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Westminster staff outline preliminary FEMA reimbursement totals after Hurricane Helene
Summary
City staff told the Westminster City Council they have begun documenting costs tied to Hurricane Helene and expect FEMA reimbursements but cautioned totals are preliminary, an exploratory call with FEMA has not yet occurred, and some charges may be rejected.
City staff told the Westminster City Council on a staff presentation that they have begun compiling invoices and payroll tied to Hurricane Helene and expect some reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but the figures are preliminary.
Assistant city staff said they "have continued to gather and organize our data associated with the hurricane Helene, and FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will reimburse us for, hopefully, all, but at least some of the cost," and noted the city has not yet had an exploratory call with FEMA to confirm eligible items. Staff warned that totals will likely grow as overtime and additional invoices are processed and that FEMA could reject portions of the request.
Staff identified several currently documented costs: utility overtime during the relevant pay period exceeded $20,000; miscellaneous and contract expenses totalled more than $80,000; a bridge bypass (materials and contracted crew) accounted for about $47,000; a contracted crew from Decatur, Alabama was about $23,000; and tree removal work (Anderson Park/Anderson Avenue) was about $7,000. Staff also flagged costs for feeding crews, equipment replacement, vehicle hours and chainsaw hours as items still being compiled. The presenter said staff estimate additional eligible costs could range from roughly $15,000 to $75,000 as payroll and invoices are further reviewed.
Council members asked about small line items and how they were calculated. One member asked, "But why does he need $9.58?" regarding a chainsaw-use payment; staff responded that the chainsaw usage reported by the fire department totaled about one hour across the event and that payroll reporting needed further itemization. Staff acknowledged missing or unclear line items in the draft report and said they would provide corrected details.
Staff also said the permanent water-line replacement across the Chaugah Bridge is not included in the current FEMA spreadsheet and that the city is coordinating with the Department of Transportation and FEMA to determine which agency and program might reimburse permanent-line work.
No formal action was taken. Staff said they will continue building the reimbursement request, provide corrected line-item detail, and await FEMA guidance and the exploratory call before submitting a final claim.
