Third-party company to assist city with assessing damage from spring storms

GARFIELD -- The City Council unanimously approved a contract to hire ER Assist to help receive aid from FEMA during a special meeting Monday night.

ER Assist is a disaster-grant services firm that consults with local cities to help them get as much money from FEMA as possible. Employees from ER Assist fill out paperwork, provide documentation outlining the extent of the damages from a disaster and act as a liaison between the city and the federal agency.

"It's kind of having your income taxes done," Susie Morrison, alderman, said. "If you have a business and want your business taxes done, do you have Joe Blow off the street come over to do your taxes for you, or do you want a CPA to do them, that has dealt with taxes? As an analogy, that's basically what this is."

Morrison said she had no qualms about using the third party because of its extensive resume helping other cities build back from natural disasters.

The city will pay ER Assist based on an hourly rate until the work is completed and will send a monthly bill to the city. The cost of the project should not exceed $20,000, according to the contract. The two positions the company plans to use for the work in Garfield are an administrative support staffer, who will work for $36 per hour, and a grant specialist, who's pay is $67.50 an hour.

"I would like to know how much it will cost, but I guess you don't know how much that will be right now," Terry Warren, alderman, said to Allison Wolf, a representative with ER Assist.

ER Assist is eligible to be reimbursed up to 90 percent of the costs associated with its work from FEMA grants and of that 90 percent, the city can get up to 75 percent of its costs returned, according to an information packet from ER Assist.

The project period began June 30 and will run through Oct. 31, according to the task order from ER Assist. Wolf said she thinks the work should be completed before that date, but could not give a definite time frame at this moment.

She still is working on gathering information that FEMA will need before it can disperse money to the city to help cover the costs of the damaged roads. This includes finishing the assessment of the damages and getting permits to do work, which takes time trying to coordinate with the necessary departments, she said.

"I'm going to try and get it done as fast as I can, it just depends on availability," Wolf said.

Damaged roads include North Wimpy Jones, Ranchief, Tall Oaks, Ford Road, Dennis Mitchell Road, Wild Honey, Old Liberty, Schooley, Hughes and Pine Brook West.

"For some of them, I wouldn't want to drive my car on them," Morrison said.

Mayor Gary Blackburn asked Wolf about when the city can expect to receive money from FEMA, but she said she could not give the council an accurate time.

"The citizens are going to get the best return, the best repair, that we can get from FEMA," Morrison said.

All City Council members -- Morrison, Jim Teeselink, Warren and Katherine Shook -- were present.

General News on 07/26/2017