Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter – News Analyst
October 3, 2017 1:00 a.m.
Fernandina Beach City Manager Dale Martin and city staff have been working with FEMA officials for many months attempting to get the go-ahead to begin costly repairs to the City Marina due to Hurricane Matthew’s damage last year. Despite verbal agreements and cooperation from FEMA officials in developing plans to repair the damage, there has been no formal approval from FEMA not only for planned repairs but to reimburse the city for the cost of debris clean up in the aftermath of the hurricane.
Fernandina Beach is not alone among Northeast Florida communities trying to unblock the flow of approvals and reimbursements from FEMA. Daytona Beach, St. Augustine and Jacksonville have all expressed similar frustrations. Any community that begins repairs without express FEMA approval runs the risk of losing the 75 percent reimbursement. When a small community like Fernandina Beach is looking at several million dollars’ worth of repairs, that becomes an unacceptable risk.
At the request of the Fernandina Observer, Martin provided the letter below, which he has sent to Florida Governor Rick Scott with copies to: Honorable B. Nelson, United States Senator; Honorable M. Rubio, United States Senator; Honorable J. Rutherford, United States Congressman; Honorable A. Bean, State Senator; Honorable C. Byrd, State Representative; and Mr. Bryan Koon, Director, Florida Division of Emergency Management.
Martin wrote the letter on September 22, 2017, and to date he has received an acknowledgment from Congressman Rutherford’s office.
The letter appears below:
Honorable Rick Scott
Governor, State of FloridaThe Capitol
400 S. Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
Dear Governor Scott:
Thank you for your visible leadership during Hurricane Irma. Although the City of Fernandina Beach incurred minimal damage (especially in relation to other Florida communities), the City has several concerns which require immediate attention.
The City has yet to receive any reimbursement funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or the State of Florida as the result of Hurricane Matthew (October, 2016). Appropriate documents have been submitted to both agencies over six months ago, but no funding has been provided. Most importantly, the City’s marina, a key economic facility for the community, remains significantly inoperable due to the lack of federal and state coordination: with repairs estimated at approximately $6.5 million, the City will not commence replacement of that facility until formal notice is provided by FEMA that the expenditures will be reimbursed. Florida’s first maritime facility for traffic from the north has been embarrassingly inoperable for a year: no food, no fuel, no dockage for transient boaters. City officials, businesses, and residents are frustrated with the lack of response following Hurricane Matthew.
The City is now clearing debris from Hurricane Irma. Because of the significant debris throughout several states resulting from both Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma, the availability of personnel and equipment is extremely limited. In order to remain eligible for disaster response funding (albeit with substantial delays for reimbursement, if at all- see previous paragraph), the City will likely have to engage in a lengthy process to pursue and revise debris removal contracts before debris is cleared. The frustration with the federal and state agencies has reached the point that for the interest of community health, safety, and welfare, the City will likely utilize internal resources for debris removal and later pursue an appropriate claim for reimbursement. City officials simply have limited (or even lost) faith in those agencies to provide the support and financial resources following Hurricane Irma when such support and resources following Hurricane Matthew have yet to materialize.
Sincerely,
Dale L. Martin
City Manager
Editor’s Note: Suanne Z. Thamm is a native of Chautauqua County, NY, who moved to Fernandina Beach from Alexandria,VA, in 1994. As a long time city resident and city watcher, she provides interesting insight into the many issues that impact our city. We are grateful for Suanne’s many contributions to the Fernandina Observer.