Grand Forks County-DCIP Application_23Aug2024.pdf

A. Cover Page

Project Name

County of Grand Forks Fire Station Project for Grand Forks Air Force Base 58204-1000

Proposed By

Grand Forks County

151 S 4th St, Grand Forks, ND 58201

Point of Contact

Thomas Ford

Thomas.ford@gfcounty.org

Unique Entity ID

ENQRDM3A5B17

Grant Number

OLDCC-24-F-0001

Type of Project

Enhances military value at a military installation.

Defense Related Critical Infrastructure

Yes, this proposal includes defense-related critical infrastructure. The installation command letter of support affirms the proposal is defense-related critical infrastructure.

Status of Non-Federal Cost Contributions

This proposal does not include a non-federal project cost contribution due to the rural location of the project.

B. Installation Need

This grant proposal requests funding in the amount of $11.6 million for the construction of a new fire station to be built on land under the jurisdiction of Grand Forks County’s Enhanced Use Lease (EUL) with the Department of the Air Force at Grand Forks Air Force Base (GFAFB). GFAFB and the EUL are currently served by a single fire station located on the far northern side of the installation. Due to its location, Fire and Emergency Services (FES) are unable to meet the Department of Defense’s (DoD) required seven-minute response time to a large portion of the installation and critical infrastructure on

GFAFB and the EUL. A second fire station on the EUL will improve installation resiliency, improve substandard response times to the EUL and southeast portions of GFAFB, protect military value that would degrade in the absence of this project, and qualifies as defense-critical infrastructure.

GFAFB is home to the 319th Reconnaissance Wing and 2,200 total force Airmen and mission partners, such as the Space Development Agency. GFAFB operates multiple 24/7 missions to provide integral

Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) information and support military operations worldwide. This includes the 319th’s RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 40 high altitude ISR mission. The 319th also oversees a geographically separated unit operating the E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communication

Node, a communications relay and gateway system providing military commanders with a versatile means of exchanging information between air, ground, and maritime sources. GFAFB is one of only two locations operating the High Frequency Global Communications System which transmits and monitors signals and Emergency Action Messages globally for senior leader communications up to the President of the United States, and all DoD agencies. Adequate fire response is critical to ensuring GFAFB’s personnel and missions are protected.

FES are unable to meet DoD’s seven-minute response times to the EUL and southeast portions of

GFAFB, including munitions storage facilities, the main gate, and the southeast portion of on-base housing. Billions of dollars of DoD assets are located on the EUL, including a fleet of 24 Global Hawk aircraft. These response time deficiencies were identified in an addendum to Grand Forks County’s

Military Installation Resilience (MIR) study funded by OLDCC. The original study was finalized in June

2022 and the addendum, “On-Base Emergency Response Capabilities,” was completed in Spring 2024 after GFAFB leadership cited fire response times as a top-priority threat, thus leading to an addendum to the original document.

This project would eliminate response time deficiencies and provide room for an additional eight GFAFB

Fire Department staff members. GFAFB and the 319th Civil Engineer Squadron is currently funded for fifty-one (51) firefighter positions. Based upon guidelines within Air Force Manpower standard 44F1 Fire

Emergency Flight, this staffing is insufficient to meet the current mission at GFAFB. To confirm the exact staffing needed, Air Force Manpower is working on an analysis, looking at both current and future mission needs. GFAFB leadership projects that staffing will grow by an additional eight (8) to fourteen

(14) positions, but final validation is not yet complete. Therefore, this additional fire station and its corresponding increase in staff would alleviate response time deficiencies, allow GFAFB to meet its statutory requirements, and greatly improve military value by eliminating a resiliency weak point.

This project will enhance all four military value criteria as provided in section 3002 of the Military

Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002, and as published in 69 Federal Register 6948

(February 12, 2004).

