WAKULLA COUNTY (August 13, 2021) | Wakulla County anticipates applying for 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 to ensure that the state of Florida is more resilient to future natural disasters. This program is being administered by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) through the Community Development Block Grant – Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) Program. From its inception in April 2018, a total of $680,411,000 in funding has been allocated by HUD for the Community Development Block Grant – Mitigation Program.

Wakulla County has been designated as eligible to apply for this funding.  In accordance with guidance supplied by DEO, the public input requirements for this program include the option to post information about proposed funding projects on a public website as well as in a newspaper of general circulation with the provision of a 14-day public comment period.  A copy of this post and any public comments received will be provided to the DEO as part of the funding application submitted. The public comment period begins 8:00 AM EST Friday, August 13, 2021 and ends 5:00 PM EST Monday, August 26, 2021.

Wakulla County anticipates applying for grant funding for the following project under the Rebuild Florida General Infrastructure Program CDBG-MIT as detailed:

Project 1:  $6,317,136 – Emergency Operations Center. The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is currently located inside of the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Department. This location does not afford enough space to properly prepare the EOC teams for pre and post disaster preparation and staging. This project requests funds to construct a new EOC facility that will provide adequate space for pre and post disaster preparation and staging and also provide space to house the County’s dispatch center to efficiently serve the residents and businesses within Wakulla County. The new EOC building will be located in the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office Complex. This project has already been engineered and designed.

To comment on the Rebuild Florida General Infrastructure Program – CDBG-MIT project, please contact: Michelle Metcalf at mmetcalf@mywakulla.com or by U.S. mail to Wakulla County Board of County Commissioners, Attention: Michelle Metcalf, P.O. Box 1263, Crawfordville, FL 32326. All comments from the public must be received no later than 5:00pm Monday, August 26, 2021.  

All comments will be considered, and proposed changes will be submitted to DEO. Additional information relating to the proposed project and application is available for review by request via the contact information listed above.