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Assumption Parish activates debris-removal contract, approves $286,000 transfer to cover hurricane cleanup
Summary
The Assumption Parish Police Jury authorized activation of a debris-removal contract and a debris-monitoring firm after a storm; the jury approved a $286,000 transfer from the general fund to solid waste to fund upfront cleanup costs while FEMA reimbursement is sought.
The Assumption Parish Police Jury voted to activate a debris-removal contract for parish rights-of-way and to hire a debris-monitoring firm to document pickup and support FEMA reimbursement after a recent storm.
Parish emergency staff briefed jurors that FEMA had declared the parish eligible for individual and public assistance and that FEMA field teams would begin door-to-door assessments. "Power has been restored to all of the parish," the agency official said, adding that FEMA had declared the parish for individual assistance, public assistance and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
A consultant's preliminary windshield assessment put debris at roughly 23,000 cubic yards with an estimated total cost of about $260,000; staff said FEMA would likely cover roughly 75% of eligible costs. The jury heard an explanation of monitoring practices from the debris-monitoring representative, who said, "debris monitoring costs usually will come in about 10% of the contractor costs," and described how monitors measure truck loads and verify routes to protect reimbursement eligibility.
Members debated whether public works should handle collections instead of contractors and raised concerns about fund availability. Jurors approved a motion to activate the contracted debris-removal firm for parish rights-of-way and to engage the monitoring firm, with instructions to restrict contractor pickup of state routes until the parish is ready.
To provide immediate funding, the jury approved a transfer of $286,000 from the general fund into the solid-waste account to cover upfront cleanup costs pending FEMA reimbursement. The motion passed after members discussed that reimbursement timelines are months and that the parish must pay contractors before it receives federal reimbursement.
Officials said debris will be sorted to separate vegetative material, construction and demolition debris, and white goods, and that some material may be burned at a parish site while white goods and C&D will require landfill disposal or special handling. The jury asked staff to provide detailed cost and scope estimates at the next meeting and to track parish-vs.-state-eligible routes.
The jury's action authorizes staff to move forward with mobilization, with the parish planning multiple collection passes and daily monitoring to support eventual FEMA claims.
