City staff alert council to incoming SB‑31 revolving loan funds; FEMA and grant timing discussed

City staff told the Roswell City Council that the SB‑31 revolving loan program will open for applications around July 31 and encouraged the city to prepare an application because the program will be competitive. Staff said the fund totals $50 million statewide and that local applicants will compete with other communities affected by recent disasters.

Staff cautioned that many recovery programs are reimbursement‑based (FEMA), and therefore the city will need bridge financing for large projects; staff said the city does not have the cash on hand to cover large reimbursements. Staff and council discussed the FEMA damage inventory and noted that the estimate initially reported as about $269 million had decreased as FEMA inspectors and local assessments were completed, with staff saying the number had come down to an estimated $204 million.

Staff also explained that some flood‑control work performed by the local flood commission is ineligible for FEMA reimbursement because the city does not own that property. Council and staff discussed prioritization of projects if multiple grants are available and noted that applications often require a council resolution for submission. Staff described scoring priorities for grants — public health, police and fire — and encouraged council to consider which projects to prioritize if the city applies for SB‑31 or CDBG‑type funds.

Councilors asked about timing and specificity of applications; staff said application procedures and scoring criteria were still being finalized and that the city would need to prioritize projects and prepare engineering estimates and damage documentation to support requests. Staff warned that grant programs are competitive and that the council would need to decide which portfolio of projects to pursue if the city seeks the funds.