1. This project will ensure adequate fire response times to areas of the base that are integral to current and future mission capabilities and operational readiness for joint warfighting, training, and readiness such as the munitions storage facility. In the case of a fire, inadequate response times could lead to the destruction of munitions used for training and warfighting, thus incapacitating GFAFB and its

Airmen for an uncertain, but certainly crucial, amount of time. Also integral to mission capabilities and readiness is on-base housing; safety and security for Airmen and their families is integral to the ability of Airmen and missions to succeed. GFAFB runs 24/7 ISR missions around the world that must never be interrupted, and Airmen must be able to trust fire response to protect their families while they’re conducting their missions.

2. This project would enhance the availability and condition of land, facilities, and associated airspace by enhancing fire response capabilities and thus increasing the amount of runway and taxiway traffic allowable. A single point of failure currently exists for air operations, takeoffs, and landings should the current lone fire station be deemed unusable through unforeseen circumstances or if a large fire response is needed within base housing, leaving no staff or trucks on standby for air operations. A second facility would enhance availability for operations.

3. This project would enhance GFAFB’s ability to accommodate contingency, mobilization, and future total force requirements at both existing and potential receiving locations to support operations and training as GFAFB is currently limited by fire response for aircraft landings. Daily, the GFAFB Fire

Chief reports on their current firefighting capabilities. This level of service (LOS) is a summary measurement of three inter-related drivers: 1) Numbers of available vehicles and equipment; 2)

Numbers of available trained personnel; and 3) Amount of available water and agent. The more assets made available provides greater opportunity to remain at the highest level of readiness for an aircraft or non-aircraft fire and / or emergency event - Fire and Emergency Response Capability (ERC). With the funding and construction of this new station, Grand Forks County will be able to greatly enhance the GFAFB Wing Commander’s capabilities by providing a significant growth in their margin of safety to keep the ERC at the highest level possible. In addition to mitigating the two known fire protection deficiencies (inadequate response times and insufficient personnel), it will also increase the presence of equipment and agents to provide a larger vehicle response set. A second fire station on

EUL land would also ensure that should the Department of the Air Force need to invoke Site

Development Lease section 13 titled “Lessee’s Obligations upon Lease Expiration or Termination” clause, which allows the land to be repossessed by the Air Force in the face of threats to national and international security, those operations would have sufficient fire response that meets DoD time standards cannot currently be meet. Therefore, GFAFB’s current ability to accommodate contingency, mobilization, and future total force needs will remain hindered without this project.

4. This project will be the responsibility of Grand Forks County to maintain once complete and all outfitting of the building and equipment costs will be the responsibility of Grand Forks County, thus eliminating those costs to the installation if they were to build a second fire station within their jurisdiction. Manpower and operations will be governed through a Memorandum of Understanding agreement that meets the requirements and needs of both the installation and the EUL in a manner that is satisfactory to both parties and that ensures the installation will not bear the full cost of the fire station.

As can be seen above, and as is confirmed in the installation commander’s letter of support, this project is defense critical infrastructure as it directly supports the installation’s missions and readiness. The discussed fire department deficiencies, including the location of the station and the inability to meet the

DoD mandated 7-minute response time, leaves critical infrastructure such as housing, the main gate, the commercial gate, DoD Global Hawk RQ-4 Range Hawk platforms, munitions storage, and disaster resilience infrastructure vulnerable.

The additional fire station will ensure the base’s ability to respond adequately and swiftly to emergencies, protect valuable DoD assets, maintain missions, and most importantly, protect the well-being of base personnel. GFAFB is home to defense critical missions and the defense critical infrastructure that supports them. A second fire station would both protect existing critical infrastructure and allow for increased mission critical infrastructure on GFAFB in the future.

Beneficiaries:

Grand Forks Air Force Base and Partners

Sufficient fire response to housing (owned and managed by Balfour Beatty), the munitions storage area, disaster resilience program, security forces, Twining Elementary school (operated and owned by Grand

Forks Public Schools), and other southern areas of the base will benefit from a new fire station and improved response time. Most importantly, the main gate and commercial gate fall outside of sufficient response and were there a fire emergency, damage or elimination to this main access point would impact every single individual on or visiting the installation. The United States Space Force and its Space

Development Agency are housed on GFAFB and could also benefit from a second fire station and increased fire protection.

