PUBLIC NOTICE OF PROPOSED CDBG DISASTER RECOVERY MITIGATION INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS FOR THE CITY OF HAINES CITY 

The City of Haines City anticipates applying for Round Two of the Rebuild Florida General Infrastructure Program (GIP) funding provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to support long-term mitigation efforts by assisting the State of Florida and its local governments in minimizing or eliminating the risks and reducing losses from future disasters. This program is being administered by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) thru the Community Development Block Grant – Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) Program. A total of four hundred seventy-five million dollars ($475,000,000.00) in funding has been allocated by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) for the Rebuild Florida General Infrastructure Program.  The funding will be allocated through three separate funding cycles which will be held over a three-year period with the second funding cycle, to have applications due in to DEO on or before September 17, 2021.  The amount of funding available in the second GIP application cycle is one hundred seventy-five million dollars ($175,000,000.00). The minimum allowable grant request is two million dollars ($2,000,000.00). Eligible types of projects are those that demonstrate increased community resiliency. Examples of some of the types of projects encouraged by DEO are as follows:

• Restoration of critical infrastructure (such as water and sewer facilities, streets, removal of debris, drainage, bridges, etc.). 
• Renourishment of protective coastal dune systems and state beaches. 
• Building or fortifying buildings that are essential to the health, safety and welfare of a community (this can include police stations, fire stations, parks and recreational centers, community and senior centers, hospitals, clinics, schools and educational facilities, other public properties). 
• Rehabilitation or construction of stormwater management systems. 
• Improvements to drainage facilities. 
• Reconstruction of lift stations and sewage treatment plants. 
• Road repair and improvement and bridge strengthening. 

The City of Haines City anticipates submitting three applications for a total of twenty-two million, eighty-nine thousand, six hundred dollars ($22,089,600) in funding through Round Two of the CDBG-GIP General Infrastructure Program.

Activities that are typically eligible for funding under the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program as well as specific additional activities as outlined in the State of Florida CDBG-MIT Action Plan for the program are eligible projects if no other funding is available to meet the need. Applications are due in DEO no later than September 17, 2021.

The City of Haines City anticipates the submission of three (3) separate applications requesting CDBG Mitigation assistance for: 1) Resilient Communication System Improvements, including fiber optic conduit, switch gear, and electronics to mitigate the risk of failures of critical community facilities during major storm events and improve the reliability and resilience of critical infrastructure; and 2) Replacement of substandard asbestos and galvanized water system piping to provide residents with resilient potable water and fire protection service during hazard events; and 3) Water system pressure booster resiliency improvements to allow potable water and fire protection service to be provided at all areas/elevations within the City during peak demand and storm events, which is a challenge now due to the varying elevations along the Lake Wales Ridge.

The project overview and budgets of the three (3) applications submitted are as follows:

Disaster Resiliency Communication System: The City of Haines City proposes to implement a state-of-the-art regional communication system that will securely provide resilient communications to keep all critical infrastructure operational during disaster events at multiple critical community facilities along the Lake Wales Ridge, including critical facilities within the City of Davenport and Town of Lake Hamilton.   Backbone infrastructure will be implemented to serve numerous private and municipal facilities to maintain critical community operations during disaster events. Phase 1 infrastructure will include, but not be limited to:  Backbone conduit duct banks, fiber optic cable, service connection laterals to critical facilities, and Network Operation Center infrastructure.  The City anticipates submitting an application for the following improvements: 

 Water Distribution System Piping Resiliency Improvements Project:  Decommissioning of a number of substandard asbestos cement and galvanized water lines and installation of modern C-900 PVC water line in a number of older and underserved neighborhoods within the City.  

 The substandard piping (undersized, hazardous, corroded, etc.) results in a number of adverse conditions including poor water quality for the residents, which is exacerbated during high demand and fire flow events.  This project will mitigate documented substandard water service and provide residents with a much-needed water system resiliency that does not currently exist. The City of Haines City anticipates submitting an application for the following improvements:  

Water Pressure Booster Station Resiliency Improvements Project:  Installation of a number of pressure reducing valves, vaults, and associated piping to establish a “high pressure zone” within the high elevation portions of the City’s water service area along the Lake Wales Ridge.  Potable water produced in the low-lying portion of the City (low-pressure zone) will be supplied to the high-pressure zone with a new water booster station to provide resilient service to all areas of the community. 

The City is currently not able to meet desired level of service and fire flow demands in the higher elevation portions of the City, including along the US 27 corridor where a number of critical facilities exist including the community Hospital.   Substandard conditions in the elevated regions have been documented during peak demand and fire flow events.   This project will mitigate documented low pressure and flow conditions that are periodically experienced and provide residents with much-needed level of service resiliency that meets regulatory expectations.  The City of Haines City anticipates submitting an application for the following improvements:

Any resident wishing to know more about the proposed project should contact Ms. Tracy Mercer, Special Projects Manager, City of Haines City, at (863) 421-9972, or via email to TMercer@hainescity.com  Information relating to the proposed project and application can be accessed on the City of Haines City website located at www.hainescity.com   Comments from the public must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 10, 2021.  All comments will be considered and proposed changes will be submitted to DEO.  Information relating to the proposed project and application is available for review between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday at the City of Haines City, City Hall located at 620 East Main Street, Haines City FL 33844.

Any non-English speaking person wishing to provide a response to this public notice should contact Tracy Mercer, Special Projects Manager, City of Haines City, at (863) 421-9972, or via email to tmercer@hainescity.com at least five calendar days prior to Friday, September 10, 2021 and a language interpreter will be provided.