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Selectboard presses FEMA reimbursement options after Linden installed temporary culvert
Summary
Board members said FEMA placed an $18,000 temporary culvert on Kirby's side of Brook Road (installed by Linden) without prior town notice; the board discussed pursuing reimbursement via an MOU and warned payments may take up to a year.
A selectboard member (S3) told colleagues that FEMA had paid for a temporary culvert on the town’s side of Brook Road after a neighboring town’s contractor installed it, and that Kirby would need to pursue documentation and possibly an MOU to secure reimbursement.
S3 described discussions with Vermont Emergency Management and FEMA, saying the agencies are "process driven" and that FEMA’s regional staff are reviewing unresolved payments. S3 said FEMA intends to reimburse Linden because the work was not located in London; the board expressed frustration that the culvert was installed without first consulting Kirby’s selectboard. S2 asked whether the town had been consulted before the culvert was placed; S3 answered that they had not.
Board members discussed timing and cash-flow risks. S3 estimated reimbursements could take about a year based on similar town experiences and noted the state will not pay its portion until FEMA payments are received. The board discussed prioritizing which projects to fund immediately from town funds if FEMA reimbursements are delayed, with one member noting a $150,000 project on their property as an example of a job that could be deferred.
S3 said the town will submit reimbursement invoices once projects are complete and monitor FEMA’s extension and signature processes; the board agreed to keep working the issue and to consider escalating to higher officials if necessary.
