All the paperwork has been filed, but the City of Pinehurst must wait a little longer to get FEMA money following Tropical Storm Harvey. The money will help pay for the cleanup done by the city after the storm.
Pinehurst like the other municipalities in Orange County except the City of Orange used the county’s contractor Ashbritt to remove debris after the storm. To help facilitate the removal of the debris Pinehurst used their own employees from the public works department and hired hourly employees from the Texas Work Force Commission to consolidate the debris for a quicker clean up.
Robbie Hood the Pinehurst City Administrator said Michelle Turley at City Hall has worked hard to get the man-hours paid for this work by Pinehurst to be refunded by FEMA. Turley has turned in the necessary papers and will meet with representatives from FEMA on June 15 to close out the city’s request for reimbursement.
The city is looking to be refunded between $28,000 to $30,000 from FEMA. Hood admitted it will still be a wait for the money. “It’s in their hands to refund our money to us,” Hood concluded.
Governor Greg Abbott has promised counties and cities like Pinehurst that were hit hard by Harvey to receive grants from Texas to help with hazard mitigation projects. Hood stated Pinehurst has submitted three Notices of Intent (NOI) to improve the city’s infrastructure.
The first NOI was to perform drainage improvements throughout the city. The elevation to raise them out of the flood area of all of Pinehurst’s sewer lift stations which were inundated with water from Harvey was the second project warranting a notice of intent.
The final notice of intent involves the electrical control panel at the waste water treatment plant which was hit with water, but the city did not lose power. Hood indicated the requested project is to raise and relocate that building. “Take the old one off line and build a new one,” Hood explained.
The grants are to be 75-25 percent split of the funds. Hood added there is a good possibility for more funding which could cover the city’s 25 percent portion of the grant making it a 100 percent grant. The Texas Department of Emergency Management reviewed the Notices of Intent and sent three applications to Pinehurst to apply for the grants.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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