A.G. Gancarski
On Tuesday, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry‘s Chief Administrative Officer Sam Mousa addressed the city council on how recovery efforts are going after Hurricane Matthew.
There is lots of work ahead, and that work will have to be exhaustively documented for reimbursement purposes, and it will cost millions of dollars.
Mousa noted the process, including engaging contractors, would be done outside of council approval, though council would be updated.
RFPs and bid packages would be used to hire contractors after Friday, when the state of emergency is lifted.
The range of costs: between $25 million and $100 million. The bulk of the costs should be reimbursed from federal or state authorities, Mousa said.
The takeaways:
Mousa noted the state of emergency, still in effect from a week prior, was desired until Friday at least. The mayor’s office will have a report prepared for expenditures through 5 p.m. Friday.
Part of the reason for extending the state of emergency: negotiating prices for big-ticket items such as an access road to Huguenot Park and repair to the Jacksonville Beach pier.
“The expenses you see will grow,” Mousa told the council.
Mousa also noted just over $2 million has been authorized in work orders, with debris removal from rights of way and parks being the most significant line item.
From there, Mousa discussed streets, drainage, and parks, saying that “there is significant damage” and the “damage is in the millions.”
All of the work needed, said Mousa, would be presented to FEMA for disaster reimbursement.
Mousa said city leaders have been “riding folks extremely hard” during storm recovery, describing the mayor as “relentless” in trying to get people’s lives in order.
As well, the mayor is “disappointed” in the discharge of waste water from processing plants into roads and rivers.
The city has earmarked $550,000 already for the removal of city debris, Mousa said, and that’s just a start.
The Huguenot Park entry road, Mousa said, has been “completely washed out.”
As well, there will be a structural assessment of the Jacksonville Beach pier, which lost 350 feet during the storm, Mousa said.
Mousa noted that the pier was built in 2004, and that “with a pier that’s not that old, you’d think it was a bit more sustainable.”
Mousa also addressed the importance of documentation to get FEMA funds, saying it is essential to ensure applications are accurate.
To that end, the city will contract with Ernst and Young or some other consultant after a 60-day trial period to help with FEMA issues.
Debris management and monitoring service costs, Mousa said, will go up from the numbers presented.
FEMA is going to have 16 people on the ground starting tomorrow, looking at hard-hit areas with an eye toward individual assistance toward debris removal and repair of damaged facilities.
Council members had questions, including about delayed restoration of power.
“The mayor wants to know,” said Mousa, “what areas of the county are still out.”
Mousa advised that people email the mayor with power outage information, in addition to contacting the JEA.
Beyond that, Councilman Bill Gulliford advised that the city be proactive in building up sand dunes to protect the beaches.
Mousa concurred, saying “if there’s anything to be done, it’s a heck of a lot cheaper to get it done now.”
