Libby council approves contract with ER Assist to seek FEMA reimbursement for Lower Flower Creek work
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Summary
The Libby City Council voted to hire ER Assist Inc. to pursue FEMA reimbursements for emergency work at the Lower Flower Creek Reservoir. The three‑year contract is capped at $80,000; councilors raised questions about billing, documentation and how long reimbursements could take.
The Libby City Council voted to approve a contract with ER Assist Inc. to help the city secure Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reimbursement for emergency actions at the Lower Flower Creek Reservoir. The motion passed "5 to 0 with 1 person abstaining," the presiding official said.
Erin McAuley, who identified herself as an ER Assist representative, told the council the firm provides disaster-management consulting to help jurisdictions identify recoverable costs and prepare FEMA submissions. "We can't create a contract that's contingent on FEMA funding," McAuley said, explaining ER Assist will bill the city and then seek reimbursement from FEMA if a disaster declaration is issued.
Councilors pressed for details about experience, rates and risk. McAuley said ER Assist has been in business roughly 10–15 years and that her tenure is seven years; she said success rates are difficult to quantify because FEMA decisions hinge on case-specific documentation and preexisting conditions. Billing will be hourly and "depends on the position," she said; specific hourly rates were not recited at the meeting. The contract includes a not-to-exceed amount of $80,000 "over the course of the contract," McAuley said.
Council members raised concerns about the city's ability to track timecards, equipment and paperwork required for FEMA reimbursement. One council member said the process "could be two to possibly three years or more" before the city sees reimbursement, underscoring the lag between work and recovery of funds.
During public comment, resident Vince Bracken asked whether the city could perform the work itself. D. C. Orr, a resident who said his property is in the Flower Creek flood zone, criticized the city for not using funds tied to International Paper to maintain the lower dam and called for a forensic audit of IP-related funds. "I think the first order of business should be a forensic audit of your IP funds. I wanna know where that money went," Orr said; no formal city response was recorded in the comment period.
After discussion the council moved and seconded approval of the ER Assist contract. One member announced an abstention before the vote carried. The meeting adjourned immediately afterward.
The contract approval authorizes staff to work with ER Assist to document damage and pursue FEMA reimbursement; the transcript does not specify a signed contract start date, exact hourly rates, or which council members voted yes. The council did not adopt any additional motions at the meeting related to audit requests or use of International Paper funds.
