Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Disaster Recovery topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Emergency management: Baker County fires program manager, sees some FEMA reimbursements but disputes remain on major projects
Summary
Emergency management told the commission it replaced its FEMA program manager amid repeated negotiation failures with FEMA's CRC and reported $2.5 million and $1.2 million in individual-assistance obligations for two storms, while disputes with FEMA persist on several public-work projects, notably a coastal boat ramp.
Baker County emergency management staff told the commission they have requested and secured replacement of a FEMA program manager assigned to the county's recovery projects after repeated problems negotiating project values with FEMA's Consolidated Recovery Center (CRC).
Dennis Bratcher and county staff described months of repeated questions, inconsistent CRC valuations, and slow progress on large mitigation and permanent-work projects. Bratcher said the county and the Florida Department of Emergency Management asked FEMA to reassign the PDMG; the county said the swap occurred quickly and that early signs show improved communications.
Reimbursements and obligations - Individual assistance: Bratcher reported FEMA individual-assistance payments of approximately $2.5 million for two county residents after Hurricane Helene and about $1.2 million for claims after Hurricane Debbie. He said grants ranged from roughly $7,800 to more than $510,000 per household where insurance left gaps. - Sheriff's Office reimbursement: The county reported FEMA obligations of roughly $31,000 to the sheriff's office for Helene-related overtime and roughly $18,000 for Debbie. - County reimbursement: The county said it had been notified of roughly $50,000 in obligated funds for county-level expenses for certain projects.
Specific project issues - Boat ramp (Shoals Park): County engineers submitted a project estimate of about $895,000 to FEMA; the CRC returned an obligation amount of about $252,000 (CRC value), leaving a large gap. County staff said they will push the CRC and expect values to shift after the PDMG change and after requesting engineering quotes rather than estimates. - Kirkland Branch / FHWA: One damaged culvert (Kirkland Branch) has been removed from FEMA consideration after federal-highway jurisdiction was identified; the county must work with FHWA/FDOT, and county staff said FDOT had not yet scheduled a follow-up inspection but had agreed to re-inspect. - Steelbridge Road: Multiple culverts and washouts complicate quantification; county said negotiations with CRC continue.
Process changes and next steps County staff said they will change from preliminary estimates to engineer-quoted RFPs for project costs and will press FEMA and the new PDMG to recognize the engineer recommendations. Staff plan to issue RFPs for several projects and expects clearer CRC valuations under the new program manager.
Why it matters: Several large public-works projects were down-valued by FEMA's CRC, leaving substantial funding gaps for repairs and mitigation. The county is pursuing formal negotiations and will shift to RFP-based cost documentation to strengthen claims. County commissioners were briefed for budget and policy implications.
No vote was taken on recovery items themselves at the meeting; commissioners were updated and staff were directed to continue negotiations and prepare RFPs where applicable.
