TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: A. Jerome Fletcher II, ICMA-CM, MPA, City Manager
TITLE: Authorize the Mayor to Sign a Letter Rescinding Grant ID: 3X067 Awarded to the City of North Port under the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Drone Replacement Program.
Recommended Action
Authorize the Mayor to sign a letter rescinding Grant ID: 3X067 awarded to the City of North Port under the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Drone Replacement Program.
Background Information
On March 7, 2024, the City of North Port was awarded financial assistance under the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Drone Replacement Program to replace its Chinese made drones with an American manufactured drone. After giving this project due diligence, the North Port Police Department has determined that circumstances beyond its control make it impossible to meet the terms of the grant. Therefore, the City of North Port is requesting that the award under the grant be rescinded.
The ability to carry out the conditions of the grant changed due to the following barriers:
1. The terms of the grant must be met by June 30, 2024. This is an unattainable deadline due to substantial manufacturing delays in obtaining a replacement drone.
2. The police department intended to purchase using a cooperative agreement; however, the agreements did not meet the grant terms and conditions. The alternative approach of requesting quotes ultimately proved too time consuming to meet the grant deadline.
Furthermore, the funds awarded under the grant are based on the current value of the drone being replaced, and includes depreciation caused by use and flight hours. The grant is currently being modified to allow an award for the full value of the drone being replaced based on its original purchase price, not depreciated value.
It is the intention of the City of North Port to reapply under the modified grant next year when the current issues with the terms and condition...
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