City to help hospital with FEMA grant

City officials agreed to lend a hand to Mission Hospital’s quest for grants to help pay for seismic upgrades to the Laguna Beach campus.

The City Council voted unanimously at the July 21 meeting to sponsor the hospital’s application to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for funding for two projects that would bring existing buildings on the campus into compliance with the state mandated seismic requirements.

“It is too early to say even if they get the grant how much seismic retrofitting could be completed by the grant, plus whatever the hospital is required to contribute,” said Assistant City Manager John Pietig, who serves on the council’s hospital committee.

“But, it’s a wonderful first step and it is positive that the Mission is doing this so soon after assuming ownership of South Coast Medical Center. One of the city’s biggest concerns has been about compliance with the seismic improvements required by the state.”

The grant is proposed to fund the structural retrofitting of the Radiographic South Building at a cost of $1.9 million and the anchorage and bracing of piping systems above the ceilings in critical care areas, at an estimated cost of $3.3 million.

About 6% of the hospital’s acute care building would meet the state requirements at completion of the two projects, according to a letter written to the city by Steve Gilbert, vice president of construction for St. Joseph Health System, parent of Mission Hospital. Gilbert advised the city that HAZUS reclassification has been submitted to the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development for the rest of the acute care space on the Laguna campus.

HAZUS is the FEMA methodology for estimating potential losses from disasters.

Compliance with the seismic mitigation of life-safety hazards mandated by state Senate Bill 1953 must be implemented in order for the hospital to stay in business, according the letter dated July 9.

The letter stated that the sponsorship of the city would allow Mission Hospital to participate in the FEMA Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program.

To participate in the program a nonprofit applicant must be sponsored by an agency that has an approved FEMA-Hazard Mitigation Plan. The city qualifies because it participated in the development of Orange County Regional Water and Wastewater Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan.

The City Council approved the plan serving as the Laguna Beach County Water District Board of Directors. The city also contracts for water and sewage services in South Laguna with South Coast Water District, which also has an approved plan.

“The plan is how we respond to emergencies like earthquakes,” said Renae Hinchy, general manager of the Laguna Beach district. “It tells us how to proceed step by step and who to call.

“We have that in place so the city asked us to also sponsor the hospital’s application.”

The district approved a resolution in support of the application at its July 21 meeting, which preceded the council meeting, where the city resolution was approved.

“We certainly appreciate and are pleased with the city’s support, “ Mission spokeswoman Kelsey Martinez said.