Cathedral City seeks FEMA reimbursements after Tropical Storm Hillary; staff reports $5.05 million submitted

Rick Vogt of the city finance team presented a FEMA status update on Cathedral City’s recovery from Tropical Storm Hillary (incident period Aug. 19–21, 2023) at the Jan. 8 study session, summarizing applications, vendor contracts and the reimbursement timeline.

Vogt said the city has submitted applications totaling $5,051,574 for public-assistance reimbursement, including an administrative-cost estimate of $240,551. He described the FEMA public-assistance framework and cost-sharing structure: FEMA pays 75 percent of eligible costs, the State of California may cover 75 percent of the remaining 25 percent (approximately 18.75 percent of total eligible costs), and the city’s match is generally 6.25 percent. Category Z administrative costs are eligible at 100 percent up to a 5 percent cap of obligated project costs.

Vogt summarized submitted projects and contractor awards: Petrochem Materials Innovation was awarded $1,281,780 (including contingency) to supply and apply rubberized emulsion and aggregate slurry in multiple neighborhoods; Hardy & Harper received $731,400 for pavement reconstruction in sections of the Panorama neighborhood; and Cantera Construction received $3,094,099.15 for soil removal at the Ophelia Bringus Memorial Bridge and the Date Palm Drive channel lining. Vogt said Cal OES has obligated category B (emergency protective measures) and category G (parks and fencing) funds and that the city received those category G funds in late December 2024; other submissions remain under FEMA review.

Vogt outlined FEMA eligibility categories the city used to structure claims: Category A (debris removal), Category B (emergency protective measures, including overtime for police and fire and temporary traffic-control costs), Category C (road repairs), Category D (water-control facilities and associated debris removal), Category G (parks and recreational facilities), and Category Z (administrative costs to prepare applications). He said the City identified 11 road locations during initial assessment, and because FEMA divided one road (Horizon Road) into three segments the total effectively grew. Some road segments (Date Palm Drive and Vista Chino) are Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) responsibilities and will be handled through FHWA rather than FEMA; staff are working with Caltrans and FHWA on those segments.

Vogt provided current status notes: category A debris removal requests totaling $2,893,792 are pending FEMA review; category B emergency-protective measures totaling $152,007 have been obligated and the city expects reimbursement; category C road claims submitted to date total about $133,505 and additional road claims estimated at $640,280 remain under FEMA review; category D bridge and water-control structure debris-removal claims total $1,603,049 and are pending; category G parks claims ($28,670) have been obligated and paid by Cal OES. Vogt cautioned that FEMA obligations and disbursement timing are not guaranteed and that Cal OES can take up to three months to process reimbursements after obligation.

Council members thanked staff and clarified administrative-cost accounting and FHWA/FEMA eligibility for specific roads. Vogt said administrative costs (Category Z) cover staff time specifically used to prepare applications, consultant assistance and allowable legal costs, and that overtime for police and fire responding to the storm was included in Category B submissions.

Staff said they continue weekly coordination with FEMA and Cal OES and will provide additional documentation and clarification as requested to secure obligations and reimbursements.