Grand Forks Air Force Base Service Members and Families

100% of GFAFB service members and families can be deemed likely beneficiaries of this project.

Sufficient fire response to housing, Twining Elementary, Family Readiness Center, Child Development

Center, and other quality of life infrastructure impacts a majority of the installation’s population. More broadly, both the main gate and the commercial gate fall outside of sufficient response times. The main gate and commercial gate are the only entrances onto GFAFB. If there were a fire emergency, damage or elimination to one or both of these entrances would impact every individual on or visiting the installation and disrupt the ability of mission critical contractors, large equipment, and shipments to enter or leave the base as needed. Were only the main gate closed due to damage, elimination, or repairs, the commercial gate would be utilized as the main point of access, and vice versa. Such a shift would also disrupt daily life and military missions.

Grand Forks County’s EUL

The County’s current fire response services are not adequate to serve existing infrastructure on the EUL.

Currently, the City of Grand Forks provides fire response to the EUL. Grand Forks Fire Department’s

(GFFD) response time is 20 minutes, which does not meet minimum response times required within government and program contracts. Other options include partnering with one of three rural communities’ volunteer departments, all of which have longer response times than GFFD. The County has $2.5 million in security and secured access assets on the EUL. A new fire station will provide enhanced response times and better protect those assets.

GrandSKY Companies and Partners

The County’s EUL is commercially known as GrandSKY. GrandSKY, was subleased from the County to

GrandSKY Development Company, LLC, for unmanned aircraft system development, training, and testing. Fire response services to GrandSKY companies and partner organizations are provided by Grand

Forks Fire Department in the County’s largest city, Grand Forks. The station is located 20 miles west of

GFAFB. The current fire response service is not adequate to serve infrastructure and companies located on GrandSKY. Over 230 employees work on GrandSKY daily with an additional 600 new employees expected over the next three years. There are over $200 million in facilities, hangars, operations centers, and offices, and over $2 billion in DoD aircraft. North Dakota Senior Senator John Hoeven recently announced that GrandSKY will become the home of Test Resource Management Center’s SkyRange program. The SkyRange program will develop and execute hypersonic weapons testing to include integration of advanced sensors and capabilities and provide flight operations and maintenance for $2 billon in DoD aircraft. This new program will add up to 400,000 square feet of new office space at

GrandSKY, as well as hangars, operations centers, and other infrastructure valued at $500 million.

Companies, programs, and partners that will benefit from the proposed fire station include Northrop

Grumman, General Atomics, Northern Plains UAS Test Site, State of North Dakota’s VANTIS

BVLOS system, Office of the Undersecretary of Defense (A&S) Project ULTRA, Customs and

Border Protection, North Dakota Air National Guard’s MQ-9 Launch and Recovery, and

SkyRange.

Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Measures

The project is being designed to meet Air Force environmental standards and efforts are being undertaken to reduce carbon emissions. The project will reduce energy intensity per square meter by using unique insulating assemblies found in the International Energy Code and the full incorporation of smart energy management systems. In addition, the design will also be following the current Administration’s “Buy

Clean” policy and specifies new Low Carbon Emissions Concrete.

After many months of analysis and fire response test runs, the location for the EUL fire station was jointly selected between GFAFB and GrandSKY so that no portions of the Base or the EUL were not properly protected, thereby eliminating the response deficiencies. This site was also selected using the guidelines outlined in the 2014 Environmental Assessment, ensuring that there were no environmental conflicts.

This sited location is identified as “Second Station”.

C. Letter of Support

The letter of support from GFAFB Commander Colonel Timothy Monroe is found on the next page.

DDEPARTMENTT OFF THEE AIRR FORCE

HHEADQUARTERSS 319THH AIRR BASEE WINGG (ACC))

GRANDD FORKSS AIRR FORCEE BASE,, NORTHH DAKOTAA

Mr. Patrick O’Brien Director, Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation 2331 Crystal Drive, Suite 520 Arlington, VA 22202-3722

Dear Mr. O’Brien

Please accept this letter expressing my strong support for the proposed fire station project planned by Grand Forks County North Dakota within the Enhance Use Lease (EUL) property on Grand Forks Air Force Base (GFAFB) under consideration for a grant by the Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP). This critical infrastructure initiative and the subsequent community partnership for its operation is expected to substantially reduce firefighting response times on GFAFB, protect mission critical Department of Defense (DoD) assets and improve the safety and well-being of our military personnel, their families, and the surrounding community.

