The Government of Puerto Rico is taking advantage of the opportunity to build back stronger and more resilient in the wake of Hurricane Maria’s devastating impact. Less than one year after Hurricane Maria made landfall in September 2017, the Government of Puerto Rico published this economic and disaster recovery plan to provide a framework for… Read more
A group of 10 International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and IBTS volunteers conducted service and governance assessments of Puerto Rico’s 78 municipalities after Hurricane Maria. The assessment results were performed as part of the Puerto Rico Municipal Assessment Project and were published in RAND Corporation’s report, “Transformation and Innovation in the Wake of Devastation: An Economic and… Read more
FEMA’s independent study training courses offerings are one of the most important disaster preparation educational tools for government officials, staff, and other professionals engaged in FEMA efforts during disasters. Below, IBTS provides links to FEMA’s course offerings, organized by disaster phase. Click on the disaster phase to see the listing of course options specific to… Read more
Cities and counties can incur millions of dollars in disaster response and recovery costs. Although most of these costs are eligible for FEMA reimbursement, if cost and time expenditures aren’t properly recorded localities may be denied assistance or forced to return money years after the disaster hits. Some municipalities have an appointed disaster financial manager,… Read more
This resource is the official website for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Environment and Energy. The Office of Environment and Energy (OEE) manages the environmental review process for HUD. HUD Environmental Review
This form is to be used by responsible entities and recipients when requesting the release of funds, and requesting the authority to use such funds, for U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs identified by statutes that provide for the assumption of the environmental review responsibility by units of general local government and state.… Read more
Environmental Review Partners (including applicants, consultants, contractors, nonprofits, and public housing authorities who assist with the environmental review process but may not legally take responsibility for completing an environmental review) may use the Partner Worksheets below to submit information on a project’s compliance with federal environmental laws and authorities. These worksheets, along with all supporting… Read more
Before work begins on a post-disaster recovery project funded by the program, grantees must perform an environmental review to evaluate the impact of the project on the environment, and vice versa. The review, which must be in accordance with requirements, provides documentation to prove that no harm is done to either the environment or the… Read more
State, local and tribal recipients of assistance assume environmental responsibility over projects, which means they are required to perform an environmental review that meets requirements on any CDBG-DR funded project before work can begin. This document provides the step-by-step instructions for conducting an environmental review on a particular project or activity, in addition to guidance… Read more
Successful program management requires adequate recordkeeping systems that allow subrecipients and grantees to track their performance against contract goals. This chapter of ‘s Playing by the Rules: A Handbook for CDBG Subrecipients on Administrative Systems, provides an overview of the minimum standards required for documentation and also provides a checklist of key administrative, financial and project records.… Read more
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