Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Fema Reimbursement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Richmond committee hears FEMA update and flags funding uncertainty for Volunteer Green projects
Summary
Committee members were told FEMA submissions for July 2024 flood repairs are largely complete (reported as 95% submitted) but reimbursements are not yet in hand; the uncertainty delays work on Volunteer Green and other park phases and has left some consultant invoices pending payment.
Members reported upgrades and longer-running concerns about Volunteer Green and broader park-phase funding after staff updates on FEMA reimbursements and several outstanding consultant invoices.
Committee members said town staff informed them that about "95% of the paperwork has been completed for the July 2024 floods and submitted to FEMA," but that the federal reimbursement process includes multiple review stages and the state portion of reimbursement typically follows later. One committee member summarized the situation: FEMA reimburses roughly 75% and the state provides a smaller share, and the towns expected 2024 FEMA money would be used to reimburse previously advanced town expenditures when it arrives.
Members said that a number of projects from a prior 2023 disaster had already been reimbursed or used, and that accounting treatment meant some funds were no longer available for immediate local use. The committee flagged the accounting implications for ongoing work at Volunteers Green and Brown's Court, where phase sequencing depends on reimbursement timing.
The committee also discussed unpaid consultant invoices: a consultant (Bob Neil) had submitted a bill that was recently signed on a warrant for payment after a delay; the committee asked staff to confirm payment and follow up with consultants before requesting additional work lest prior bills remain unpaid. Members stressed that knowing ballpark demolition and construction costs is essential to plan phases if FEMA reimbursements are delayed.
Next steps: staff to follow up with FEMA contacts about expected timelines, confirm which reimbursable amounts are earmarked for the committee's projects, and provide an updated accounting of the CRF and flood-recovery reimbursements at the next meeting. Committee will confirm whether consultants (Breadloaf, others) are willing to provide order-of-magnitude cost estimates and whether those would require a paid engagement.
