Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Emergency Contracts Debris topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Holmes County approves 90-day emergency contract with Wheeler for debris and incident support ahead of Gulf storm
Summary
As a storm approached the Gulf, the Holmes County board approved a 90-day emergency contract with Wheeler for incident command, debris monitoring, and disaster-recovery support and discussed steps to document roads for FEMA claims.
Holmes County commissioners voted on Sept. 23 to enter a 90-day emergency contract with Wheeler to provide incident command system support, disaster recovery, hazard mitigation, administrative services and debris monitoring in case the approaching Gulf storm impacts the county.
Speaker 2 (role not specified) asked the board to consider "entering into an emergency contract with Wheeler at this point," citing the brewing storm. Speaker 2 said the contract would be for a 90-day term to provide immediate emergency services and documentation support. Speaker 4 seconded the motion and the board recorded affirmative votes to approve the emergency contract.
Meeting discussion clarified procurement and coordination constraints. Speaker 5 explained that a 90-day emergency contract is typically the maximum allowable emergency term and that if a gubernatorial emergency were declared the contracting authority and timing could change. The board also confirmed that a notice of intent to award had been or would be published, triggering a three-day period for any protests or challenges.
Speakers emphasized preparing paperwork and coordination with FEMA. Speaker 5 recommended proactive documentation of county roads using GoPro cameras and geocoding the footage into the county’s GIS so pre‑storm conditions are captured and can be compared with post‑storm damage if FEMA reimbursement is sought. Speaker 2 and others discussed the logistics and the practical limits of surveying roughly 900 miles of roads and agreed to prepare documentation as appropriate.
The board’s motion authorizes an emergency contract to allow immediate response operations, with the understanding that any longer-term contract would follow normal procurement procedures once the emergency window closes.
Next steps: Staff will post the notice of intent to award if not already published, coordinate with the FEMA coordinator as needed, and begin preparatory documentation work if the storm threat increases.