The existing Grand Forks Air Force Base fire department has several deficiencies. The location of the station prevents first responders from meeting DoD and Air Force mandated 7-minute response times to southern portions of the installation which includes 78 homes and the main gate/visitor’s center. Additionally, a peer assessment from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International validated that the Fire Emergency Services at GFAFB has insufficient manning to form an effective response force during an emergency event and cannot respond within DoD and Air Force standards.

Within the Enhanced Use Lease (EUL) on GFAFB, Grand Sky is supporting DoD efforts through Test Resource Management Center’s Skyrange program. Grand Sky lacks firefighting capability and often relies on mutual aid from GFAFB during emergencies. However, as previously highlighted, GFAFB Fire and Emergency Services lacks sufficient manning to support them per DoD and Air Force standards. Response times to this portion of the airfield (in the Grand Sky EUL) are also not within DoD required standards.

Without this proposed project, GFAFB will have to wait for Air Force military construction (MILCON) funding to support a Satellite Fire Station on non-leased property. The planned Satellite Fire Station is not expected to receive funding until 2035, at the earliest, based on current funding outlook and competing projects across the Air Force. If funded, the satellite station would be constructed on the east side of the runway, which would be less effective in responding to DoD missions on Grand Sky or providing other support to Grand Sky under the mutual aid agreement. Even though a satellite fire station appears to rank low comparative to other projects around the Air Force, investing in additional firefighting capabilities is a high priority for me as we look to protecting future missions and safety of our military personnel and their families.

6/10/24

A fire station in Grand Sky Business and Aviation Park would benefit both GFAFB and our partners in the Grand Sky EUL. It would mitigate the fire protection risks in the southern portions of the installation while providing responsive Fire and Emergency Services for Grand Sky, protecting over 4 billion dollars in combined assets.

Project Overview: The proposed fire station will address several key mission needs for GFAFB:

A. Emergency Response: GFAFB has a singular fire station. Its current location does not allow Fire and Emergency Services to meet the 7-minute DoD Response Times (DoDI 6055.06) to portions of the base and base housing. The location of this proposed fire station will allow easy access to the base and eliminate this response deficiency.

B. Personnel: Guidelines within Air Force Manpower standard 44F1 Fire Emergency Flight, and Air Force Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Response Guide AFCEC 403-18, glaringly points out that GFAFB fire department has insufficient staffing. In addition, a peer assessment team from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International further validated that this insufficient staffing prevents GFAFB from forming an effective response force during an emergency. With proper agreements in place, this station and its additional firefighters would help offset response risks at GFAFB and bring us up to full effectiveness.

C. Air Force Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Vehicle Sets: At its singular station, GFAFB is equipped with a fire vehicle set 1. Each vehicle set is designed to provide a surplus amount of agent for each specific aircraft requirement IAW NFPA 403 Q factors; additional agent takes into accounts unique hazards associated with military airframes. With the addition of a P-19 and P-24 vehicle at this station, we would be greatly enhanced to a response capability as a set 2, providing a mission enhancing superior emergency response capability.

Defense Critical Infrastructure: The fire station project qualifies as defense-related critical infrastructure and directly supports the base’s mission and readiness. It will significantly enhance our ability to adequately respond swiftly to emergencies, protect valuable DoD assets, and ensure the well-being of our military community.

Environmental Considerations: With our Grand Forks County partners, we are committed to complying with all federal, state, and local regulations. Therefore, we are working towards completion of a new environmental assessment for development at Grand Sky Business Park that will complement the one completed in 2014. We anticipate the new assessment will continue to support the planned project. GFAFB personnel has a strong history of working with Grand Forks County and its subcontractors to complete projects within the EUL and will be dedicated to working with OLDCC and Grand Forks County throughout the project to ensure compliance.

Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction: My 319th Civil Engineering Squadron leaders have been working extensively with the Grand Forks County design team to create a fire station that not only meets Air Force standards but is also fully committed to reducing carbon emissions.

Some of the carbon reduction opportunities include reducing energy intensity per square meter by using unique insulating assemblies found in the International Energy Code and incorporating smart energy management systems. In addition, the design will also follow the current Administration’s “Buy Clean” policy and new Low Carbon Emissions Concrete.

Community Impact: The fire station will not only benefit GFAFB, but also strengthen our partnership with the local community. It will significantly enhance emergency services, improve response times, and contribute to the overall resilience of the region.

In closing, I urge your favorable consideration of this grant application. The fire station project aligns with DCIP’s mission to enhance community infrastructure and support military installations. We are committed to ensuring the success of this project and stand ready to collaborate with your office.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please feel free to contact me if you need any additional information or clarification.

Sincerely, TIMOTHY A. MONROE, Colonel, USAF Commander

MONROE.TIMOT

HY.A.113482698

Digitally signed by

MONROE.TIMOTHY.A.113482

Date: 2024.06.10 12:48:24 -05'00'

D. Project Description

In 2011, GFAFB opened its new fire station, consolidating operations and equipment from two smaller stations. The station is located just east of the flight line, and north of the majority of developed areas of the installation.

One consequence of consolidating the previous fire stations into today’s single station is that response times to some portions of the installation, particularly housing areas to the southeast, have increased. Response times are reported to exceed the Department of Defense’s

(DoD) standard of seven minutes. The GFAFB

Fire Department also has difficulty in responding to the EUL site, where more than $2 billion in

DoD assets (Global Hawk aircraft) are currently stored.

To correct substandard response times, GFAFB has developed a Military Construction

(MILCON) request to build a satellite fire station. The MILCON request indicates the satellite fire station will be approximately 11,200 square feet, with an estimated cost of $12.5 million. While the MILCON request does not have a specific timeline, GFAFB personnel indicate the project is unlikely to be funded in the next decade.

To provide enhanced fire protection and reduced response times, Grand Forks County proposes to develop a secondary fire station on the EUL property which can provide protection for the $2 billion in DoD assets stored within the EUL’s fence line while also providing improved response times to the southern half of GFAFB.

Grand Forks County worked cooperatively with the GFAFB Fire Department and Base Civil Engineering to design the proposed station to meet or exceed Air Force requirements. The station includes two drive-through equipment bays capable of supporting up to four apparatus. The station is also designed to support sleeping quarters for up to seven personnel in addition to the Station’s Chief’s office and living quarters. Among the other spaces included in the design are dayroom spaces for kitchen, dining and living areas, as well as a fitness room, recreation room, bathrooms, and laundry area. Operational areas include a protective clothing laundry, infectious control area, equipment wash/disinfectant area, conference room/training area, and storage area for personal protective equipment (PPE).

The project is “shovel ready.” Grand Forks County has an agreement with the EUL developer, GrandSKY, for a site for construction of the proposed fire station. GrandSKY has completed necessary National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) permitting and worked closely with GFAFB in this process. All that remains to initiate construction is to obtain a building permit from Grand Forks County, the sponsor of this DCIP proposal.

Grand Forks County requests funding through the Defense Community Infrastructure Program in the amount of $11.6 million to support the development of this critically important fire station to enhance emergency response times, support mission needs, and enhance aircraft firefighting and rescue sets. As indicated in the letter of support from the Installation Commander, several key mission needs for GFAFB would be met, including:

1. Emergency Response: GFAFB has a singular fire station. Its current location does not allow Fire and

Emergency Services to meet the seven-minute DoD Response Times (DoDI 6055.06) to portions of the base and base housing. The location of this secondary fire station will allow easy access to the base and the elimination of this response deficiency.

