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Baker County officials report FEMA project progress and dozens of residents still displaced after Hurricane Helene
Summary
Staff and consultants updated commissioners on FEMA-funded projects, noted one project moved to FHWA jurisdiction, said a Category B project was obligated for roughly $67,000, and reported 38 county residents remained displaced following Hurricane Helene.
County staff and consultants briefed the Baker County Board of County Commissioners on March 4 about the status of FEMA-funded recovery projects and on ongoing housing needs for residents displaced by Hurricane Helene.
Dennis (identified as a county emergency official) said some project work has advanced and that professional firms Thomas Hall Ferguson and North Florida Professional Services (NFPS) are on board to prepare scopes of work. He told the board one project — a box culvert on County Road 125 at Kirkland Branch — was found to be within the Federal Highway Administration—s jurisdiction and therefore not eligible for FEMA reimbursement; the county has begun coordinating with Florida DOT and FHWA to shift that project into FDOT oversight.
Dennis and a representative from the consulting team said NFPS—s task orders would be used to expedite multiple scopes of work; NFPS—s fee estimate mentioned a 12.5 percent rate in some reimbursement estimates and would be applied consistently across scopes, pending board approval of task orders.
Project and funding updates given to the board included:
- A Category B emergency preparedness project (project number 801416) was reported as obligated; the total project was about $67,000 before matching, with the county—s expected net receipt described as roughly $58,500 plus approximately $8,400 from the state (a 12.5% state share cited in the briefing). - Shoals Park project had been moved through FEMA review but remained subject to mitigation review and possible reclassification as an alternate project. - Two projects had RFIs (requests for information) pending; staff said the county must answer FEMA questions quickly to avoid delay.
Dennis also told the board that 38 residents remained unable to return home after Helene; some are staying in local hotels, others out of county. The county has executed an information-sharing agreement with FEMA to obtain household-level details, and Dennis said the county was working with United Way, United Methodist Church volunteers and Meridian Healthcare to identify and meet needs for displaced families.
Meridian Healthcare representatives Marcus Reeves and Roger Lankford spoke during public comment and described a FEMA-funded mental-health crisis counseling and disaster recovery program. Reeves described services (mental health first aid, resource navigation) and offered the program—s contact information to coordinate local outreach to displaced households.
Commissioners asked that consultants coordinate any design and permitting for near-term repairs to avoid jeopardizing FEMA reimbursement, and the board requested weekly updates on RFIs and progress toward FEMA deadlines.
No formal vote was taken; commissioners were asked to consider allowing NFPS to proceed with a broadly scoped task order so staff could issue individual task orders quickly as projects reach the execution stage.
