Carter County Commission: first FEMA partial payment of $260,000; commission approves routine invoices

Carter County commissioners on Thursday heard an extended disaster-recovery update from emergency management staff confirming the county has received a first partial federal payment of $260,000 for storm-related work, and then approved a set of routine invoices and purchase orders for road and infrastructure repairs.

The emergency management update said the county has three new projects and 18 other open projects across FEMA damage categories. “This is the first dime that this county has received from either the state or the federal government in relief of the disaster: $260,000,” a commissioner said during the meeting. County staff later said they had verified the approval and partial payment with FEMA and the state emergency agency, TEMA.

Why it matters: the payment is the county’s first federal reimbursement for the event and will serve as a test case for FEMA and state procedures the staff said have produced repeated requests for documentation. County staff described a multi-step federal review process that has produced delays and many follow-up questions; they said the county has submitted documents months earlier and continues to work with FEMA and TEMA to secure additional obligated funds.

Details from the recovery update: - Category summaries: the county reported 1 project categorized as debris, 9 projects for emergency protective measures, and 26 projects under road repairs (Category C). Of the 26 Category C projects, 13 are in FEMA review and 4 of those 13 are already obligated, “to the tune of $10,000,000,” staff said. - Engineering and bidding: Pogue 1 and 2 are through engineering; staff said design packets should be delivered to the highway department for review and then the county will bid the work. Long Hollow engineering is complete and the county had received a design packet for highway review. - Permanent work and parks: staff said Category E (permanent work) included five projects (two in queue; three with information still being gathered). Parks/buyout work was reviewed and one project was classified as an ineligible buyout under program rules, per staff review. - Administrative costs: administrative costs (Category Z) can be billed at up to 5% of obligated funding. Staff said as projects move to obligation the county will convert to appropriate funding patterns and begin submitting Category C and Z reimbursement requests. - Pipeline projects: staff said there is a larger temporary-bridges project in the pipeline exceeding $1 million.

Staff and commissioners described the federal review as detail-intensive: staff said the county has more than 900 documents in the FEMA portal related to these projects and that much of county finance and emergency management time is consumed by the application and documentation process. County officials urged patience as additional approvals and signatures are still required by TEMA and FEMA before funds are distributed.

Operational notes and local repairs: Commissioners thanked road crews for finishing a badly damaged section of Eaton Branch Road and noted other local roadwork continues under emergency and permanent repair programs. Engineering for several road projects was described as complete and moving toward bid.

Votes at a glance: after the recovery update the commission moved through routine financial business, approving multiple vendor invoices, purchase orders and check requests related to roadwork, bridges, safety barriers and equipment. The motions passed by roll call. Items approved included (motion text and invoice identifiers are listed as read into the record): - Payment to Landmark Construction Contractors, invoice 2025030 — $5,600 — motion approved. - Payment to Landmark Construction Contractors, invoice 20250381 — $5,600 — motion approved. - Payment to Shell's Professional Services, invoice 82625 — $85,601 — motion approved. - Payment to Shouse Professional Services, invoice 82725 — $3,040 — motion approved. - Payment to Trilex Products, invoice 2052035 — $2,900 — motion approved. - Payment / PO to AR K & K, invoice 250206 (Pogue/Bridge #1) — $15,860 — motion approved. - Payment / invoice R K N K, invoice 20021-6 (Covingbridge #2) — $25,718.75 — motion approved. - Payment to AR K & K, invoice 25047-6 (Long Hollow Bridge) — $13,928.75 — motion approved. - Payment to Kayla Spencey, invoice 00004 — $11,100 — motion approved. - Payment to Cables Fencing, invoice 000005 — $11,530 — motion approved. - Payment to Sunbelt Rentals, invoice 162193666-00011 — $4,872 — motion approved. - Payment to Otis Straight Path Distributing (plastic pipe) — $2,880 — motion approved. - PO to Permatile Concrete Products (safety barriers) — $6,500 — motion approved. - PO to Martin Marietta Materials (stone for county roads) — $40,000 — motion approved. - Check request/payment to ECE, invoice 295642L-2165-20250814SiteL — $12,777.76 — motion approved. - Check request/payment to ECE, invoice 295642M-2166-2025081 (site M) — $6,112.42 — motion approved.

The clerk read motions and staff recorded roll-call votes for each item; the meeting record shows each motion passed.

What commissioners asked and directed: commissioners asked staff for verification when residents reported other municipalities receiving funds; staff said they would check with FEMA and TEMA and return with an update. County staff requested moving the October regular meeting from Oct. 2 to Oct. 9 to allow time to collect invoices for reimbursement filings; commissioners did not object on the record.

Ending: county officials characterized the partial FEMA payment as a milestone but warned that further reimbursements will require additional documentation and state and federal approvals. Staff said they will continue to process documents and submit reimbursement claims as projects reach obligation.