2. Personnel: Guidelines within

Air Force Manpower standard

44F1 Fire Emergency Flight, and

Air Force Aircraft Rescue and

Fire Fighting Response Guide

AFCEC 403-18, glaringly point out that GFAFB Fire Department has insufficient staffing. In addition, a peer assessment team from the Commission on Fire

Accreditation International further validated that this insufficient staffing prevents

GFAFB from forming an effective response force during an emergency. This station and its additional firefighters would bring GFAFB up to full effectiveness.

3. Air Force Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Vehicle Sets:

At its singular station, GFAFB is equipped with a fire vehicle set

1. Each vehicle set is designed to provide a surplus amount of agent for each specific aircraft requirement IAW NFPA 403 Q factors; additional agent takes into accounts unique hazards associated with military airframes. With the addition of a P-19 and P-24 vehicle at this new station, fire protection would be greatly enhanced to a response capability as a set 2, providing a mission enhancing superior emergency response capability.

4. Environmental Considerations: For this project, our team is committed to complying with all federal, state, and local regulations. Therefore, GFAFB and GrandSKY have completed all the required environmental assessment work for this project and there are no identified adverse impacts to environments, or additional environmental analysis required.

E. Project Engineering Information

In partnership with GFAFB, the concept of constructing a joint fire station has been in the works since

2014. The project gained traction in 2018 when we entered into an active partnership enterprise and evaluated how to create a joint solution that would address a multitude of GFAFB fire and emergency

(FES) deficiencies, as well as satisfy a significant number of Grand Forks County FES needs.

Many proposals were considered by the team as the selection of the site was determined, staffing and equipment problems solved, and potential funding streams sought. In 2023 GrandSKY commissioned a concept design for this new station using Air Force design and construction standards. Upon receiving the initial design, the County and GFAFB then began to actively seek a DCIP grant as this qualified project would eliminate deficiencies in community infrastructure and support a military installation - GFAFB.

The proposed project site for the new fire station is adjacent to an existing 26-acre concrete parking apron as shown in the bottom left-hand corner of the aerial site map in Section D. In the last six years, six hangars and four office buildings supporting the hangars have been constructed along this apron. The

EUL area’s utility systems have been designed and installed to support over 1.2 million square feet of development. Having built approximately 200,000 square feet of facilities to date, the addition of a

12,000 square foot fire station is easily supported by the existing site infrastructure, including roads and utilities. This infrastructure is near the proposed fire station and the cost of connecting to these utilities is provided below in section H. There are numerous Design and Construction professionals within a 60-mile radius of the proposed site. Geotechnical information has been gathered around the 26-acre apron and is available to support the foundation design, infrastructure systems and capacity are available to support the proposed fire station, and numerous other facilities have been built in the adjacent area leading to the conclusion that the construction of the proposed fire station is technically feasible.

As thoroughly outlined in this document, all environmental reviews are complete, and construction permitting will begin once the project is approved for funding through this OLDCC program, thereby providing the final portion of support necessary to enable the construction of a mission-vital public resource to both the County of Grand Forks and GFAFB.

F. Project Parties

Grand Forks County and its developer, GrandSKY Development Company, are the parties involved in the project. The proposed project site is on land that is leased from the Department of the Air Force to Grand

Forks County and subleased to GrandSKY Development Company.

G. Funding Sources

The construction of this project would be fully funded through the grant program as the fire station would be located in a rural area. Grand Forks County, where GFAFB is located, has a population of 73,170 as of the 2020 census. Therefore, the County is not required to provide a non-Federal match for the fire station on GFAFB’s EUL.

All soft costs will be paid for by Grand Forks County through Enhanced Use Lease Development Grant dollars awarded by the State of North Dakota through the North Dakota Department of Commerce. The

County was awarded $10,000,000 during North Dakota’s 2023-2025 legislative session for construction of infrastructure necessary to further development of the EUL. To date, the dollars have been utilized to meet tenant needs and baseline infrastructure such as natural gas, electric, sewer, water, and roads. Given

GFAFB’s and the Enhanced Use Lease’s pressing need for a fire station, all remaining dollars would be re-prioritized for the soft costs of this project if awarded. The County owns one pumper fire truck and one aircraft rescue and firefighting truck that will be housed in the proposed fire station and used to respond to the EUL and GFAFB.

