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Emergency‑management official says 2019 drainage projects closed but 2024 work is delayed by FEMA documentation and UEI requirements

Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors · December 16, 2025
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Summary

Iowa DHS/EM staff told the board that Pottawattamie County's 2019 FEMA drainage projects are closed and paid but that 2024 drainage‑district projects face new obstacles, including UEI/DUNS‑type registration requirements, stringent photographic maintenance records and public‑notice logistics that are delaying FEMA obligations.

Kate Bremer, an emergency‑management specialist with the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, updated the Board of Supervisors on drainage‑district work tied to the 2019 floods and on 2024 FEMA project submissions.

Bremer said all Pottawattamie County drainage projects from the 2019 event are closed; total project costs in the county were presented as approximately $9,746,000 with FEMA covering 75% of eligible costs. She said environmental‑historic preservation reviews produced long delays for some 2019 projects (Honey Creek and Pigeon Creek) but that FEMA ultimately reimbursed interest for those districts ($400,000 and $300,000 reimbursements respectively).

For 2024 projects, Bremer said new administrative requirements are complicating progress: drainage districts now need a UEI (the federal Unique Entity Identifier) and a physical address rather than a PO box; FEMA is requesting more detailed maintenance documentation including photographic evidence tied to specific dates; and FEMA’s environmental and historic‑preservation (EHP) public‑notice requirement is being applied at project work sites — a step Bremer called cost‑ineffective and offered the county website or community locations as alternatives subject to FEMA approval. Bremer urged the board to allow staff to post required 15‑day notices on county web pages and to gather proof of posting for FEMA.

Bremer said only a small percentage of 2024 project dollars had been obligated by FEMA at the time of the meeting and that staff will continue to press for obligation and clarity on documentation requirements.