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Parma Heights council: administration seeks just over $1 million from FEMA for storm cleanup labor
Summary
Finance Director Iaconis said the city submitted a FEMA reimbursement request for just over $1 million to cover roughly six weeks of service-department labor tied to the Aug. 6 storm; Service Director Sepik described ongoing cleanup that still stores about 3,000 yards of tree mulch at the service garage.
City officials told Parma Heights City Council on Sept. 9 that the administration submitted a reimbursement request to FEMA, via the county emergency management agency, for slightly more than $1 million to cover storm-related costs.
Finance Director Steven Iaconis reported the submission includes actual costs to date and an estimate of expected additional expenses, with the bulk of the request attributable to Service Department wages needed for clean-up operations after the Aug. 6 storm. "We submitted just over $1 Million dollars and that is putting in for about 6 weeks of labor," Iaconis said.
Service Director Sepik described the scale of the clean-up: crews worked overtime for two weeks; 16 additional workers from the Ohio Department of Transportation assisted; staff continue to haul and process tree material, with roughly 3,000 yards of tree mulch staged at the service garage and additional unprocessed trees awaiting work. Sepik publicly thanked specific staff and the mayor for resources and coordination.
Why it matters: the labor-related portion of storm recovery is the dominant near-term cost for the city and could affect the 2024 and 2025 budgets depending on FEMA reimbursement decisions. Iaconis said city staff are finalizing internal budget work and expect to present budget materials in October or November.
What’s next: the FEMA reimbursement application proceeds through the county EMA review; council did not take a formal vote on the reimbursement request during the meeting. The administration will continue cleanup and track costs for grant documentation.
