Radford council hears FEMA reimbursement update, urged to prioritize safety repairs before April 1 deadline

Radford City Council on Tuesday received a detailed update on recovery work from Hurricane Helene and on the status of FEMA reimbursements, with city officials urging prioritization of safety repairs so work can be completed and reimbursed before an April 1 deadline.

City Manager Todd introduced Fire Chief Rodney Haywood and Parks and Recreation Director Charlie Gones to brief the council on categories of FEMA-eligible work and the city’s progress. Haywood said debris removal funds have been obligated and expended and provided a debris-removal figure of "$34,007.23 and 15¢." He described Category B (emergency protective measures) — work at the animal shelter, road blockages and other pre- and post-event measures — as obligated in the amount the city recorded as $41,050.40 and noted FEMA covers that category at 100%.

Haywood said Category C (roads and bridges) includes erosion repairs at Little River Dam; those funds have been obligated but disbursement remains pending an Environmental Historic Preservation (EHP) review. He told council the Category C amount shown in the city’s paperwork is $103,659.89 with a FEMA match figure of $77,744.92 and warned that the timing for EHP clearance could be “a couple weeks, could take a month.”

Parks Director Charlie Gones outlined parks work, saying some items are complete while others remain in progress. He told council Sparkies Run is largely finished but awaits chain-link fence installation once weather permits, and he identified safety priorities — padded backstops at Veterans Field and repair of a damaged batting-cage net — that must be addressed before nonessential projects such as outdoor pickleball courts.

Council members pressed staff on whether labor and overtime are reimbursable; Gones and Haywood said the city documents staff hours and can claim those labor costs in many instances. Haywood described typical funding mixes discussed with FEMA as largely federal with smaller state and local matches and noted some of the city’s match can be in-kind contributions.

Several council members said they want staff to monitor cash flow and, where feasible, use available funds to complete high-need, safety-critical repairs so the city can apply for reimbursement rather than forgoing eligible work. Mayor noted this is a reimbursement grant that requires expenditures up front and said the city is trying to avoid "leaving money on the table."

Haywood and Gones said the city’s documentation is complete on its end and that FEMA and the state must review records before funds are dispersed. Council and staff agreed to prioritize safety items and to continue pursuing sponsor funding for larger discretionary items such as scoreboards.

The next procedural steps, as discussed at the meeting, are to finish obligated work where practical before April 1, continue to track documentation for FEMA’s review, and await the EHP determination that triggers disbursement.