FEMA begins funding process

Published 10:12 am Wednesday, July 9, 2008

The City of Austin, Mower County and periphery towns and townships took the first of many steps to gain damage reimbursement funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency Tuesday for wide-scale flood events about three weeks ago.

FEMA hosted a informational meeting to outline instructions for municipal officials already surveying and repairing issues across the county, which was one of four throughout southeastern Minnesota declared a disaster by President George Bush June 25.

FEMA officials said affected regions could expect money for smaller projects, defined as less than $60,900, by December’s end, though they warned that failure to follow procedure, jurisdictional congestion and FEMA backlogs may prove sticking points for funding requests.

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“The smaller projects — before the end of the year,” said FEMA public assistance program manager Bill Hirte, adding that funding for large-scale projects would take longer.

With a field office of several dozen in Rochester, FEMA staff will work with local and county officials to survey, document and request reimbursement funds in the coming weeks and months.

The agency provides reimbursement for 75 percent of repair and other costs associated with seven work categories: debris removal, protective measures, road systems, water control facilities, public buildings and equipment, public utilities and miscellaneous.

Whether work has already been completed, is in the process of completion or yet unidentified, local governments must formulate projects — defined by the type of damage, the system, the geographic boundaries and the level of work — in order to receive compensation.

Hirte said officials must play close attention to several aspects of their request, including the forms required. Of particular important is the “sub-grant” agreement, he said, which establishes a contract with the grantee and Minnesota Division of Homeland Security to clear funding for the applicant.

“Sign and return it right away,” Hirte said. “That’s a trigger that gets the money starting to flow.”

Austin and Mower County have gone through this FEMA funding exercise six times in the last decades as flood events tore up communities and roadways, most notably since 1978.

On June 12, floodwaters from the Cedar River, Dobbins Creek and Turtle Creek inundated yards and basements and multiple downtown intersections, resulting in the third-worst flood in Austin’s history, according to state and local officials.

While flood mitigation efforts in last years spared the city significant damages, city engineer Jon Erichson said Austin will need reimbursements for repairs in all seven work categories.

“It’s overwhelming,” he said.

Preliminary assessments by Austin suggest damages totaled $1.17 million, he said, adding that his office will still be determining repair costs in the coming weeks.

The glut of expense likely occurred at the local waste water treatment plant, where a recently-cleaned digester sustained floor damage. Erichson said they haven’t been able to confirm the extent of repairs required.

Mower County engineer Mike Hanson said his office would also be tallying totals in the coming week, after a preliminary assessment of $175,000.

“And I don’t know if it will be that much — I don’t know,” he said, adding that he didn’t know funding needs for affected townships.

In his request for federal funding, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty cited a total of $1.76 million in need for Mower County across five of seven categories: $182,000 in debris removal; $190,000 in emergency protective measures; $880,000 for roads and bridges; $10,000 for water control facilities; and $425,000 for utilities.

The governor’s disaster declaration sought $8.29 million for the counties of Mower, Freeborn, Fillmore and Houston for flood events between June 7-12, the book-end dates for FEMA funding in the region.

The disaster preceded major flood events in Iowa, Missouri and Indiana, which one FEMA official said has left the agency stretched thin. He advised a speedy approach by local officials here to ensure due attention quickly.

“I only have a limited number of people I can draw…,” said FEMA federal public assistance officer Don Simko. “But it’s kind of a first come, first serve.”

Erichson was optimistic nonetheless.

“You see criticism elsewhere, but the people they’ve sent to us have been very resourceful and very knowledgeable,” he said.

The city engineer is overseeing flood mitigation efforts near Packer Arena, where crews are building a berm-and-wall structure designed to protect a lift station and nearby neighborhoods.

At a council meeting Monday, he requested funding to continue a contract with Short Elliot Hendrickson Inc., a St. Paul, Minn.-based engineering firm that has assisted the city with its $11.5 million North Main project.

The 12-phase project consists of the berm already underway, which is one piece of 5,600 feet of flood barrier on the west side of the Cedar River and 1,900 on the east bank. It also includes infrastructure modifications to sanitary and storm sewer, four road raises and street modifications and more property acquisition.

Grant requests to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Department of Commerce are hoped to cover about 50 percent of costs, with the rest derived from a local-option sales tax passed in 2006.

“If we do receive funding, we’d like to move forward with all 11 phases,” he said.

Officials also have access to flood mitigation dollars through two FEMA programs. The first is designated for repairs and improvements to land recently affected by floodwaters. The second is for areas repetitively affected, though not necessary during this latest disaster.

Erichson said he would explore the option.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation will likely begin its own mitigation project in 2009 on box culverts beneath Interstate 90 by East Side Lake, according to Erichson, who said the work could result in temporary closure of the highway, with traffic diverted through Austin.