Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Fema Reimbursements topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Town staff: 2023 FEMA reimbursements approved but funds not yet available; 2024 submissions will take months
Summary
Town staff reported the town has 'mostly' FEMA approval for 2023 flood reimbursements but disbursement timing is uncertain; 2024 damage submissions are still being prepared and could take 10–12 months to appear in town accounts.
Town staff member Duncan told the Richmond Recreation Committee that much of the town’s 2023 flood reimbursement paperwork has been approved but funds have not been disbursed, and that documentation for 2024 flood damage is still being compiled and is not likely to appear in town accounts for 10–12 months.
"We have gotten the 2023 flood pretty much approved. We're waiting on a lot of that money. I'm still working on submitting 2024 flood damage information, but that will not show up for another 10 to 12 months," Duncan said. He described the FEMA process as multi-step: applications go to FEMA, then to the state, where additional questions and sign-offs can cause delays.
Duncan reiterated that the town’s approach had been to place ARPA-origin funds into a special reserve so the money would not have to be returned if delays arose, and that the pickleball-court portion of the ARPA/special-reserve funds has been approved for use. He said other project allocations are contingent on FEMA/state approvals and select-board decisions about which funding "buckets" to release.
Committee members asked whether the town had completed all FEMA paperwork. Duncan said 2023 submissions were about 98 percent complete with a few mitigation and infrastructure items still outstanding; 2024 work remains in progress.
What happens next: Duncan said staff will continue submitting documents and responding to state/FEMA requests and will report back as approvals and disbursements progress. Committee members were advised that until FEMA disbursements occur, certain project timelines and the reuse of special-reserve ARPA funds may remain constrained.
The committee asked Duncan to supply contractor contact details and to coordinate with project leads so that approved funds (where available) can be deployed promptly.
