Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Fema Reimbursement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Burke County says FEMA review is stalling millions in debris reimbursements
Summary
County manager told commissioners that 14 months of FEMA review and a dispute over reported debris-trailer fullness are delaying obligation of roughly $11.4 million in public-assistance claims; the county and its monitoring firm are pursuing legal remedies while the state-run NC Smart program manages operations.
County Manager told the Burke County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 3 that the county’s FEMA Public Assistance application has been held up in a lengthy federal review, delaying the obligation of tens of millions in claimed debris-recovery costs.
The manager said the county has so far received $12,000 in Category F/G reimbursements out of roughly $11.4 million the county submitted, and that the bulk of costs are in Category A for debris management. He described a multilayered review process — local Project Disaster Manager (PDMG), FEMA project disaster team leader, and a CRC (large project) review — and said rules and documentation requirements have changed multiple times during the roughly 14-month process.
Why it matters: Burke County crews and contractors fronted millions of dollars to respond after the storm; delayed federal obligation and disagreement about monitoring data could reduce the county’s eventual reimbursement and affect county cash flow and investment returns.
What’s blocking payment: The county’s monitoring firm, DebrisTech, reported trailer loads that FEMA accepted as up to 90% full on about 43% of submitted invoices. FEMA reviewers now contend realistic fullness is nearer 83–85%, which would reduce approved volumes on a portion of pay applications by roughly 5–7 percentage points, the manager warned. The county and DebrisTech have engaged legal counsel and are pressing FEMA for reconsideration to restore previously billed volumes.
State role and risk mitigation: The manager said Burke County signed on to the NC Smart program on May 31, transferring operational cash-flow and legal oversight to the state while contractors remained the same. That move reduced county exposure on day‑to‑day operations but introduced other operational hiccups the county has tried to fill.
Commissioners pressed the manager on the practical impacts. One commissioner said outreach to U.S. Rep. Moore’s office produced movement on claim processing; another asked whether using $11 million in county cash reduced investment returns — the manager said some impact is likely but he could not quantify the loss.
Next steps: The county is working with FEMA, the monitoring firm and attorneys to resolve the trailer-fill dispute and seek FEMA obligation. The manager told commissioners he remains optimistic but cautioned the process is laborious and may require litigative or legal remedies if administrative appeals fail.
