Commissioners authorize payment of debris-removal invoices tied to FEMA disaster; auditors to determine budget lines pending reimbursement

The Commissioners Court authorized payment of invoices from contractors who removed vegetative debris after last year’s storms, and discussed reimbursement, dump-site logistics and budget accounting before FEMA reimbursement is received.

Judge and county staff presented invoices from Drewry Construction and Debris Tech for debris removal tied to FEMA disaster declaration 4781DR-TX. County staff reported the debris operation collected nearly 28,000 cubic yards of vegetative debris—well above the initial estimate of 12,000 cubic yards—and recorded approximately 640 load tickets/deliveries to the temporary dump sites.

The contractors' invoices, plus the monitoring company's invoice, produced a project total of $1,048,273.04. County staff said the monitoring company charge was $208,002.60 and the debris pickup invoices totaled $840,234.44. The county expects reimbursement of 75 percent from FEMA and 25 percent from the Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM). Officials said reimbursement timelines vary; another county’s experience placed reimbursement anywhere between 60 days and six months.

Commissioners and staff discussed dump-site permitting and logistics: the temporary site in Precinct 1 required Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) permitting and Texas Historical Commission review; Drewry Construction was responsible for permit completion and subsequent disposal operations (including burning). Commissioners raised concerns about whether a site owner had withdrawn or whether disposal steps had been completed; staff said they would contact the contractor to confirm status.

Several commissioners emphasized they did not want the costs borne by individual precinct road-and-bridge budgets and asked the auditor to recommend an appropriate receivable/expense accounting approach. County staff said the auditor's office would determine the proper budget lines and that contractors would not be paid until accounting and required budget transfers are in place. The court authorized payment of the invoices but the auditor must execute internal transfers or contingency allocations before funds are disbursed.

A motion to authorize payment of the invoices passed by voice vote; commissioners included a proviso that any transfer from precinct budgets would be discussed before moves are finalized. County staff said they would submit claims to FEMA and TDEM as soon as possible and track reimbursement.