Any cost overruns will be the obligation of the County. The County is an Aa1 rated municipal corporation, certified by Moody’s Investor Service. The County has the capacity to perform completely its obligations under any contract with the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation and has the ability to secure surety bonds prior to the commencement of construction activity.

The proposed project does not supplant any other available federal funds and its location provides unique and complex funding challenges due as it is situated on DoD federal land. Because of this, there is no taxing mechanism for the County to fund infrastructure and services. Additionally, the proposed project location limits qualifying federal funding programs. GFAFB applied for MILCON funding to establish a satellite fire station on the installation, but the earliest expected funding is not available until 2035.

Additionally, such a satellite station would not solve the EUL’s FES needs.

This project is not eligible for funding for federal programs such as Defense Access Roads, Rebuilding

American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity, or the Economic Development Administration’s

Public Works program or Economic Adjustment Assistance program. This project is not developing roads, rebuilding infrastructure, or providing economic development in the face of adverse economic changes as the aforementioned programs require.

H. Project Budget

The table below provides a breakdown of the project budget by major categories. The independent cost estimate is provided by North Sky Construction in Attachment E and is consistent with the construction budget developed by GrandSKY and Grand Forks County. No costs shown in the project budget below have been incurred or will be expended prior to receiving the OLDCC-23-F-0001 grant.

Administration 201,605

Inspection 504,500

Construction 10,442,280

Utilities 150,000

Contingency 260,000

Total Construction Cost 11,558,385

CONSTRUCTION COSTS BY MAJOR CATEGORY

I. Project Development Schedule

The table below presents the project schedule. Environmental permits, authorizations, and approvals will be complete within 120 days of award. Construction can commence within twelve months of the grant agreement execution. Grant funds will be spent expeditiously once the project begins. Construction is estimated to be completed within two years, well within the five-year time frame stipulated.

Anticipated Project Schedule

J. Environmental Compliance

Pursuant to provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 42 United States Code 4321 to

4270d, the implementing Council on Environmental Quality Regulations, 40 Code of Federal Regulations

(CFR) 1500-1508, and 32 CFR Part 989, Environmental Impact Analysis Process, from 2012 to 2014 the

United States Air Force assessed the potential environmental consequences of activities associated with the development of the area on and around where the fire station is to be built.

After the two-year Environmental Assessment (EA) of the area was completed, on 06 June 2014 the Air

Mobility Command Director of Installations and Mission Support signed a Finding of No Significant

Impact (FONSI). The EA evaluated the potential impacts on air quality, water resources, biological resources, cultural resources, hazardous materials and wastes, geology and soils, land use, noise, transportation, utilities, socioeconomics, environmental justice, and occupational health and safety. The

EA can be accessed from the Defense Technical Information Center, Accession Number ADA610524.

Since the 2014 Environmental Assessment (EA) was completed and a Finding of No Significance determined, GrandSKY has developed approximately 200,000 square feet of new facilities on the 217-acre parcel following the directions set forth in the document. The land use studied and validated in this

EA proposed 1.2 million square feet of building development, and with the construction of our approximately 12,000 square foot fire station, we are still well below the EA’s threshold limits.

Therefore, following the guidance of 24 CFR 58.47, our 2014 EA is still valid, and no re-evaluation of environmental assessments is required for this project. Environmental professional and NEPA Program

Manager Ms. Paige Rhodes, AICP was the lead for this EA.

Therefore, the environmental analysis to date has concluded that all NEPA requirements have been met and no further analysis required. Local development plan, building, grading, and storm water permits will be obtained for the project when DCIP funds this grant, and construction begins. The completed “National

Environmental Policy Act Environmental Checklist for DoD OLDCC Construction Grant Applications” is below. A spreadsheet that contains responses to all the questions from the “National Environmental Policy

Act Guidance for Grant Proposals and Applications” is available upon request.

