Feds reimburse county $9M for post-Irma debris removal

Jul. 11--It's been nearly two years since Hurricane Irma plowed through Marion County, toppling thousands of trees. In the aftermath, Marion County spent millions of dollars to remove 365,115 cubic yards of debris in unincorporated areas.

Late Wednesday, Emergency Management Director Preston Bowlin announced that Marion County was among the first Florida counties to be reimbursed for its costly debris removal. The Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursed Marion County about $9 million.

Because of a healthy solid waste reserve fund, Marion County was able to foot the bill ahead of reimbursement. Bowlin said the $9 million will pay back the reserves loan.

"It was good financial planning on the county's part," Bowlin said of the fact that Marion was able to foot the enormous bill.

Irma struck late on Sept. 10, 2017 and swept from south to north through Marion County. The storm packed 75 mph wind at times, and thousands of trees were leveled. At one point, 75% of Marion County residences and businesses were out of power, officials said.

Bowlin said when FEMA started announcing its reimbursements to counties crushed last fall by Hurricane Michael, it appeared that the counties needing assistance from Irma were forgotten.

"Hurricane Michael was so big, and impacted such a large area, it was like they forgot about Irma," Bowlin said.

U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Gainesville, whose district includes parts of Marion and Alachua counties, celebrated the funding. Alachua County received nearly $2 million in June for its debris removal.

"Since Hurricane Irma battered our state and communities, our office has been working diligently to ensure recovery monies made their way to affected communities," Yoho said in a press release. "This has not been an easy or seamless process. Often the wait for funds has resulted in communities doing a perpetual shuffle of funds to keep projects moving and facilities working."

Marion County Commission Chairwoman Michelle Stone also celebrated the news.

"Hurricane Irma left behind enormous amounts of debris and damaged critical elements of our infrastructure, costing Marion County millions of dollars," Stone said in Yoho's press release, which was issued late Wednesday. "Thanks to committed representatives like Congressman Ted Yoho, we successfully secured much needed funding, offsetting the enormous costs associated with disaster relief."

Bowlin said Marion County is still awaiting millions of dollars of more funding to cover costs incurred in several other categories of Irma response.

"Our county will continue working closely with FEMA, the state and the federal government as we push forward," Stone noted.

The reimbursement was for only the county's storm debris removal. Other municipalities, such as Ocala and Belleview, have not yet been reimbursed.

A FEMA press release issued late Wednesday states that the "funds will reimburse the county for the collection, reduction, disposal and site management of debris within Marion County."

Funding for this Public Assistance (PA) project is authorized under Sections 403 of the Robert T. Stafford Act for Florida to cover Hurricane Irma-related expenses.

The FEMA release states that the fund reimburses eligible applicants for the cost of debris removal; life-saving emergency protective measures; and the repair, replacement or restoration of disaster-damaged facilities like buildings, roads and utilities.

FEMA's program is an essential source of funding for communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency, the release states.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management works with FEMA during all phases of the program and conducts final reviews of FEMA-approved projects.

Applicants then work directly with FEMA to develop project worksheets and scopes of work. Following approvals by FEMA and the Florida Division of Emergency Management, FEMA obligates funding for the project.

Bowlin said the process has been long. He has been working with the state and FEMA for two years. He said once the state approved the funding then FEMA conducts a detailed audit before reimbursement.

Joe Callahan can be reached at 867-4113 or at joe.callahan@starbanner.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeOcalaNews

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