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Calvert County emergency manager: FEMA has put reimbursements on hold; commissioners agree to pause early-stage projects
Summary
Emergency Management told the board that FEMA placed several grants on hold for review, affecting hazard mitigation and reimbursement streams. Officials recommended continuing work already far along but pausing early acquisitions and elevations; the board directed an inventory of federal grants and accepted staff recommendations.
Calvert County's Emergency Management Division told commissioners on March 11 that FEMA has placed several federal grants on hold for further review — a pause that affects local reimbursements but not necessarily the ability to continue on-the-ground work.
"The funding is all that's being held up right now," Emergency Management Division Chief Mike Reers told the board, explaining that projects can continue to be worked but reimbursement from FEMA is temporarily inaccessible. Reers outlined affected programs and figures: Hazard Mitigation Assistance showing $654,660.94 in unexpended funds and $916,021.69 in outstanding reimbursements; Emergency Management Performance Grant reimbursements awaiting $164,777.64; State Homeland Security Program activity near $300,000 per year; and a Port Security advance previously expended of roughly $600,000 for equipment already purchased.
Reers broke project-level impacts into three categories: (1) an elevation project with three homes (two elevations complete, one in early engineering) with $106,385.95 unexpended and roughly $100,725.74 in outstanding reimbursements; (2) acquisition projects that remove at-risk structures (one demolition recently completed) with $548,274.99 unexpended and $815,295.95 already spent awaiting reimbursement; and (3) a subrecipient management fee/administration line that covers staff time (approximately $8,285.59 in time yet to be submitted, with additional prior amounts noted).
Reers recommended the county continue with demolition and other work that is already substantially underway but pause ground-breaking, new acquisitions and elevations that are still in early contract stages until FEMA clarifies funding. He also urged staff to continue submitting applications and paperwork because the hold affects reimbursement timing rather than the ability to perform work.
The board voted unanimously to direct the County Administrator's office to inventory federal grants across county agencies and the Board of Education and report back so commissioners could understand county exposure. Commissioner (speaker 8) moved the information-gathering motion; it was seconded and approved. The board subsequently accepted Reers' recommendation — to finish projects that are already far enough along and pause early-stage projects and further expenditures — also by unanimous vote.
What happens next: staff said they will continue to file paperwork and watch for state and FEMA guidance (the state has set up recurring calls for emergency managers). The inventory requested of the County Administrator is intended to quantify exposure and inform whether further action is needed if FEMA's review becomes prolonged.