Start Date Completion Date

Anticipated Obligation of Funds Sep-24

NEPA Jul-12 Jun-14

Site Control Feb-15

Final Permitting and Compliance Sep-24 Dec-24

Design Feb-24 Nov-24

Construction Bidding & Contracting Jan-25 Feb-25

Construction Apr-25 Mar-26

K. Planning and Permitting Approvals

Within the 217-acre parcel of land that Grand Forks County secured with the United States Air Force via an EUL in 2015 is where this fire station will be built. Upon final signature of this EUL in 2015, Grand

Forks County began the execution of an orderly and efficient development plan for the parcel, providing right of entry, environmental characterization & compliance, and land use zoning for a business park

(GrandSKY Park) that would accommodate existing and future demand for aviation mixed-use, light industrial, administrative, and commercial facilities.

At the planned full build-out of GrandSKY there will be increased pavements, increased paved taxiway and aprons, and new commercial buildings. Therefore, as growth continues, exact future tenant requirements are unknown, and zoning and development planning will be continually administered by

Grand Forks County via a functional land use category approach.

For this fire station, as well as any project planned for GrandSKY, Grand Forks County works with each project owner through typical design phases consisting of predesign, schematic design, design development, construction documents, environmental and construction permitting. The County ensures each project complies with applicable North Dakota State building codes adopted by Grand Forks County

Planning and Zoning. All development contractor(s) are required to schedule and submit for required inspections and approval procedures for construction materials and design requirements, including engineering design submittals. The County does not foresee any long lead-time permits.

As thoroughly outlined in this Section J, all environmental reviews are complete, and construction permitting will begin once the project is issued funding through this OLDCC program and will be attainable within 12 months of grant award.

L. Grants Management

The County has extensive experience managing federal grants and maintains adopted procedures for grant management, including standard operation procedures that incorporate oversight and audit functions. The

County Commission unanimously approved the County Administrator to apply for this funding opportunity.

The designated point of contact for this grant is Mr. Thomas Ford, Grand Forks County Administrator.

Mr. Ford has many years of experience administering numerous federal grants, state grants, and federal contracts, and is versed in all elements of the grant administration process, including generation monthly completion reports, invoices, and post-project audits. Awarded and successfully completed grants include:

• Department of Defense, Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation Military Installation

Resilience Program (MIR1296-21-01): $250,000 for the County’s mission resiliency study for

GFAFB

• North Dakota Department of Commerce Grand Forks Enhanced Use Lease Development Grant (21-

23.036): $7,000,000 for infrastructure support of GrandSKY Testing and Training Center

• North Dakota Department of Commerce Grand Forks Enhanced Use Lease Development Grant

(#4007): $10,000,000 for infrastructure support of GrandSKY Testing and Training Center

• North Dakota Department of Commerce Grand Forks Enhanced Use Lease Development Grant (19-

21.006): $3,000,000 for infrastructure support of GrandSKY Testing and Training Center

• US Treasury Department Coronavirus State and Local Recovery Fund: $13,490,043

• North Dakota Department of Commerce Grand Forks AFB Retention Grant (1411): $500,000 for base retention and promotion

• North Dakota Department of Commerce Grand Forks AFB Retention Grant (1603): $500,000 for base retention and promotion

• U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMD-2023-

EP-00001): $125,350 (50:50 federal/state match) to sustain and enhance all-hazards emergency management capabilities of the county to coordinate natural and manmade hazards as well as technological events that threaten the security of the homeland and safety and well-being of its citizens.

M. Submitting Official

County Administrator Thomas Ford has been given authority by the Grand Forks County Commission after a unanimous vote to submit this grant proposal on behalf of the county for a fire station on the

County’s EUL.

Section N: Attachments

In compliance with the overall application page limit, please refer to the following attachments referred to and in support of this proposal.

• Attachment 2: Unsigned Standard Form 424

• Attachment 3: Third Party Cost Estimate

• Attachment 4: Senator Hoeven Letter of Support

• Attachment 5: Senator Cramer Letter of Support

• Attachment 6: County Commission Chair Engen Letter of Support