The city is seeking to conduct an in-depth, community-centered planning and outreach project to understand, model, and develop mitigation options to address urban flooding in 2-3 neighborhoods…

The city is seeking to conduct an in-depth, community-centered planning and outreach project to understand, model, and develop mitigation options to address urban flooding in 2-3 neighborhoods designated as disadvantaged by snep. Through this project, the city will be able to move to the implementation of mitigation strategies as future funding is available to support the resilience of communities. The infrastructure investment and jobs act has created significant opportunities for municipalities to implement projects that will support climate resiliency, including FEMA's building resilient infrastructure and communities, DOT's promoting resilient operations for transformative, efficient, and cost-saving transportation program, and future EPA snep-soar opportunities. Additionally, the rhode island infrastructure bank's action grants offer climate resiliency projects.activities:the city will engage a contractor to 1) conduct an urban flooding mapping analysis of the disadvantaged communities most affected by recent flash flooding events, 2) collect and review recent studies on flooding and recommended mitigation strategies, including those on the woonasquatucket river watershed, west river, and pleasant valley parkway, 3) coordinate with community organizations to support a series of neighborhood meetings to understand the needs of residents in building a flood-resilient city, 4) present a coordinated, prioritized approach to urban flood mitigation. The project will be overseen by the city's sustainability office and supported by the providence emergency management agency (PEMA) and the department of public works. Community partners include the racial and environmental justice committee, nuevas voces, the providence resilience partnership, the woonasquatucket river watershed council, and the providence sustainability commission, all of whom will participate as key stakeholders and community engagement partners on the project.subrecipient:$12,500: woonasquatucket river watershed council $12,500: providence resilience partnership $7,500: nuevas voces $7,500: racial and environmental justice committee the city will provide subawards to four local nonprofit organizations - the woonasquatucket river watershed council, the providence resilience partnership, nuevas voces, and the racial and environmental justice committee. The subawardees will (1) participate in planning, marketing, and facilitating community engagement sessions as subject matter experts and trusted community-based organizations, (2) meet with the contracted technical consultant to share the elements from their current projects to inform the city's planning and mitigation strategies, (3) participate on the project steering committee which will meet regularly with both the technical consultant and community engagement consultant, and (4) facilitate compensation of snep-soar funds to community residents for their participation in public engagement events.outcomes:the city views success in this project as the completion and delivery of an urban flooding model and mitigation plan, inclusive of community input, before the end of the project period. As a planning and outreach project, increased public awareness and knowledge about urban flooding, robust stakeholder and community engagement and input, and adherence to budget and scope are key performance indicators that will lead to the successful completion of the project.