HURRICANE IRMA FINANCIAL UPDATE
Tina Boan, Monroe County Director of Budget and Finance, presented the Hurricane Irma recovery finance report at the November Board of County Commission meeting.
As of Nov. 20, 2019, the County has submitted $60.6 million in completed and tentative projects for approval to the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Florida Department of Emergency Management (FDEM). The state has validated, or approved, $40.5 million of the $47.7 million in completed or in-progress projects to be dispersed to Monroe County. The County has received a total of $26.6 million (in the bank). The remaining expenses are still in the first review phase.
“The State has been helpful with the additional cost-share responsibility,” said Boan. “We should get back an extra $1.6 million that we were not counting on.”
In addition, the Board of County Commissioners directed the County Attorney to pursue arbitration to contest FEMA’s denial of the County’s reimbursement request of more than $6 million for basecamp related expenditures following Hurricane Irma. Basecamps were set up to house and feed first responders and recovery workers immediately after Hurricane Irma when hotels were not open and electricity and water were still not available in the areas where help was needed.
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FEMA FUNDING TO KEYS FOR IRMA
As of Sept. 4, 2018, Monroe County homeowners, renters and businesses have received more than $514 million in federal funding to help them recover from Hurricane Irma, according to information provided by FEMA.
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