, submitted in June 2018
Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant
- An application for 14 home elevations was submitted in November 2019, with a total funding amount to be determined
