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Burke County manager outlines slow, contested FEMA reimbursement process after Helene
Summary
County Manager Brian Mandur told commissioners the county’s $11 million debris and recovery application has been slowed by repeated FEMA reviews, a dispute over monitoring-company load measurements affecting about 43% of invoices, and the transfer of operations to the state’s NC SMART program.
County Manager Brian Mandur gave commissioners a detailed update Nov. 3 on the county’s FEMA public-assistance application tied to Hurricane Helene, saying progress has been “rigorous” and slower than expected while the county pursues reimbursement for debris-removal and emergency operations costs.
Mandur said Burke County originally filed an application across five FEMA categories but removed one category after insurance reimbursed building improvements. He said the county has paid roughly $11 million to contractors for debris collection and monitoring and has so far received a small portion of the total obligation, reporting “we've received $12,000 today” toward an $11,400,000 request.
The manager described the multi-step FEMA review—including local project managers (PDMGs), a project disaster team leader, and a large-project review in Washington D.C.—and said the federal review standards and documentation…
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